Background

Background 

I work at the interface of engineering and social sciences with a broad interest in understanding and interacting with complex technical, environmental and natural resources challenges. Most of my research is focused on policy and institutional analysis in sustainable water, land use and energy management. I am an experienced coordinator of interdisciplinary and multinational research projects involving research groups in Europe, Central and South America, Africa and Asia. Typically, my projects include stakeholder involvement and establishment of research/policy interfaces. I am always keen to work with PhD students interested in interdisciplinary research in socio-technical or socio-natural issues both in the UK and internationally. My teaching role is directly connected to my research experience. I lead the Human and Management Systems Theme of the Civil Engineering Degrees. I lecture on sustainability, engineering ethics and public policy in our undergraduate programme and on water policy and river basin management in our postgraduate programmes. Currently, I am involved in two large multinational projects addressing intractable issues in sustainable development supported by UKRI GCRF: the Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub, of which I am Deputy Director, and the Living Deltas Hub.

Roles and Responsibilities

Professor of Environmental Sustainability

Civil Engineering Degrees Admissions Tutor

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Engineering for the Water Sector STREAM Newcastle Co-ordinator

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Water Infrastructure and Resilience WIRE Newcastle Co-I

Member of Newcastle University Environment and Sustainability Committee

Qualifications

MSc Chemical Engineering IQS Barcelona (Spain)

MSc Environmental Science and Technology IHE Delft (The Netherlands)

PhD School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University (UK)

Thesis: "Harmonising Policy and Technology: Environmental Regulation of Mine Waters in the UK and the EU"

Memberships

Member of the Association of Chemical Engineers IQS, partner of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering.

Member of the International Mine Water Association

Industrial experience  

Development of doctoral research projects with water utilities in the UK (Scottish Water, United Utilities, Northumbrian Water, Yorkshire Water, Severn Trent) (2010- present)

Partnership development in the framework of the Northumbrian Water Limited and Newcastle University Concordat for Collaboration (2011-present) 

Professional consultancy “Technical Review of the mine closure plan and mine closure implementation at Minerales Entre Mares San Martin mine, Honduras”,  CAFOD (2009)

Partnership development on coal mining environmental technology with Coal India Limited (Chairman and Technical Director) and CMPDI in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi  (2008-present). 

Deputy to the HSBC Professor of Energy and Environment for the delivery of Newcastle University's participation in the HSBC "Partnership in Environmental Innovation" with direct links to HSBC Holdings plc Corporate Social Responsibility function and reporting to the HSBC Holdings Adviser on the Environment (2005-8) 

Technical advisor to WWF Global Freshwater Programme - Europe c/o WWF European Policy Office (EPO) on mining waste and water (2002-05) 

Professional consultancy "River Ouseburn Strategy Scoping Study", Newcastle City Council (2002) 

Senior Consultant with NuWater Consulting on asset management, regulation and global issues in the water industry (2000-2001) 

Strategic review of asset mananagement practices in Northumbrian Water Limited,  “Towards Continuous Strategic Asset Management”, (1999-2000).

Professional consultancy “Evaporation/ Climate Data Service Scoping Project”  North West Region of the Environment Agency (1998-99)

Research

Research Interests

• Sustainable management of natural resources and infrastructure
• Integrated land and water management
• Environmental management: institutions, regulation and policy
• Interface research/policy
• Sociotechnical systems and transitions
• Developing countries
• Stakeholder involvement
• Management of multidisciplinary research 

Postgraduate supervision 

Research Projects 

Esteem Indicator

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching

BEng/MEng Civil Engineering

CEG 3003 "Engineering Ethics and Sustainability" (module leader)

CEG 8003 "Public Policy and Sustainability" (module leader)

Postgraduate Teaching

MSc Hydrology and Climate Change/ Hydroinformatics and Water Management: Euroaque

CEG 8512 "Integrated River Basin Management" (module leader)

CEG 8524 "Water Management: Issues and Challenges" (module leader)

MSc Environmental Engineering

CEG8103 "Water Supply and Treatment"

Teaching Projects

Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professorship £30K, 2019-2002. Prof Paul Johnson, ARUP Fellow to promote teaching of "Total Engineering and Management of Infrastructure Projects

CESSAF “Centre of Excellent of Science for Sustainability in Africa”, PEI-BESA £485K, 2012-2013, Partnership: University Agostinho Neto, Newcastle University, Planet Earth Institute, Banco Espiritu Santo Angola and Government of Angola, PI.

