Finished projects
AquaWis
AquaWis was an environmental education project for biology teachers and students. The main goal of the project was to give pupils insights into basic ecological relationships.
ASSESS-HKH
The project developed scientifically-based, but applicable tools for the detection and evaluation of affected river reaches in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region
AQEM
Implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive and providing a system for assessing ecological quality in European streams with benthic macroinvertebrates
BioFresh
BioFresh was an EU-funded international project that aims to build a global information platform for scientists and ecosystem managers.
Emscher at Dortmund-Deusen
Scientific monitoring and evaluation of the development of ecological improvement.
Supported by the Emscher Genossenschaft /Lippeverband, in cooperation with the Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.
Euro-limpacs
The project has addressed the impact of climate change on lakes, rivers and wetlands in Europe, through the pathways temperature increase, impact on hydromorphology, eutrophication, acidification, the release of toxic substances, and invasive species.
Endocrine disruption and parasites
Recently evidence evolved that environmental compounds can interfere with the endocrine systems of wildlife and humans. Surface waters are suggested to be the main sink for these so called endocrine disruptors.
DESSIN
DESSIN demonstrated and promoted innovative solutions for water scarcity and water quality / the implementation of the Water Framework directive (WFD) and showed the value of those solutions for the water sector and society by also demonstrating a methodology for the valuation of ecosystem services (ESS) as catalyser for innovation.
IMPACT
Developing an Integrated Model to Predict Abiotic Habitat Conditions and Biota of Rivers Application in Climate Change Research and Water Management.
KuLaRuhr
The project was analyzing a large scale land use and availability in the Ruhr area with a focus on Emscher Landschaftspark
PGE -Platinum Group Elements
The project investigated the effects of emissions caused by the use of automotive catalytic converters, which increasingly introduce the catalytically active platinum group elements (PGE) platinum, palladium and rhodium into the environment.
MARS
MARS was a research project to support European policies, such as the Water Framework Directive, and the Blueprint to Safeguard Europe’s Water Resources. It had two target groups: "water managers" assessing and restoring rivers and lakes; and policy makers drafting and implementing policies related to water
REFORM
The project has targeted the development of guidance and tools to improve the success of river restoration measures and to make river restoration and mitigation measures more cost-effective and to supporte the 2nd and future River Basin Management Plans (RMBPs) for the WFD
Spatial and temporal aspects of river restoration
On the basis of repeated sampling of 25 renatured river sections, this project explored essential questions concerning the renaturation of running waters.
REFRESH
The project was the follow-up project of EURO-LIMPACS, which was evaluating a series of specific adaptive measures that might be taken to minimise adverse consequences of climate change on freshwater quantity, quality and biodiversity
RUBICODE
Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems
Biodiversity provides many services from which humans benefit, such as the provision of food, fibre and fuel, regulation of air and water quality, flood protection, pollination, control of pests, recreation and ecotourism.
RiverCross
Throughout Europe there are new challenges in river management. Climate change, grand-scale water pollution, water supply problems or sea intrusion are problematic developments.
SafeRuhr
The joint research project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the "Risk Management of Pollutants and Pathogens in the Water Cycle" initiative (RISKWA) and has developed a comprehensive risk-management concept for drinking water supply and a possible use of the Ruhr as bathing water
STAR
Framework method for calibrating different biological survey results against ecological quality classifications to be developed for the Water Framework Directive
Reintroduction of macrozoobenthos in rivers
In this project, funded by LANUV NRW, an attempt was made for the first time to resettle entire macrozoobenthos communities from one water system to another biotically impoverished water system.
WISER
WISER was supporing the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) by developing tools for the integrated assessment of the ecological status of European surface waters
Underfloor pump storage
Development of a realization concept for the use of coal mining facilities as underground pumped storage plants