Marjolein van Esch

This PhD project at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) aims to develop socially just, context-sensitive adaptation strategies to address heat stress in informal settlements, with a particular focus on conflict-sensitive environments. The increasing frequency and intensity of heat stress due to climate change pose significant risks to vulnerable populations, especially those displaced by conflict. The project seeks to explore how justice can be conceptualized and operationalized to enhance adaptive capacities against heat stress in these settings. Drawing on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) vulnerability framework, the research will analyze exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, emphasizing the socio-economic and cultural contexts that shape vulnerability. The project will employ a multidisciplinary approach, integrating social justice theories to assess how poverty, social inequality, infrastructure, and community resources influence adaptation. It will also investigate the interplay between societal tensions and heat adaptation actions. Key objectives include developing a holistic understanding of vulnerability to heat in relation to geographical, cultural, political, and climatic contexts; assessing the roles of perception, gender, household composition, home ownership, education, access to resources, migration status, and political context in adaptive capacity; and formulating socially just, context- and conflict-sensitive heat adaptation strategies. The position is based in the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Department of Urbanism, section of Environmental Technology and Design, with strong collaboration anticipated with the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, and the Section of Ethics and Philosophy of Technology. The PhD is part of the interdisciplinary Climate Safety & Security centre (CaSS) at TU Delft | Campus The Hague, contributing to the Human Security flagship. The successful candidate will join a vibrant academic community, benefit from a robust research environment, and receive support through the TU Delft Graduate School. The position offers a four-year employment contract (split into two contracts), a competitive salary, benefits, and relocation support for international applicants. Applicants should have a background in Social Geography, Urbanism, or Anthropology, experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and strong English communication skills. The application deadline is 30 November 2025.