Publications

• Hughes D, Parkin G, Amezaga J, Large A, Liney K, Senior A, Goddard A. The influence of 4D landscape visualisation on attitudes to reservoir renaturalisation. Landscape and Urban Planning 2022, 221, 104372.
• Leicester D, Amezaga J, Heidrich E. Is bioelectrochemical energy production from wastewater a reality? Identifying and standardising the progress made in scaling up microbial electrolysis cells. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2020, 133, 110279.
• Leicester DD, Amezaga JM, Moore A, Heidrich ES. Optimising the hydraulic retention time in a pilot-scale microbial electrolysis cell to achieve high volumetric treatment rates using concentrated domestic wastewater. Molecules 2020, 25(12), 2945.
• Amezaga J, Bathurst J, Iroumé A, Jones J, Kotru R, Bhatta LD, Springgay E. Chapter 6 - SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – Forest-Related Targets and their Impacts on Forests and People. In: Katila P, Colfer CJP, de Jong W, Galloway G, Pacheco P, Winkel G, ed. Sustainable Development Goals: Their Impacts on Forests and People. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019, pp.178-205.
• Méndez PF, Amezaga JM, Santamaría L. Explaining path-dependent rigidity traps: increasing returns, power, discourses, and entrepreneurship intertwined in social-ecological systems. Ecology and Society 2019, 24(2), 30.
• Ambituuni A, Ochieng E, Amezaga JM. Optimising the integrity of safety critical petroleum assets: A project conceptualisation approach. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 2019, 66(2), 208-223.
• Rezki M, Wilkinson S, Jenkins SF, Amezaga J. Assessing Volcanic Risk to Transport Networks – The case of Merapi, Indonesia. In: 2019 Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering. 2019, Auckland New Zealand: New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering.
• Kennedy-Walker R, Holderness T, Alderson D, Amezaga JM, Paterson CA. Optimisation and costing of faecal sludge management options for Lusaka's informal settlements. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology 2016, 2(1), 97-106.
• Byers EA, Hall JW, Amezaga JM, O'Donnell GM, Leathard A. Water and climate risks to power generation with carbon capture and storage. Environmental Research Letters 2016, 11, 024011.
• Byers E, Qadrdan M, Leathard A, Alderson D, Hall JW, Amezaga JM, Tran M, Kilsby CG, Chaudry M. Cooling water for Britain's future electricity supply. Proceedings of the ICE - Energy 2015, 168(3), 188-204.
• Byers E, Amezaga JM. Infrastructure Report Card 9. Nuclear, Coal, Oil and Gas Energy. RIDE Forum - Climate change impacts report cards 2015, 29.
• Ambituuni A, Hopkins P, Amezaga JM, Werner D, Wood JM. Risk Assessment Of A Petroleum Product Pipeline In Nigeria: The Realities Of Managing Problems Of Theft/sabotage. In: C.A. Brebbia, F. Garzia and D. Poljak, ed. Safety and Security Engineering VI. Ashurst, Southampton: WIT Press, 2015.
• Ambituuni A, Amezaga JM, Werner D. Risk assessment of petroleum product transportation by road: A framework for regulatory improvement. Safety Science 2015, 79, 324-335.
• Ambituuni A, Amezaga JM, Werner D. Risk management framework for safe transportation of petroleum products in Nigeria: Learning from past accidents and good practices. Risk Management 2015, 17(4), 329-351.
• Kennedy-Walker R, Amezaga JM, Paterson CA. The impact of community social dynamics on achieving improved sanitation access for the urban poor: The case of Lusaka, Zambia. Habitat International 2015, 50, 326–334.
• Kennedy-Walker R, Amezaga JM, Paterson CA. The role of power, politics and history in achieving sanitation service provision in informal urban environments: a case study of Lusaka, Zambia. Environment and Urbanization 2015, 27(2), 1-16.
• Byers EA, Amezaga JM. UK nuclear and fossil fuel energy infrastructure climate risk. Infrastructure Asset Management 2015, 2(3), 120-130.
• Ambituuni A, Amezaga J, Emeseh E. Analysis of safety and environmental regulations for downstream petroleum industry operations in Nigeria: Problems and prospects. Environmental Development 2014, 9, 43-60.
• Amezaga JM, Amtmann A, Biggs CA, Bond T, Gandy CJ, Honsbein A, Karunakaran E, Lawton L, Madsen MA, Minas K, Templeton MR. Biodesalination: a case study for applications of photosynthetic bacteria in water treatment. Plant Physiology 2014, 164(4), 1661-1676.
