Understanding and governing groundwater to reduce risk of hydrological extremes

Research Project, 2023 – 2026

The GroundedExtremes project seeks to enhance our understanding of groundwater in order to reduce hydrological extreme risks.Our focus is on investigating groundwater processes and the potential for better management as an effective adaptation strategy against both droughts and floods, without causing unintended issues for other sectors or risks.

The GroundedExtremes project seeks to enhance our understanding of groundwater in order to reduce hydrological extreme risks. Our focus is on investigating groundwater processes and the potential for better management as an effective adaptation strategy against both droughts and floods, without causing unintended issues for other sectors or risks.The project aims to explore:The development and recovery of groundwater extremes due to the interaction of natural and human processes.The effects of drought adaptation measures concerning groundwater, as well as any potential side effects on flood risk and other sectors.The existing groundwater-related governance structures and how they can be improved.We conduct a comparative analysis of case studies in four distinct European regions with varying physical and societal contexts, promoting shared learning and generating transnational value. Collaborating with stakeholder organizations, we aim to comprehend future approaches that prevent unintended consequences and feedback loops.GroundedExtremes addresses key topics of this call, focusing on "Resilience, adaptation, and mitigation" and "Improved water governance". We tackle knowledge gaps related to groundwater drought drivers, develop innovative strategies for managing floods and droughts, and create robust groundwater governance models that clearly define responsibilities and prevent conflicts.