Esther Ahuoiza Seriki is a PhD candidate in water resource science at the Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University. Her research focus is on the impacts of drought on macroinvertebrate community diversity, composition, and functional traits in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Esther’s research aims to assess how macroinvertebrate communities thrive in three hydrological phases: pre-drought, drought, and post-drought, specifically from the most resilient to the most vulnerable taxa. Esther doctoral study is partially funded by the Rhodes African Study Centre (RASC) Doctoral scholarship and Institute for Water Research scholarship 2025. Her research findings aim to contribute to understanding the ecological impacts of drought, inform water resource management strategies and policies to enhance ecosystem resilience and promote sustainable water use in drought-prone regions.
Esther completed her master’s degree also in water resource science, where her research was on socioecology, and fully funded by the prestigious scholarship of the Intra-African Academic Mobility Scheme of the European Union, under the African Water Resources Mobility Network (AWaRMN). Her master's research focused on participatory mapping of key drivers of ecological Change and analysis of equity dimensions of the ecosystem services flow in the Kat River catchment. She holds a Bachelor of Technology in Biology, majoring in mycology, from the Federal University of Technology Minna Nigeria. Esther’s academic background and research experience have equipped her with a strong foundation in understanding the complex interactions between ecological systems and human activities, which she applies to her current work on drought impacts.
Esther has organised and facilitated workshops, conducted interviews, presented in local and international research conferences, published in scientific journals and being involved in community engagement. Esther research interest lies at the intersection of hydrology, ecology, and social science, aiming to inform sustainable water management practices. Through her work, she seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of how environmental changes affect aquatic ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
Last Modified: Tue, 12 Aug 2025 09:41:02 SAST