• Minas K, Karunakaran E, Bond T, Gandy C, Honsbein A, Madsen M, Amezaga J, Amtmann A, Templeton MR, Biggs CA, Lawton L. Biodesalination: an emerging technology for targeted removal of Na⁺ and Cl^- from seawater by cyanobacteria. Desalination and Water Treatment 2014, 55(10), 2647-2668.
• Gormley-Gallagher A, Amezaga J, Shucksmith J, Savic D, Templeton M, Mcadam E, Jeffrey P. Briefing: Negotiating value at the research–practice interface in the water sector. Proceedings of the ICE - Management, Procurement and Law 2014, 168(1), 8-11.
• Kennedy-Walker R, Evans BE, Amezaga JM, Paterson CA. Challenges for the future of urban sanitation planning: critical analysis of John Kalbermatten’s influence. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development 2014, 4(1), 1-14.
• Byers EA, Hall JW, Amezaga JM. Electricity generation and cooling water use: UK pathways to 2050. Global Environmental Change 2014, 25, 16-30.
• Clement F, Amezaga JM. Conceptualising context in institutional reforms of land and water resources management: the case of Vietnam. International Journal of the Commons 2013, 7(1), 140-163.
• Hazelton JA, Windhorst K, Amezaga JM. Forest based biomass for energy in Uganda: Stakeholder dynamics in feedstock production. Biomass and Bioenergy 2013, 59, 100-115.
• Oyarzún J, Carvajal M, Maturana H, Núñez J, Kretschmer N, Amezaga J, Rötting T, Strauch G, Thyne G, Oyarzún R. Hydrochemical and isotopic patterns in a calc-alkaline Cu- and Au-rich arid Andean basin: The Elqui River watershed, North Central Chile. Applied Geochemistry 2013, 33, 50-63.
• Amezaga J, Bathurst J, Gaviño M, ed. Lineamientos de politica para la gestion integrada de cuecas hidrograficas forestadas frente a precipitaciones extremas. PHI-VII Documento Tecnico N 19. Montevideo, Uruguay: UNESCO International Hidrological Programme, 2013.
• Amezaga J, Bathurst J, Gaviño M, ed. Policy briefs for integrated management of forested river catchments in extreme rainfall and snowmelt. PHI-VII Technical Document N 20. Montevideo, Uruguay: UNESCO International Hidrological Programme, 2013.
• Amezaga JM, Bird DN, Hazelton JA, ed. Special Section on Bioenergy and Rural Development in Africa and Asia. London, UK: Pergamon, 2013.
• Hazelton JA, Tiwari S, Amezaga JM. Stakeholder dynamics in bioenergy feedstock production; The case of Jatropha curcas L. for biofuel in Chhattisgarh State, India. Biomass and Bioenergy 2013, 59, 16-32.
• Amezaga JM, Bird DN, Hazelton JA. The future of bioenergy and rural development policies in Africa and Asia. Biomass and Bioenergy 2013, 59, 137-141.
• Oyarzún J, Castillo D, Maturana H, Kretschmer N, Soto G, Amezaga JM, Rötting TS, Younger PL, Oyarzún R. Abandoned tailings deposits, acid drainage and alluvial sediments geochemistry, in the arid Elqui River Basin, North-Central Chile. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 2012, 115, 47-58.
• Cortés AE, Oyarzún R, Kretschmer N, Chaves H, Soto G, Soto M, Amézaga J, Oyarzún J, Rötting T, Señoret M, Maturana H. Application of the Watershed Sustainability Index to the Elqui river basin, North-Central Chile. Obras y Proyectos 2012, 2012(12), 57-69.
• Espejo L, Kretschmer N, Oyarzún J, Meza F, Núñez J, Maturana H, Garrido M, Guido S, Oyarzo P, Suckel F, Amezaga J, Oyarzun R. Application of water quality indices and analysis of the surface water quality monitoring network in semi-arid North Central Chile. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 2012, 184(9), 5571-5588.
• Méndez PF, Isendahl N, Amezaga JM, Santamaría L. Facilitating Transitional Processes in Rigid Institutional Regimes for Water Management and Wetland Conservation: Experience from the Guadalquivir Estuary. Ecology and Society 2012, 17(1), 26.
• Amezaga JM, Rotting TS, Younger PL, Nairn RW, Noles AJ, Oyarzun R, Quintanilla J. A Rich Vein? Mining and the Pursuit of Sustainability. Environmental Science & Technology 2011, 45(1), 21-26.
• Lostarnau C, Oyarzún J, Maturana H, Soto G, Señoret M, Soto M, Rötting TS, Amezaga JM, Oyarzún R. Stakeholder participation within the public environmental system in Chile: Major gaps between theory and practice. Journal of Environmental Management 2011, 92(10), 2470-2478.
