The University of Kassel Establishes a New “Center for Water Research”
Image: High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 DE.Climate change, heat waves, and intensively used land are putting pressure on water resources worldwide. The University of Kassel is responding to this challenge with its new “Center for Water Research in Technology, Environment, and Society.” From here, researchers will develop solutions to conserve water resources, protect ecosystems, and manage extreme weather events.
“Water issues can no longer be solved through a purely disciplinary approach, whether we’re talking about droughts right on our doorstep in North Hesse or global crises,” explains Prof. Dr. Stephan Theobald, spokesperson for the center and head of the Department of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management. “With this new initiative, we are bringing engineers, agricultural scientists, and social scientists together around one table. In doing so, we are pooling our existing strengths, laying the groundwork for major international collaborative projects, and sustainably enhancing the scientific profile of the University of Kassel.”
Four Interdisciplinary Research Clusters
In terms of content, the center organizes its work into four key areas: The first cluster focuses on water as a resource—from ensuring the supply of drinking and irrigation water, to treated wastewater, the use of hydropower for electricity generation, and the recovery of minerals for fertilizers. The second cluster is dedicated to water as a habitat and examines the resilience of aquatic ecosystems. The third area focuses on strategies to address extreme weather events such as floods and droughts. The fourth area examines socio-ecological water dynamics, such as conflicts over water use in agriculture and political framework conditions.
Successful groundwork as a foundation
The center is primarily supported by the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecological Agricultural Sciences, and Architecture, Urban Planning, and Landscape Architecture, along with additional disciplines from other departments and the Kassel Institute for Sustainability. The center is also guided, among other things, by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative builds on existing successes: Over the past five years, the participating departments have secured more than 20 million euros in third-party funding—including from the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR), and the EU. In addition, knowledge from highly rated initiatives such as the Hessian LOEWE Excellence Program (“ADAPT – Adaptation to Drought and Extremes”) is being directly integrated into the new structure.
Early Involvement of Young Researchers
In addition to collaborative research, the focus is on the next generation. Through regular seminars and international “Water PhD Days,” doctoral candidates receive targeted training and networking opportunities.
“Today’s young scientists are focused on making a tangible impact,” emphasizes Theobald. “From the very beginning, we offer doctoral candidates a strong methodological network and directly involve them in addressing the pressing issues of our decade—from regional water management to the resilience of entire ecosystems.”
The research center is led by an elected board of directors composed of professors and staff members. The central administrative office coordinates day-to-day operations and responds to inquiries from external partners in academia, politics, and the professional sector.
Contact:
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stephan Theobald
, Head of the Department of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management
Phone: 0561 804-2679
Email: s.theobald@uni-kassel.de
What does this mean in a nutshell?
- The University of Kassel has established the interdisciplinary “Center for Water Research in Technology, Environment, and Society” to develop solutions for droughts, floods, and ecosystem protection.
- Engineering, agricultural, and social sciences are collaborating in the clusters of water resources, aquatic ecosystems, extreme weather strategies, and socio-ecological water constellations.
- The center builds on the groundwork laid by the departments (over 20 million euros in external funding secured over the past 5 years, e.g., LOEWE) and provides targeted support for doctoral candidates.