Analyzing the Costs of Freshwater Restoration in Europe

Duration: flexible (typically 3–6 months)
Start: available immediately
Supervision: Dr. habil. Sebastian Birk

Freshwater restoration is expanding rapidly across Europe, yet systematic and comparable information on restoration costs remains scarce. This project focuses on compiling and analysing cost data from river and wetland restoration projects across Europe (e.g. barrier removal, floodplain reconnection, rewetting).

The aim of the project is to collect, structure, and analyse restoration cost data, combining targeted literature research (scientific papers, reports, project documentation) with existing project databases. Depending on interest, the work may include:
    • Extracting and harmonising primary cost data from literature and reports
    • Structuring heterogeneous datasets (Excel/CSV) for analysis
    • Comparing costs across restoration measure types, spatial scales, and regions
    • Analysing cost components (planning, construction, land acquisition, monitoring)
    • Developing standardized cost metrics (e.g. €/km, €/ha)

The work is data-driven and combines systematic literature screening with exploratory data analysis and visualisation. Experience with R is an advantage but not required; curiosity, analytical thinking, and careful data handling are essential.

The project offers:
    • Experience in data-driven environmental research with real-world datasets
    • Training in extracting quantitative data from literature and project reports
    • A data-science-oriented thesis or internship with policy relevance
    • Insight into European freshwater restoration research and practice