Research
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS:
This project investigates the sediment budgets of alpine landscapes, from mapping of sediment sources, hydroclimatic triggering of erosion and mass movements, to sediment pathway-based prediction. We use a range of approaches, from geological fingerprinting, local climate and sediment monitoring, use of remote-sensing data, to conceptual and pyhsically-based numerical modelling, to make predictions of sediment budgets and how they change.
This project investigates coastal tropical cities and their exposure to climate change. Researchers at NUS look into measures to mitigate climate change effects through improved regenerative approaches to urban design and planning in Singapore. Researchers at ETH investigate the multihazard perspective of coastal cities in the tropics, combining flood, sea level rise, and other natural hazards with economic aspects of adaptability.
GENERAL RESEARCH SCOPE:
Research in the Chair covers a broad range of topics from basic research in hydrological process understanding, to applied research in hydrosystem modelling and analysis, and engineering solutions in water resources management. We take an interdisciplinary and quantitative approach, which looks at the water cycle and hydrological processes in an integrated manner, solving complex environmental problems for the benefits of humanity. We focus our research in areas contributing to the global challenges of IfU: sustainable resources, reducing environmental pollution, and climate-adapted cities.
numerical modelling
we develop numerical models with a range of complexity to simulate and make predictions of hydrological and sediment fluxes across scales from hillslopes to catchments, and to quantify prediction uncertainty with modern stochastic methods
climate change
we analyse the impacts of climate variability and climate change on the hydrology of catchments and urban areas, as well as future impacts on water resources and natural hazards (floods, droughts, landslides)
hydrological processes
we study flow at the soil-vegetation-atmosphere interface, to quantify the impacts on water availability, natural hazards, ecosystem services, and we support this research with monitoring the environment for hydrological process understanding
sustainable water use
we study the sustainable use of water in urban and rural settings in developing countries, and create methods to address the global water-food-energy nexus and to design resilient climate-adapted cities