Liz Sharp

Professor Liz Sharp is Professor of Water and Planning at the University of Sheffield's School of Geography and Planning, where she conducts environmental social science research focused on practical environmental improvements. Her work bridges academic theory and real-world applications through collaborations with water utilities, engineers, and landscape specialists to address water supply, waste management, and flooding challenges.

Her educational background includes studies at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield, with professional experience in Birmingham, Bradford, and Sheffield.

• University of Cambridge
• University of Sheffield

Sharp's research centers on environmental governance processes, specifically examining how public engagement shapes water policy development and implementation. She investigates emerging water governance patterns for climate change adaptation and explores how interpretive social science can complement traditional scientific approaches in driving sustainable water management. Her empirical work spans water supply/demand, landscape water systems, flood risk governance, and extends to waste and energy policy through interdisciplinary partnerships.

Recent publications (2017-2024) reveal strong thematic continuity in community-oriented water management, reflexive adaptation strategies, and the water-energy-food nexus. Key trends include spatial approaches to climate resilience, co-produced governance models, and the integration of practice theory in household sustainability interventions. Her work increasingly emphasizes blue-green infrastructure design and the health co-benefits of nature-based water solutions.

Professor Sharp currently supervises two PhD students investigating urban water practices in China and Nairobi. She has secured major research funding from NERC, EPSRC, ESRC, European Commission, and INTERREG for projects including MAGIC (governance of infrastructure through coproduction), Twenty65, Reshaping the Domestic Nexus, PREPARED, and BEGIN.

• PhD Students: Rong Zheng (Children's place attachment to outdoor spaces in urban China), Monica Grau-Martin (Tinkering with water in Nairobi)
• Major Grants: MAGIC (NERC), Twenty65 (EPSRC), Reshaping the Domestic Nexus (ESRC), PREPARED (EU), BEGIN (INTERREG)

Her research operates through interdisciplinary project teams that partner with water companies, local governments, and engineering firms, emphasizing co-production methodologies to develop context-sensitive water governance solutions that integrate technical and social dimensions of sustainability.