Research

The H&WRM Chair’s agenda is multifaceted and focuses on both basic an applied oriented research. The overarching characteristic is represented by the interdisciplinary oriented character, to overcome a compartmented research style in favour of a modern approach, which looks at water resources from the perspective of an integrated analysis that is coherent with the present and future needs of water resources management.

The research priorities of the H&WRM Chair concentrate on understanding and modelling the physical processes of the hydrological cycle, as well as the effects of the anthropogenic forcing on hydrology and water resources.
The increasing need of the modern society for a more sustainable use of water in the developed countries and a secure access to freshwater in many developing countries dictate the research agenda for the new millennium. Open questions of high relevance for the society of the new millennium are, for instance, the issue of climate change and its effects on the hydrological cycle, the threat posed by such effects on water resources, the apparent increase of water related natural hazards and the need for better predictive models. In addition, an important issue of management is that related to the uncertainty associated with model predictions and its propagation to the decision and management level.