From Bangladesh to Arizona: Doctoral student poised to make a global impact on water insecurity
Jobayer Hossain. Courtesy photo
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2025 graduates.
As a child growing up in the small village of Bagerhat in southwestern Bangladesh, water insecurity was a part of everyday life for Jobayer Hossain, who graduates this month with his PhD in environmental social sciences from ASU’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change.
Although the surrounding area is rich with river deltas, the village only had one potable water site on the outskirts of town. From a young age, it was commonplace for Hossain to accompany his uncle on the one-kilometer trek to fetch water for the family.
Periods of intense flooding followed by months of drought were also commonplace.
“The struggle was that there was so much water, or no water at all. With little systems in place to harvest and store water during the rainy season, people are living in a situation with chronic water insecurity,” said Hossain.
The stark reality of the water insecurity Hossain faced as a child stood in sharp contrast to his experience living in nearby Khulna as a teenager. As the country’s third-largest city, Khulna is equipped with a centralized water supply.
“I feel that a centralized water system is a privilege that people have in town. But it's not the privilege everyone has in my country, or in my region. That is what led me to really work on addressing water solutions and the water crisis,” said Hossain.
Hossain completed his undergraduate studies in environmental science at Jashore University of Science and Technology in Bangladesh before earning a master’s degree in water resources development at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
In 2023, Hossain enrolled in the environmental social science doctoral program in ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change with dreams of changing the face of water security in Bangladesh.
“There are some things that we can implement from my research experience in Bangladesh to Arizona and my research experience from Arizona to Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, they're using their social networks to share water among people. I think this can also be implemented in Arizona in the form of a moral economy,” said Hossain.
Although Hossain’s doctoral studies at ASU were completed on April 10 when he successfully defended his thesis, “Social Infrastructure in Managing Water Insecurity in Disaster-Prone Bangladesh,” he is leaving behind a legacy of academic excellence.
Not only is he the first person from his village to graduate from a U.S. college, he also received the University Outstanding Graduate Award for the Social Sciences from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The award is a recognition by the ASU Alumni Association, given to the top graduate student in each college.
ASU News sat down with Hossain to talk about his academic journey and future plans.
Note: This interview was edited lightly for length and/or clarity.
Question: You spent a lot of time working with the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative. What was your biggest takeaway from your time there?
Answer: My thesis was about how social infrastructure — mainly informal networks — are managing water insecurity in disaster or limited water scenarios. What I found was that water sharing can happen horizontally in society between neighbors and family members, rather than relying on the social elite helping the poor in society. Water sharing is mainly dominated by social distance rather than social hierarchy. But, of course, both systems are present.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: I would like to continue my research in water insecurity from the perspective of disaster and low-income situations. I am looking for opportunities in the U.S. and would like to set up a lab where I could conduct my research and expand my research area addressing water insecurity issues all over the world.
Q: What is something you learned while at ASU that surprised you or changed your perspective?
A: While situated in a social sciences school, I learned how the social scientist and natural scientist perceive water security in completely different ways. The natural scientists think of water security as a physical phenomena, while the social science looks at it as a man-made phenomena. The social sciences really focus on the issue through the human lens, and I think both views are needed.
Q: What ASU professor taught you the most important lesson and what was that lesson?
A: I learned a lot from my advisor, Regents and President’s Professor Amber Wutich. She taught me about social training, analysis methods and how rigorously we can analyze qualitative data.
Q: What advice would you give to somebody still in school?
A: The best advice I can give is to always keep patient and keep working silently, and your results will speak for themselves. Don't worry — you will need time to reach the point you want to be at, so just keep working.
Q: What is your proudest moment as an ASU student?
A: Being named the University Outstanding Graduate for the Social Sciences from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Achieving that while also being a new dad makes me very proud.
Q: What was your favorite spot on campus for studying or just meeting friends or even just thinking about life?
A: Regents and President’s Professor Alexandra Brewis’ Culture, Health, Environment and Language Lab (CHELab). It's kind of the powerhouse for me in terms of working, relaxing and discussing a lot of topics with friends.
Q: If someone gave you 40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: I really would like to utilize this fund to make quality water more accessible.
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