Sophie Ibbotson

Sophie Ibbotson is the leader of the Oxus Expedition, an all-female attempt to identify confidently the source of the River Oxus (Amu Darya) in Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor and then travel the length of the river to the Aral Sea. Proving the true source of the river will answer the critical question of the Great Game and has ramifications for international border delimitation, water security, and resource competition. Sophie’s forthcoming book, Oxus, is a travelogue and biography of the river, and will be published in 2025.

At the Changing Character of War Centre (CCW) at Pembroke College, Sophie works on the modelling and forecasting of water conflict in South and Central Asia. There are two components to her research: better understanding the factors which cause conflict; and assessing and improving policy makers’ ability to identify and mitigate risks.