micro enterprises | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans

Research Position in Ghana:Economics of Human Waste in Agriculture

If you have recently completed your PhD in Economics or Sanitation and have a sound understanding of both, then this could be just the assignment for you. Based at IWMI”s West Africa Office in Accra, Ghana, you will analyze business opportunities for enterprise development related to resource recovery from human waste, be it in agriculture or other sectors, and then form policy recommendations to enhance livelihoods in the rural/urban interface.
You will:
• provide economic and institutional analysis for projects that explore, for example:
o sustainability indicators of low-cost wastewater treatment options across Africa
o Agricultural reuse-oriented approaches into the sanitation sector to recover nutrients, water and energy from waste streams whilst
improving environmental sanitation in Ghana
o Role of small and micro-enterprises that specialize in waste reuse in Ghana, Vietnam and Uganda
o How to enhance the success of private ventures in solid and liquid waste collection and reuse
• study national agricultural and sanitation policies and regulations examining relevant economic, organizational, institutional and financial issues to inform policymakers through the development and application of economic decision tools/models for recovery of nutrients, organic matter, energy and water from waste streams
• liaise with public officials on the awareness and implementation of public policies
• contribute to ideas on linking agriculture and sanitation to enhance food security and business opportunities in West Africa through the reuse of waste resources, emphasizing cost recovery along the sanitation chain
• prepare scientific reports and articles for peer-reviewed journals
You must possess:
• a recent PhD in agricultural or natural resources, economics or environmental or civil engineering
• a good understanding of agriculture, microeconomics and enterprise development

Scholarship Application Deadline: 31 January 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application

Postdoctoral Fellow in Micro economics of Sanitation and Waste, Ghana

: If you have recently completed your PhD in economics or sanitation but have sound understanding of both, then this could be just the assignment for you. IWMI seeks the right person to analyze problems relating to human waste, as used in agriculture, then form policy recommendations to enhance livelihoods in the rural/urban interface.
You will:
• Provide economic and institutional analysis for projects that explore:
o Sustainability indicators of low-cost wastewater treatment options across Africa
o Agricultural reuse-oriented approaches into sanitation sector to recover nutrients and water from waste streams whilst improving
environmental sanitation in Ghana
o Role of small and micro-enterprises that specialize in waste reuse in Ghana and Uganda
o How to enhance success of private ventures in wastewater collection and reuse
• Collect and analyze field data on the economics of reuse from sanitation facilities
• Examine economic & institutional aspects of existing waste reuse models to determine viability & develop further options
• Study national agricultural and sanitation policies examining relevant economic, organizational, institutional, and
financial issues to inform policymakers – through the development and application of economic decision tools/models for recovery of nutrients, organic matter and water from waste streams
• Liaise with public officials on the awareness and implementation of public policies
• Contribute ideas about linking agriculture and sanitation to enhance food security and business opportunities in West Africa through the reuse of waste resources, emphasizing cost recovery along the sanitation chain
• Prepare scientific reports and articles for peer-reviewed journals
You must possess:
• A recent PhD in agricultural or natural resources or environmental economics or environmental or civil engineering and
• A good understanding of agriculture and microeconomics
You must know about:
• Sanitation challenges in developing countries: solid waste, fecal sludge and wastewater management (with on-site sanitation systems)
• Technical feasibility & social/economic opportunities/trade-offs in managing/re-using options for wastewater/fecal sludge
• Computer-based, business process modeling tools for scenario building
• Economic and institutional analysis across public and private sectors in sanitation sector or agricultural interface (demonstrated in
reports, dissertation or journal articles)
• Engineering and microeconomics analytical tools
You must have:
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Ability to establish priorities, plan, organize and monitor own work in an interdisciplinary and multiple task environment
• Strong interpersonal skills to maintain effective relationships in multi-cultural environments with respect for diversity
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary teams and with local and international partners
It would be useful if you had some previous working experience in developing countries, can speak and write in French and have skills in business optimization analysis and relevant computer software.
Please submit your application on-line at: http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/About_IWMI/Vacancies/ Closing date: 30 September 2010
The International Water Management Institute (www.iwmi.org) is a non-profit, scientific organization engaged in research and capacity building activities for developing countries. Our mission is to overcome poverty through better management of land and water resources.
Working with diverse partners and supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (www.cgiar.org), IWMI seeks to translate its research findings into actionable recommendations for policymakers, resource managers and poor rural communities.