“Environment, people and sustainability”: It is with these choice words Kris sum up his research interests. A geographer by degrees but with one foot firmly in the ecology sphere, Kris Chan is the epitome of an interdisciplinary researcher. Having attained a distinction in his Conservation MSc, Kris is passionate about safeguarding the natural world. However, he is all too aware of the trade-offs between having the quality of life and luxuries we enjoy versus being the stewards of the environment we want to be.
Enabled through joint ESRC and NERC funding, Kris’ PhD delves into the somewhat murky world of hydropower in Southeast Asia. His research investigates the environmental impacts of hydroelectric projects, in particular those less nuanced and often absent from environmental assessments. He adopts a unique strategy of mixing two very different methodologies by combining satellite remote sensing analysis with interviews of local peoples’ around the project areas to create new insights of how hydropower developments impact upon socioecological systems. Having spent a year conducting interviews around his case study sites in Myanmar (Burma), Laos and Thailand, Kris is now in the writing-up stage of his doctoral journey. His joint supervision by Dr Robert Francis (Senior Lecturer in Ecology) and Dr Naho Mirumachi (best known for her work in transboundary water governance) is exemplary of the melting pot that is King’s Water.
When he’s not at his desk – or waist-deep in a lake – you might find Kris building Arduino environmental sensors, performing London’s pollen count, or teaching anything from Geographical Information Systems to hydropolitics. You can learn more about his work on the special episode of KCL Radio’s Footnotes dedicated to water.
Kris sums up with these three Water Words:
Biodiversity
Multifacted
Essential
Kris’ Twitter handle is an ode to his love for freshwater ecosystems. Follow him @Newtoutofwater.
For more about research opportunities with King’s Water, check out our website. To keep up to date, follow us on Twitter!