Section 5.4: Hydrology

Head of the section : Prof. Dr. Bruno Merz

In many parts of the world, the amont and quality of the available water is insufficient to satisfy the people's need for drinking water and for water for other purposes such as irrigation. It is especially critical that mankind is massively influencing the global water cycle, at the same time as climate change is affecting it. The question remains open, what affects human influence and climate change have on hydrological extreme events, floods and drought. One of the central topics of our section is research toward a better quantification of the water cycle and its changes in space and time. We are also working to better understand the hydrological risk and to derive lessons for the management of such catastrophes. For this work we also reach out to other experts in the various departments of the GFZ.

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