Water is a cross-cutting research issue driving national and international research agendas. The Water Sciences group at the University of Birmingham undertakes pure and applied research within this dynamic and fast-changing area, to address questions of immediate concern to society and environment.
Our research reflects the acceleration of environmental stresses, transformation of national/international agendas and ecological and environmental degradation which require new understanding of the key processes governing all aspects of water environments. Measures of the environmental and societal value of water and new paradigms and policies for the integrated management of water to meet future needs are also required.
In this context, the Water Sciences Research Group at Birmingham is advancing our fundamental understanding of surface and ground water processes by undertaking research at multiple scales, which encompasses hydrology, hydroclimatology, biogeochemistry, geomorphology, ecology and modelling. The activities of the Group embrace the work of two long established research teams in Hydroecology and Hydrogeology, which were recognised as internationally excellent by the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. The core of our research in surface- and ground- water systems aims to i) quantify the physical, chemical and biological processes governing the quantity and quality of water, and the cycling and transfer of nutrients and contaminants and; ii) model the effects of changing water sources and these nutrient fluxes and contamination on aquatic biota.
The scale of the research ranges from pore-scale, through small-scale field sites and drainage basins to continental systems. Our field studies encompass a wide range of climatic conditions, from Arctic to alpine and tropical and a large spectrum of anthropogenic pressures from pristine to urban conditions. Research by the group is funded by national (e.g. NERC, EPSRC, EA, SEPA) and international agencies (e.g., IAEA, ESF) as well as industry and charities. We work with a wide range of collaborators in other institutions in the UK and overseas, particularly in Europe, Asia and the USA.
Our blog and facebook page
The Water Sciences Group have both a dedicated blog and a facebook page. You are more than welcome to follow us and/or to contribute if you have any information, news or discussions around the theme of water.