Welcome to the Chair of Hydrology and Water Resources Management
The Chair of Hydrology and Water Resources Management has been established in January 1997, by appointment of Prof. Paolo Burlando. He was joined by Prof. Peter Molnar as adjunct professor in 2013.
The Chair focuses on teaching and research activities in the field of surface water hydrology and water resources management. Key activities are the analysis and modelling of hydrological processes, their importance in catchments, and their interactions with human and environmental systems, with the aim of providing the basis for modern water resources assessment and sustainable planning and management. Read more
HYDROL Highlights
Soil heterotrophic respiration is a large unknown in the carbon budget of Earth and at the same time an important flux affecting CO2 in the atmosphere and the role of soil as a carbon sink or source. A recent new modelling perspective on soil heterotrophic respiration from our group by Dr Alon Nissan, an ETH Postdoctoral Fellow, quantifies the global changes in respiration that may be expected in a future climate. The research results were highlighted by external pageSWISSINFOcall_made and ETH News.
Nephelometry is a method to measure turbidity of water based on measuring a light reflection in water. Jessica Droujko of HYDROL is developing a new sensor based on this technique that is cheap, accurate, and can be deployed at many locations along river networks to understand the activation of sediment sources. Her first prototypes have been lab tested and are available for try-outs.
Mosisa defended his Doctoral Thesis Understanding the impacts of climate change on rainfed crop production in Ethiopia in the HYDROL group on 29.02.2024. Congratulations!
A new modelling perspective on soil heterotrophic respiration from our group by Dr Alon Nissan quantifies the changes in global respiration that may expected under a future climate, with dramatic consequences in the Arctic.
Helping to shape the digital transformation, empowering brilliant young talent and more research for the health of children and adolescents: the ETH Foundation's annual report shows what the commitment of more than 2700 donors and partners has achieved for a wide range of topics in 2023.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a smartphone app that can be used to check the authenticity of documents and other items. Extracts from the debt enforcement register of the City of Zurich are being made forgery-proof as part of a pilot project.
Environmental scientist Alice Pradel cultivates ice cores in the lab to investigate the transport and accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics. Her aim in doing so is to better understand material flows in the Arctic ice.
Renovating buildings to improve their energy efficiency is a crucial step towards Switzerland achieving its climate targets. ETH Zurich researchers can now reveal the most effective renovation strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: replace fossil-fuel heating systems and harness the potential of bio-based building materials like straw and hemp.