• Amezaga JM, Maltitz G, Boyes S, ed. Assessing the Sustainability of Bioenergy Projects in Developing Countries: A Framework for Policy Evaluation. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Newcastle University, 2010.
• Amezaga JM, Boyes SL, Harrison JA. Biofuels Policy in the European Union. In: 7th International Biofuels Conference. 2010, New Delhi: Winrock International India.
• Jiménez P, Amezaga J, Roetting T, Guzmán E, ed. El Rio Chili: Cuenca Árida con Presión Minera. Arequipa, Peru: IRECA-UNSA, 2010.
• Bathurst JC, Amezaga J, Cisneros F, Gavino Novillo M, Iroume A, Lenzi MA, Mintegui Aguirre J, Miranda M, Urciuolo A. Forests and floods in Latin America: science, management, policy and the EPIC FORCE project. Water International 2010, 35(2), 114-131.
• Harrison JA, Von Maltitz G, Haywood L, Sugrue A, Diaz-Chavez R, Amezaga JM. Mechanisms for Driving Sustainability of Biofuels in Developing Countries. Renewable Energy Law and Policy Review 2010, 2, 197-211.
• Loredo J, Marques AL, Beggs C, Venegas M, Amezaga JM, Roetting T, Younger PL. Water Catchment and Mining Impact Management in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones: An Integrated Approach. Paris, France: UNESCO, 2010.
• Younger PL, Gonzalez G, Amezaga JM. Water Management Issues in the Underground Gasification of Coal and the Subsequent Use of the Voids for Long-Term Carbon Dioxide Storage. In: International Mine Water Association Symposium on Mine Water and Innovative Thinking. 2010, Sydney, Canada: Cape Breton University Press.
• Clement F, Amezaga JM. Afforestation and forestry land allocation in northern Vietnam: Analysing the gap between policy intentions and outcomes. Land Use Policy 2009, 26(2), 458-470.
• Loredo Perez J, Marques Sierra AL, Beggs C, Venegas M, Amezaga JM, Rötting TS, Younger PL. Agua y minería en cuencas áridas y semiáridas: guía para la gestión integral. Montevideo: UNESCO, 2009.
• Rotting T, Amezaga J, Younger P, Loredo J, Marques AL, Beggs C. The Guidelines for Water Management in arid and semi-arid Zones with Mining, produced by the CAMINAR project. In: Securing the Future and 8th ICARD. 2009, Skellefted, Sweden.
• Méndez PF, Santamaría L, Amezaga J, Hearns G. Transfer of Adaptive Strategies for Natural Resources and Ecosystems Management in Canada. Opportunities and Constraints for Implementation in Europe. Majorca, Spain: Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, 2009.
• Clement F, Amezaga JM. Linking reforestation policies with land use change in northern Vietnam: Why local factors matter. Geoforum 2008, 39(1), 265-277.
• Amezaga JM, Rötting TS, Younger PL, Anthony J, Lorini J, Pelaez C, Senoret M, Oyarzún R. Mining and water-related legislation in Peru, Bolivia and Chile - Results from the CAMINAR Project. In: Mine Water and The Environment, Proceedings of the 10th IMWA Congress. 2008, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic: VÅB - Technical University of Ostrava.
• Amezaga JM. European regulation of mine water and waste. Afinidad 2007, 64(528), 177-181.
• Hope RA, Porras I, Borgoyary M, Miranda M, Agarwal C, Tiwari S, Amezaga JM. Negotiating Watershed Services. London, UK: IIED, 2007.
• Calder IR, Amezaga JM, Harrison JA, Bird N, Schlamadiger, Gosain AK, von Maltitz G, Scholes RJ, Mitra K, Tiwari S, Tennigkeit T, Weyerhauser H. Regulatory framework and industry impact assessment standards for woody biomass and liquid bio-fuel production; ensuring benefits outweigh any societal, environmental and water costs. In: 15th European Biomass Conference. 2007, Berlin, Germany: ETA-Renewable Energies.
• Tiwari S, Borgoyary M, Amezaga J, Wilson V. The forests--water interface: questioning the assumed. In: B. Venkatesh, B.K. Purandara and K.S. Ramasastri, ed. Forest Hydrology. New Delhi: Capital Publishing Company, 2007.
• Clement F, Amezaga JM, Orange D, Duc Toan T. The impact of forest land policies on land use in Northern Vietnam: an institutional approach for understanding farmer decisions. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute, 2007. 112.
• Clément F, Amezaga JM, Orange D, DucToan T, Large ARG, Calder IR. An institutional approach for understanding farmers strategies and land management. In: Survival of the Commons: Mounting challenges and new realities. 2006, Bali, Indonesia: IASCP.
