Our People

Dr Kevin Grecksch

Fellow, Ordinary Fellow

Associate Professor of Water & Environmental Governance and Programme Director MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management

School of Geography and the Environment

Dr. rer. pol. Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, MA University of Leipzig

Kevin is a social scientist who specialises in normative and analytical aspects of governance, especially with regard to water and climate change adaptation. His research interests include (multilevel) environmental governance, water governance, climate change adaptation, governance of societal transformation processes, property rights and the governance of natural resources. Kevin has a particular interest in why and how power relationships, institutions and knowledge shape the governance of water and climate change. Kevin is passionate about public engagement with research and his research impact. He has organised various drought walks in Oxford and other cities across the UK, walking and discussing issues of drought and water scarcity with stakeholders at places where drought happened. When it comes to drought and the state of the water resources management in  England and Wales, Kevin is a regular interviewee for the BBC (radio & TV), Times Radio, Politico among others as well as in international media. Moreover, his research on drought and water scarcity is now a lesson plan for Year 10 GCSE Geography students. He has also contributed ideas to a primary school story book about a drought super hero.

Research

Next to the research focus on water governance Kevin has two other main strands of research, however they are all interconnected. First, researching property rights. Property rights are essential in western market societies and often taken for granted. They are ubiquitous and we do not question them. They are also a crucial element in the discussion of natural resource management. In the context of climate change, understanding our concept of property rights, and how it influences our interpretation of who natural resources belong to, becomes increasingly important. At a basic level, property rights usually provide the owner exclusive, guaranteed rights, which always includes the notion of excludability. Hence, a new perspective, taking into account narratives surrounding property could provide useful insights and add to the mere administrative and regulatory perspective of property rights. Narratives are people’s accounts of events by which they or others were affected. They often come in the form of stories. In the context of property rights, narratives look at stories told about property rights, at how people see themselves and others in this social construct, at stereotypes, collective memory and how property influences identities – especially collective identities. Hence, property rights may exist and they provide legal certainty, but they are not the end of the story. People have an attachment to nature, to places and often refer to ‘my river’ or ‘my forest’. Successful adaptation to climate change should take these narratives into account.

Second, theoretical and practical perspectives on underground space governance in the UK and beyond. It bridges scholarly perspectives and practitioners’ experiences to develop new governance modes for underground space use including increased recognition in land use planning. In the light of increasing claims on the underground space for fracking, transport, geothermal energy or carbon capture and storage, the research assesses the question how an improved and sustainable governance of underground spaces can be ensured to protect for example drinking water. Geological underground models deliver only frameworks for possible uses and we do not know much about the context between geological characteristics and the human uses, demands and changes of underground space. Moreover, governing underground space can be complicated as it involves conflicting objectives and regulatory frameworks.

More information and a list of publications can be found on Kevin’s departmental website.

Teaching

Kevin is the programme director of, and teaches on, the MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management (WSPM). Kevin is responsible for the ‘Water Management’ module, the ‘Research Design & Skills’ module and he teaches the ‘Economics, Law & Governance of Water’ module. Kevin is keen on active learning methods and arts-based teaching methods.