Knowledge for sustainable development

So-called “bioplastics” are marketed as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional, petroleum-based plastics. They can be made from renewable feedstock, might be bio-degradable or even both. The question is however if these biomaterials are safer than conventional plastics with regard...

Groundwater is the most important drinking water resource worldwide and at the same time a unique habitat for animal organisms. However, the conservation of this valuable resource is neglected both locally and globally. This particularly applies to some hotspot regions in Europe, where groundwater...

​​​​​​​Seas and oceans have fascinated mankind since time immemorial – as the largest coherent ecosystem in the world and also as a dream destination for recreational purposes. And even though this unique habitat has been used for waste disposal for centuries, the exponential increase of waste in...

The call for social-ecological transformation has gained in urgency during the corona crisis, but it is in fact not new. The consequences of unabated climate change and species extinction are proving to be so far reaching and consequential that the need for a change of course has long been discussed...

Digitalisation is now also making itself felt in the water sector. The term ‘WATER 4.0’ alludes to new digital options for a flexible, resource-efficient, and competitive form of water management – intelligent measuring and control systems that can meanwhile replace manual operation. The processes...

The need for transdisciplinary research is growing. At the same time, structures and places for the further development and dissemination of transdisciplinary methods, concepts and competencies are lacking both in research and teaching. This gap is now to be closed by the foundation of an academy...

In the Anthropocene – the age of man – the popular image of the natural water cycle no longer applies, as man has long since intervened in this cycle in many places. The consequences are sometimes massive and can be seen in changed precipitation patterns as well as in sinking groundwater levels. How...

Transdisciplinary research – for instance within sustainability research – can provide targeted support for the solution of complex societal problems. This is possible as transdisciplinary research includes – across disciplinary boundaries – knowledge gained from experience and from everyday life...

Record temperatures and prolonged periods of drought are increasingly affecting agriculture worldwide. In Germany, too, droughts are now jeopardizing high-yielding harvests. A cultivation system with a new type of irrigation technology using water reuse is particularly suitable for arid regions and...

On World Water Day (22 March), the United Nations will focus on the link between water and climate change. It is a complex and momentous issue, also for Germany‘s cities: heat waves and heavy rainfall events are increasingly posing major challenges for water infrastructures. Research by ISOE –...