GE487 Hydrology and Runoff Management

Contents and structure

Climate change affects the hydrological cycle and water balance from a catchment to global scale. More frequent extreme weather events along with population growth and urban compaction call for new approaches in water-recourse and stormwater management.

The course aims to provide students with knowledge about the principles of physical hydrology, which then form a basis for knowledge-based runoff management. Students will gain an understanding of the physical processes that govern the movement and storage of water within a catchment and learn to quantify hydrological variables, such as river discharge, from both field observations and calculations.

Through seminars and case-based project assignments, this course provides students with skills to assess hydrological problems and make recommendations about strategies and plans for urban and rural runoff management that mitigate the challenges of climate change.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

• Understand the different components in the hydrological cycle and local water balance
• Understand how climate change affects hydrological processes
• Understand the principles of fluid dynamics that govern the movement of water on and beneath the surface of the Earth
• Knowledge on catchment hydrology and relevant methods for hydrologic analysis
• Knowledge on flood propagation and flood frequency analysis
• Knowledge on land-use planning and design of blue-green infrastructure to mitigate rural and urban flood risk

Skills:

• Conduct field measurements to quantify and monitor hydrological processes, such as river discharge and flood propagation
• Make simple hydrological, hydrogeological and hydraulic calculations
• Work with meteorological and hydrological data
• Use hydrological models and available online tools to solve hydrological problems relevant to runoff and water-recourse management
• Develop plans for local runoff management to make urban areas less vulnerable to future climate change

 General competence:

• Assess scientific literature, technical reports, websites, etc. to gain information on a particular subject
• Formulate own research questions and use theoretical and/or practical approaches to answer them
• Communicate findings in written reports and oral presentations
• Evaluate and provide constructive feedback on project reports and presentations

Entry requirements

90 ECTS in environmental sciences or geoscience at the time of application

Recommended previous knowledge

None.

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, homework assignments, group work and field excursions.

Field excursions cover different aspects of hydrology and runoff management, such as hydrological monitoring stations, hydropower infrastructure, flood protection infrastructure, and/or municipal water networks.

Compulsory learning activities

Participation in seminars and field excursions. Approval of homework assignments.

Students will work on a project in groups of about 3-4 students and deliver a written report and oral

presentation which need to be approved as a prerequisite to enter the final exam.

Assessment

Written examination 4 hours
Grading A-F

Examination support material

Dictionary corresponding to the country of origin of the individual student.

More about examination support material