Luchao Yao

Profile

I received my bachelor’s degree in Human Geography and Urban–Rural Planning from South China Normal University in 2021. During my undergraduate studies, I received training in geographical theory and social science research methods. I conducted fieldwork in Yichun, Jiangxi Province, examining the everyday politics of hot spring resource management. After graduation, I worked for one year as a research assistant at the School of Geography, SCNU, joining a National Natural Science Foundation of China project on emotional geopolitics. I began my master’s degree in Human Geography at SCNU in 2022, during which I developed a strong interest in China’s water governance, water politics, and political ecology.

I joined the School of Politics and International Studies at the University of Leeds in September 2025. My PhD research focuses on water governance in Guizhou, China, with particular attention to the expansion of centralized rural water supply systems. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, my research examines how infrastructure reshapes rural communities, reconfigures everyday power relations, and redistributes risks. More broadly, I aim to critically reflect on the sustainability and socio-political consequences of China’s infrastructure-driven approach to water management.

Research interests

political ecology; water politics; water governance; rural water; everyday politics; China

Qualifications

• BSc Human Geography and Urban-Rural Planning, South China Normal University (2017-2021)
• MSc Human Geography, South China Normal University (2022-2025)