Research: Earth and Environmental Division

Research on Earth and Environment

Participating Helmholtz Centres:  AWI, FZJ, GFZ, HZI, HZG, HZMGU, KIT, UFZ   and DLR as associated centre.

Earth and Environment R&D is focused on the conflicting demands characterising our world: the earth system versus man in society; and global change versus sustainable development. Its aim is to consider the grand challenges of our time.     

• Earth dynamics and risks
• Climate variability and climate change
• Water availability and management
• Biodiversity and ecological stability
• Sustainable use of resources
• The socio-political dimension of global change

	Program	Coordinating Centre
	Geosystem: The Changing Earth (http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/portal/gfz/Forschung/Programmorientierte_Foerderung/FB+Erde+und+Umwelt/Geosystem+Erde+im+Wandel;jsessionid=C88789E50DFD1AC6CE2C9B186077334A)	GFZ
	Atmosphere and climate (http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/portal/gfz/Forschung/Programmorientierte_Foerderung/FB+Erde+und+Umwelt/Atmosphaere+und+Klima;jsessionid=C88789E50DFD1AC6CE2C9B186077334A)	KIT
	Marine, coastal and polar systems	AWI
	Terrestrial Systems	UFZ

The overarching aim of this work is to research the complex natural subsystems operating on our earth, to assess the influence of human activity on the “earth system”, and to understand the causes and scope of global change, in order provide practical strategies, based on a solid understanding of systems and processes, to deal with the consequences of global change and to ensure the sustainable development of our society and of  its fundamental livelihood.