Nationality: British
Partner Institution: University of Aberdeen
Start and end of PhD project: 01.10.2016 – 30.09.2020
e-mail: r02jmw126@abdn.ac.uk
Supervisors: Professor Jo Smith, Dr Lisa Avery, Dr Anke Fischer, Dr David Vega-Maza
PhD title: Resolving the Conflicts between Demands on Organic Wastes in Rural Ethiopia – Optimum Solutions for Food, Energy and Water Security
Description of PhD project:
Population growth and associated deforestation in rural Ethiopia is having a negative impact upon soil quality and hence food security. Up to 99% of the rural community is dependent on biomass as fuel for cooking. As the number of nearby trees declines, more crop residues and dried cow dung are used as a replacement fuel on inefficient 3-stone fires. These materials were previously returned to soils, replacing a proportion of the carbon and nutrients harvested.