Recharge Estimation Approach in a Data-Scarce Semi-Arid Region, Northern Ethiopian Rift Valley (Mekonen et al., 2023)
Welcome to the website of the Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management (HFGM) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM)!
The mission of our Chair is the analysis of hydrological data and processes as well as the development of applied hydrological models for the sustainable management of water resources in Bavaria, Germany and worldwide.
Efforts in this direction have been made in the last 13 years through research in different areas, mainly focusing on hydrological extremes (floods and droughts), Integrated Water Resources Management, Alpine Hydrology, Urban Hydrology, mixing processes in groundwater systems, water quality, remote sensing and hydrological digitization.
Internationalization has become one of the strengths of our chair. Scientific collaborators from all over the world contribute to support our team here in Munich. This internationality provides us with useful experience, which we also use for the education of our environmental engineering students.
You can find more information about our chair, our research and our teaching on this website. You are cordially invited to browse our web pages. Visit us again soon!
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Disse member of the EASAC Working Group on Water Scarcity and Retention in European Landscapes
Prof. Disse was nominated by the German National Academy
The EASAC – the European Academies Science Advisory Council – provides independent science-based advice for policymakers on important challenges for Europe and it is in the process of forming a Working Group to produce a report on “Water scarcity and retention in European landscapes.”. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Disse was selected as member of the Working Group due his research that focuses on flood risk management, climate change adaptation, and sustainable water resources management, with numerous international publications in these areas.
Prof. Disse will apply expertise in hydrology & NbS as a valuable contribution to this project that will develop an independent scientific assessment on water scarcity and landscape water retention in Europe, with publication of the final report and Summary Statement for Policymakers planned for autumn 2027.
See the complete project overview here!
Successful defense of doctoral thesis from Mr. Mekonen, Sisay
Process-Based Integrated Hydrologic Modeling of Groundwater Recharge and Water Availability in Data-Scarce Semi-Arid Regions
Chairman:
Prof. Dr. Walter Timo de Vries, ASG - Department of Aerospace and Geodesy - L.f.Bodenord.u.Landentw.
Examiners:
1. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Disse, CEE - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - L.f.Hydrologie u. Flussgebietsmanagement
2. Prof. Dr. agr. habil. Britta Schmalz, ZExtern - Technische Universität Darmstadt
Successful defense of doctoral thesis from Mr. Merk, Fabian
Eco-Hydrological Modeling Across Different Scales and Climate Conditions in West Africa
Chairman:
Prof. Dr. phil. Nils Rüther, CEE - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - L.f.Wasserbau
Examiners:
1. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Disse, CEE - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - L.f.Hydrologie u. Flussgebietsmanagement
2. PD Dr.-Ing. habil. Jan Bliefernicht, ZExtern - Universität Augsburg
Our Chair will research drought and flood protection in southern Germany through the TUM University Foundation and the Martin Herrenknecht Fellowship via the DeReKli project
The research goal of DeReKli (dezentralen Retentionsmaßnahmen unter Berücksichtigung des Klimawandels in Süddeutschland) is to model and evaluate decentralized forestry and agricultural retention measures as well as storage reservoirs, taking into account the effects of climate change in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The fellowship is based at the Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management held by Prof. Markus Disse.
The agreement was signed by the TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann, Dr.-Ing E.h. Martin Herrenknecht and Prof. Dr-Ing. Markus Disse. Joshua Holzer will act as Project Manager at our Chair under the supervision of Prof. Disse.
More infoirmation here.
Successful dissertation defense by Mr. Friedrich, Sebastian
Congratulations to Mr. Sebastian Friedrich on the successful defense of his doctoral thesis on „Regionalisierung von Flurabständen in Moorgebieten: Integration von hydrologischem Monitoring, physikalisch basierter Modellierung und maschinellem Lernen“.
Date: 22.09.2025
Chairman:
Mr. Prof. Dr. phil. Nils Rüther, CEE - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - L.f.Wasserbau
Examiners:
1. Mr. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Disse, TUM School of Engineering and Design - L.f.Hydrologie u. Flussgebietsmanagement
2. Mr. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Gabriele Chiogna, ZExtern - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen- Nürnberg (FAU)
3. Mr. Prof. Dr. Ralf Ludwig, ZExtern - Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Award for Prof.-Dr. Markus Disse
Professor Disse receives the Bavarian State Medal for his outstanding services to the environment.
More details here.
The race for water: Discussed in our TUM magazine
Invited talk by Prof. Simon Gosling
Modelling Past, Present and Future Surface Hydrological Change at the Global Scale
We are pleased to invite you to an invited talk by Professor Simon Gosling from the School of Geography, University of Nottingham, UK on:
Modelling Past, Present and Future Surface Hydrological Change at the Global Scale
Abstract:
Professor Gosling will discuss how global hydrological modelling has been used to improve our understanding of past and future changes in water scarcity, droughts, and floods. The seminar will explore the models used in this area of science and community efforts to compare them. He will also present evidence for the attribution of historical trends in extreme river flows to climate change, discuss the extent to which recent hydrological changes exceed planetary boundaries for freshwater, and share projections of future water scarcity and drought across the globe.
Speaker Bio:
Professor Simon Gosling is a global-scale climate risk analyst and knowledge integrator. His expertise spans climate change impact assessment, flooding, droughts, water scarcity, heatwaves, labour capacity, human health, and compound risks. His work employs numerical environmental modelling, uncertainty assessment, and knowledge integration to enhance adaptation and resilience strategies at national, regional, and global levels.
🗓 Date: March 11th, 2025
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (CET)
📍 Location: Room 1713, TUM
🔗 Zoom Link: https://tum-conf.zoom-x.de/j/64807950471?pwd=PzJ58q5l9nOuiZ6eHuhlYGvezQDvIC.1
Meeting-ID: 648 0795 0471
Kenncode: 024690
Activities for students
Please feel free to visit our section of student activities where you may find interesting thesis topics related to our research.
