Modules

Prerequisites

Contents

Part Hydrology Introduction to hydrology and water resources, definitions; hydrologic cycle; conservation equation; catchment; energy and water balance as a coupled system; water cycle as transport cycle, precipitation (types, measurement, areal analysis), water in the soil, soil water characteristics, infiltration, evapotranspiration, (processes, determination) runoff (controlling factors, measurement, interpretation of runoff data, hydrological regimes);Methods to estimate groundwater balance, present groundwater use and exploitation; vulnerability and activities to protect groundwater resources. Impacts to the water resources; water balances under human influence; pathways of main pollutants of ground and surface waters; concepts of an integrated description of water quantity and water quality at catchment scale. Part Freshwater Conservation Main water quality problems related to agriculture, forestry, urbanization and mining; eutrophication, acidification, salinization, siltation, contamination, effects of neobiota; civil engineering and degradation of streams and rivers; loss of ecosystem services in degraded freshwaters; expected impacts of climate change. Principles of sustainable water management; principles of lake diagnosis, quality assessment and evaluation as prerequisites for mitigation and restoration; EU Water Framework Directive; strategies to improve and restore impacted freshwaters, current status of restoration.

Learning outcomes

The module will provide the base for sustainable freshwater resource management. Understanding shall be achieved of the comprehensive water cycle with its abiotic and biotic processes, basics of hydrology and freshwater conservation, terms and methods related to water balance and the components of the water cycle, hydrological and ecological processes and their interaction relevant to water quantity and quality. Students will know main impacts to the freshwater resources and understand their relation to land use. The interaction of impacts with ecological processes and their consequences on ecology and use of freshwaters (flood water storage, drinking water supply, recreation, nature conservation) will be understood. The options and methods of surface water diagnosis and of management and conservation will be understood. The European Water Framework Directive as the base for evaluation and management of freshwater resources will be known. Students will be able to evaluate the consequences of major impacts on ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services. Principal strategies for restoring impacted freshwater systems will be known.

Assessment

Written examination (80 minutes), with the two parts Hydrology and Water Resource Management and Freshwater Conservation in the first examination period. The exam will contribute 60% to the module grade. Exercises and homework will contribute 40% to the module grade via video assessment (Freshwater Conservation; 20%) and 5 in-person quizzes (Hydrology and Water Resource Management; 20%).