• Amezaga JM, Younger PL. Mine water management in European Environmental Policy: An assessment of recent legislative developments. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage ICARD. 2006, St. Louis, Missouri: ASMR.
• Wilson VMS, Amezaga JM, Gosain A, Gupta R, Saigal S. Chapter 7: Policy challenges & recommendations, the India context. In: Proceedings of the Asian Regional Workshop: Preparing for the Next Generation of Watershed Management Programmes and Projects, Asia. 2005, Kathmandu, Nepal: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Rome.
• Amezaga JM. Inter-Institutional links in land and water management. In: Anderson MG; McDonnell JJ, ed. Encyclopedia of Hydrological Sciences. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons, 2005, pp.3003-3012.
• Amezaga JM, Kroll A. European Union Policies and Mine Water Management. In Wolkersdorfer C; Bowell R (eds.) Contemporary Reviews of Mine Water Studies in Europe, Part 1. Mine Water and the Environment 2004, 23(4), 162-164.
• Calder IR, Amezaga JM, Aylward B, Bosch J, Fuller L, Gallop K, Gosain A, Hope RA, Jewitt GPW, Miranda M, Porras Borloz IT, Wilson VMS. Forest and water policies: The need to reconcile public and science perceptions. Geologica Acta 2004, 2(2), 157-166.
• Calder IR, Batchelor C, Quibell G, Gosain A, Jewitt GPW, Bosch J, Large ARG, Amezaga JM, Hope RA, James PM, Simpson E, Garratt J, Bailey RA, Kirby C. Global Governance of Water and the Blue Revolution - Can we achieve better outcomes from land and water policies?. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium: Global Governance of Water: Water and Human Security. 2004, UN House, Tokyo, Japan.
• Amezaga JM, Younger PL. Mine water policy in the UK and the proposed Directive on mine waste. In: Proceedings of the International Mine Water Association Symposium Mine Water: Process, Policy and Progress. 2004, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
• Amezaga JM, Baresel C, Destouni G, Göbel J, Gren I-M, Hannerz F, Larsén L, Loredo J, Malmström M, Nuttall CA, Santamaría L, Veseliè M, Wolkersdorfer C, Younger PL. Mining Impacts on the Fresh Water Environment: Technical and Managerial Guidelines for Catchment-Focused Remediation. Mine Water and the Environment 2004, 23(supplement 1), 2-80.
• Amezaga JM, Santamaria L, Green AJ. Biotic wetland connectivity - supporting a new approach for wetland policy. Acta Oecologica 2002, 23(3), 213-222.
• Midzic S, Kroll A, Amezaga JM. Mine waters pollution control. The legal situation at BiH and the EU levels. In: Proceedings of the Regional Conference on Water Law: Legal Aspects of Sustainable Water Resources Management. 2002, Teslic, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Novi Sad, FR Yugoslavia.
• Kroll A, Amezaga JM, Younger PL, Wolkersdorfer C. Regulation of mine waters in the european union: The contribution of scientific research to policy development. Mine Water and the Environment 2002, 21(4), 193-200.
• Amezaga JM, Santamaria L. Wetland connectedness and policy fragmentation: Steps towards a sustainable European wetland policy. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth Part B: Hydrology, Oceans & Atmosphere 2000, 25(7-8), 635-640.
• Santamaria L, Amezaga JM. Improving the management of large protected wetlands: Learning the lessons from the Donana nature reserves. In: 2nd International Conference on Ecosystems and Sustainable Development (ECOSUD 99). 1999, ISL LEMNOS, GREECE.
• Amezaga JM, O'Connell PE. Unfolding the sociotechnical dimension of hydroinformatics: the role of problem structuring methods. In: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Hydroinformatics. 1998, Copenhagen: Balkema, Rotterdam.
• Brosa C, Ferrer JC, Malet C, Amezaga JM. Synthesis of 3-methoxyestra-1,3,5 (10),6-tetraen-17-one. The Journal of Organic Chemistry 1989, 54(16), 3984-3985.
• Riley AL, Amezaga J, Burke IT, Byrne P, Cooper N, Crane RA, Comber SDW, Gandy CJ, Hudson-Edwards KA, Jennings E, Lewis E, Lofts S, MacDonald JM, Malcolm H, Mayes WM, Onnis P, Olszewska J, Spears B, Jarvis AP. Incorporating conceptual site models into national-scale environmental risk assessments for legacy waste in the coastal zone. Frontiers in Environmental Science 2022, 10, 1045482.
• Polaine XK, Dawson R, Walsh CL, Amezaga J, Pena-Varon M, Lee C, Rao S. Systems thinking for water security. Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems 2022, 39(3), 205-223.