Jessica Kitch

Research Technician in Geograpghy

PhD student in the school of Geography 'Quantifying and predicting Andean sediment dynamic responses to natural and anthropogenic changes at the basin scale'

Qualifications

Academic positions:

Research Technician, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK (September 2018 - present)

Qualifications: 

BSc Geography (1st class Hons), University of Plymouth (2015 - 2018)

Research interests

• Soil erosion in catchments
• Glacial retreat
• Food, water and energy security
• Climate change and the impacts on soil erosion
  

Other research

Current research

Making soil erosion understandable and governable at the river basin scale for food, water and hydropower sustainability in Latin America

NERC /CONICYT UK-Chile research project investigating soil erosion in the Rapel Basin. The aim is to better understand the drivers of erosion and work with a group of conveners to mitigate this issue.

SIGMA: Peru (Societal Impacts of Glacier Melt in the Andes: Peru) 

Newton Funded UK-Peru interdisciplinary research project focusing on integrated upstream and downstream thinking to mitigate water security challenges from Peruvian glacier retreat. This research is conducted in the Rio Santa and aims to better understand glacial run off impacts on the riverine systems through water and sedimentary input, as well as the impact this has on human activities, e.g. agriculture and hydroelectric production.

Awards for Research:

The Marjorie Sweeting Prize 2019 for the best undergraduate geomorphological dissertation undertaken at a UK university

 'Sediment Source Fingerprinting in the Merriott Stream Catchment, Somerset'

Grants & contracts

Contracts:

September 2018 - March 2020: Making soil erosion understandable and governable at the river basin scale for food, water and hydropower sustainability in Latin America

April 2020 - July 2021: Research technician on Newton Funded UK-Peru glacial retreat project, University of Plymouth