The challenges facing water managers and engineers nowadays are manifold, complex, and require cross disciplinary approaches. These challenges include the safety of hydraulic natural and built systems, ageing infrastructures, pollution, guarantee of energy and food security, sustainable development and safety of urban environment, ecological feedbacks and an uncertain future

Our group develops research towards engineering solutions for the design, the planning and the implementation of sustainable water infrastructures prepared for global change. We investigate the mechanics of flowing water and its interaction with key elements of a river basin such as sediments, dissolved matter, gases, living organisms and people. More specifically, the group is committed to develop research on four main topics: sustainable and secure water for supply, food and energy; adaptive and multi-functional hydraulic systems; healthy rivers; and geophysical processes in rivers and lakes.

The institute has a long portfolio in engineering and water management projects, which benefits the education of engineering, provides relevance for the scientific activities and inspires fundamental research. This was accomplished thanks to an excellent infrastructure which includes the world renown Theodor-Rehbock hydraulics laboratory and modern numerical means.

The group aims at continuing the tradition of excellence in hydraulic engineering and water resources management brought by its former directors for more than 100 years: Prof. Franz Nestmann (1994-2021), Prof. Peter Larsen (1983-1994), Prof. Emil Mosonyi (1965-1982), Prof. Heinrich Wittmann (1934-1965) and Prof. Theodor Rehbock (1899-1933).