I am interested in critical water research that takes as its object of analysis the more-than-human waterscape. I am developing research across a range of watery topics and sites.
Current projects and explorations
Water quality politics
Building from my PhD research, this project theorises a political ecology approach to water quality research, foregrounding the need for ecologically and historically situated water quality knowledge. I take a metabolic approach to water quality transformations in order to position capitalist appropriation of waterscape processes as integral to contemporary water quality politics. This project is alert to how the harms of poor water quality map to species, class, race, gender and other forms of domination.
Modelling waterscapes
This emerging research topic connects my interest in hydrosocial theory with my professional experience in hydrological and hydraulic modelling. I am interested in how modelling practices interface with regulation to shape waterscapes. This research considers the use 9f models in domains such as water quality, flooding and ‘water resources’. I focus on waterscapes in Aotearoa New Zealand. My investigations are animated by the conviction that many points of potential political contestation within waterscapes are concealed in model assumptions.
Aquifers and abstraction
This project is a collaboration with Dr Agustin Diz at the University of Edinburgh. I developed a literature review on the Guarani aquifer system. This review took a historical approach to investigating the hydrogeology and hydropolitics of this aquifer which spans parts of Brasil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. A central focus was on the different ways that the aquifer’s flows and structure have been modelled. Ongoing work aims to understand processes of abstraction and value creation linked to the aquifer and consider alternative modelling approaches.
Past projects
PhD
My PhD research explored water justice in the context of three constructed wetland projects in India and Scotland.
Pig response project
This collaborative art-research project, developed together with Iryna Zamuruieva, considers response-ability and mourning in the context of the African Swine Fever pandemic. Our work included performances at UNFIX and Uroboros festivals and a video essay produced in collaboration with Just Wondering…
Degrowth
As a participant or organiser of various workshops and talks, and through essays, I have considered the connections between degrowth and other emancipatory political projects.
Elliot Hurst 