Skip to content
University of Oxford
School of Geography and the Environment

 School of Geography and the Environment

Dr Rachael McDonnell

Academic Profile

Dr McDonnell's research focuses on the specifics and interconnections between water governance, policy and science, primarily though not exclusively in the Middle East and North Africa. The complexities and challenges for water policy development and management go well beyond the general aridity of the region and are bound up in political and cultural nuances which play out in many different ways. This is also a region where the energy-food-water nexus is particularly pertinent with resulting complex policy and political overlaps and tensions.

In addition to her post at Oxford, she has been a Visiting Scientist in Water Policy and Governance at an international water research institute in Dubai since 2008. In this role she has lead research projects on water governance, policy and regulation, and advised governments in the Gulf States on future water policy directions.

Current Research

Dr McDonnell's current research centres on several aspects of water science, policy, and management:

  • Modelling water dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa. Dr McDonnell is leading a joint-partnership project with NASA and USAID on developing a MENA-LDAS (Middle East North Africa - Land Data Assimilation System) regional modelling system hub to yield new insights on current and future water surface and sub-surface flows at various temporal and spatial resolutions. This is not only interesting from a scientific standpoint, but will also be an important input to policy development and management in these water scarce countries.
  • Water Policy and Governance Under Water Scarcity. Dr McDonnell is leading various research projects which explore the formal and informal structures and agencies of water governance in various water scarce countries. This work also examines the impact of political economy on policy development and implementation.
  • Water Knowledge Exchange and Policy. This research focuses on understanding the changing influences of water knowledge production, dissemination and use on political power relations and policy making in various water governance systems including those in South Africa, Thailand, the Arab Gulf States and the UK.

Teaching

Dr McDonnell is part of the core teaching staff for the MSc in Water Science Policy and Management. She is leader of the core lecture module on 'Water Policy' and also contributes lectures in various areas in hydrological science and water management as well as leads practical classes in GIS. She supervises MSc dissertation research in various fields.

Current graduate students include:
  • Laurent Lambert
    Water management, water governance, and regional energy integration - the special case of the Arab Gulf Cooperative Countries
D.Phil. students successfully completing since 2001:
  • Goranji Nonejuie (2011)
    An analysis of the role of dynamic Participatory Geographical Information Systems in supporting water stakeholders in decision-making processes in Rayong Basin Thailand
  • Owen Horwood (2009)
    The challenge of change: a study of water governance in the Olifants river basin, South Africa
  • Rashid Mbaziira (2007)
    The Nile basin initiative: towards a regime of cooperation.

Selected Publications

Books
Recent Papers