Every minute counts: Doctoral Research that is closing the overshoot gap
Since joining us in October 2024, Neil Gow, our first fully funded Hydro Nation Chair doctoral researcher has been identifying new opportunities within Scotland that reduce ecological overshoot, whilst also being financially viable.
A Doctoral Researcher at the University of Stirling, Neil’s doctoral research project ‘One Hour Region’, is a collaborative endeavour, with supervision from Andrew Tyler and Deryck Irving at the University of Stirling Scottish Water and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
In our latest fireside chat, Neil joined our Programme Co-ordinator, Imogen Salt, to share more about his journey to his PhD and successes to date.
Q: We always like to start with asking if you have a favourite water body and, if so, which one and where is it?
There is a lochan near my home which has been naturally dammed by an ancient raised beach. It is a peaceful, unspoiled, remote location, where few ever venture. Aside from the beauty of the spot, the raised beach reminds me that in the grand scheme of things we live in a dynamic and powerful natural world, which has and will survive change, whether we as a species keep up or not.
What a beautiful choice! It is inspiring to think how places can connect us to the planet’s history and its ability to adapt and endure. Q: So, you started your doctoral studies at Stirling in October 2024, what was your previous education and where?
I studied Sustainable Rural Development through the University of the Highlands and Islands, earning a 1st class honours degree and a masters. My degree programmes covered a broad perspective of sustainability issues, from economics to ecology and society. My research included measuring sustainability at regional levels in rural Scotland as well as exploring the challenges of domestic decarbonisation. Following my studies, I was able to put the theory into practice, working on the Scottish Government’s Carbon Neutral Islands programme, which performed carbon audits of islands to chart opportunities for reducing impact while benefitting local communities.
Q: That sounds incredibly interesting, and I imagine provides a great foundation for the research that you are undertaking at Stirling. Can you give us a summary of what your doctoral research is about?
My research is titled One Hour Region, with a view to understanding the role of the Forth catchment in ecological overshoot, and the influence that the water sector has on this. (The ‘hour’ is a reference to Earth Overshoot Day, and what it would take to move this date by an hour). In practical terms, I am looking at the regenerative resources available within the catchment, or biocapacity, the demand for these resources, and assessing what contributions Scottish Water’s activities could be making. The aim is to ultimately identify where value can be created while also reducing ecological pressures.
Q: What's the non-scientist explanation of Earth Overshoot Day, and why is it important?
Earth Overshoot Day tells us how quickly we use nature each year, compared to how fast it renews. A basic example is harvesting wood from a forest verses how quickly the wood grows. We ‘overshoot’ when we have used up the amount which can safely be renewed in that year. This is looked at for a range of resources, such as crops, grazing, and fishing, as well as the amount of nature needed to absorb waste, such as excess carbon emissions.
In 2025, Earth Overshoot Day was measured to be 24th of July, suggesting that after this point we are depleting our natural reserves. This is important because every year that the world overshoots, we further reduce the ability for nature to provide for us in the future.
That’s a clear and powerful way to put it! Earth Overshoot Day really highlights the urgency of living within nature’s limits - when we overshoot, we’re borrowing from the future and reducing the planet’s ability to sustain us. It’s a stark reminder that every action we take to reduce consumption and emissions truly matters. Q: How did you get into this area of research?
In my experience, sustainability efforts on a local scale can often be disconnected from the absolute resource balance that we actually have. Likewise, the big picture metrics about the overall balance of our environmental resources, such as Earth Overshoot Day, the Planetary Boundaries Framework, or Ecological Footprint, can be difficult to translate to local contexts. When I saw that this research aimed to explore this in the context of real-world activity for such an important resource as water, I couldn’t pass it up!
Q: The research sounds invaluable for helping people understand the linkages between local actions and global impact. What do you enjoy about research?
I like picking things apart to see how they work. Finding the trade-offs and synergies. Particularly in the vague field of sustainability it can be easy to miss the bigger picture and how interconnected systems can be. Ultimately, I enjoy exploring new perspectives which encourage us to challenge our long-held assumptions about what is and what could be.
Q: Have you made any interesting discoveries in your doctoral research yet?
Early analysis shows that the footprint of the Forth catchment is effectively many times larger than its actual size. So, it is dependant on far more than it could naturally provide itself. This is perhaps not entirely surprising given the population density – more than a quarter of the population of Scotland live in the catchment. But its water resources also serve even more than this via the Loch Katrine aqueduct, which makes the region even more strategically important.
Q: Woah, it really shows how complex and far-reaching the Forth catchment’s influence is. What is the role of your doctoral research in the Hydro Nation Chair Programme?
My research overlaps with several HNC themes, but is particularly relevant to HNC Priority Theme 1: Advancing Systems Understanding. By analysing and visualising the scope of influence on different aspects of our supply and demand for nature, we can enhance our knowledge and decision-making capabilities to meet some of the inevitable challenges we will face in an increasingly resource-constrained world.
Q: We are looking forward to hearing more about your research as the PhD progresses, it could have huge implications for how we think about water resource management in Scotland. If you could change public perception on one thing in the water industry, what would it be?
We take clean water and sanitation for granted in this country. I have spent time in parts of the world where this is not so readily available. Even in Scotland, I come from an area where many people rely on private water supplies which run dry, turn brown from peat runoff, and require expensive or laboursome maintenance. So, I would change the perception that water is cheap and plentiful. Because it is not just the water itself, but the resources required to provide that water and sanitation come with a footprint of their own.
Q: A very valuable lesson! Our final question, as you are now in the second year of your PhD, is there any advice that you would give to someone considering Doctoral Research?
Your life experience is invaluable, so trust it and use it. I spent years in the ‘real world’ before going down this path, and it has helped keep me grounded. I think there is a risk in the academic world sometimes to get lost in a bubble where you miss some of the ugly real world data. It may not process well, nor fit neatly within our methodologies, but it can tell us invaluable information about how the world really works.