The sustainable management of water resources is one of the key challenges of our time. In many regions of the world, different interests clash when it comes to water use: drinking water supply, agriculture, water for industry, energy production, ecosystem services, and recreational use are all competing for a finite resource. Climate change is exacerbating these conflicts by altering water availability and increasing regional imbalances. At the same time, extremes are continuing to increase in frequency and intensity, both in terms of droughts and flooding events.
Sustainable water strategies must therefore be cut out to be cross-sectoral and are required to take economic, ecological, and social aspects into equal account. Coordinated goals and transparent decision-making processes enable the development of viable solutions that are widely accepted and have a long-term impact.
At FiW, we develop and support such integrated strategies - from analyzing regional water budgets and developing usage scenarios to conceptualizing and facilitating participatory planning processes. Our work combines scientific methods, such as water balance sheets, impact models, and GIS-based analyses, with practical applications. We focus on the cooperation with municipal, economic, and civil society actors, in which we prepare and present complex issues and interdependencies in a comprehensible and action-oriented manner.
Participation is a key success factor here: only when all relevant stakeholders are involved at an early stage can conflicts be reduced, knowledge be shared, and joint solutions be developed. To this end, we at FiW design participation processes with various dialogue formats that make the basis for decision-making transparent. Science communication is equally important. Politicians, administration officials, businesses, experts, and the public, each stakeholder group needs specific information. From concise management summaries and clear visualizations to technical guidelines and scientific publications, at FiW we develop communication formats that are tailored to specific audiences and that support knowledge transfer in politics, expert communities, and society.
Our projects demonstrate how technological and conceptual innovation, spatial planning, and governance can be interlinked.
Our goal is to develop water strategies that combine the security of supply, economic efficiency, and ecological sustainability - as the basis for a sustainable and resilient water future.
B2M Raman
Optimisation of the dynamic Biogas-to-Methanol-Process using inline Raman spectroscopy
MoreFees & contributions
The allocation of costs, based on the polluter pays principle, ensures sustainable concepts
MoreDynamic adaptation of regional planning and development processes to the effects of climate change
dynaklim – Using the example of the Emscher-Lippe region (Ruhr area)
MoreecReUse | South Africa
Enhancing Resource Use Efficiency in South Africa through Water Reuse and Sustainable Energy Production at Wastewater Treatment Plants
MoreECWASA | South Africa
Innovative water infrastructure management to increase water security for people, economy and agriculture in Southern Africa
MoreGelderland Water Strategy
Transboundary waters workshop in Arnhem to intensify cross-border cooperation in water management between North Rhine-Westphalia and the Netherlands
MoreGewässerzweckverband Ahr
Design of the financing system within the framework of the establishment of the Ahr Water Management Association
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Getting active together for a good climate
iResilience – Social innovations and smart city infrastructures for the resilient city of the future
MoreIntegrated Climate Protection and Climate Adaptation Concept for the City of Ratingen
MoreHydrodynamic calculations of the Cologne boundary channel
Combined modeling in the area of Cologne
MoreModel for an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Rhine-Main (Germany)
Strategy development for water resources management for almost 5 million inhabitants
MoreLINEG Water Management Year 2024
Hydrological analysis and historical classification of precipitation as well as Rhine and groundwater levels on the left bank of the Lower Rhine
MoreNiersCon
Analysis of decentralized water retention and groundwater recharge through integrated control of the regional ditch system
MoreNiersFluX
High-resolution trace substance flux balance in the Niers catchment to quantify direct and indirect input pathways and derive options for action
MoreAnoxic Biowash for Biogas Desulfurization as a Contribution to the Climate Future
NitroSX – Microbiological Biogas Desulphurisation
MoreR2K-Klim+
Strategic decision support tool for adaptation to climate change on a regional and municipal level in the Rhine area
Morerender – More renewable energies
Regional dialogue on energy change - together on the way to an energy region
MoreRiverCloud
UAV/USV tandem system for the collection and provision of high-resolution data for water management and the expansion and maintenance of waterways
MoreSPIS4FNS | Kenya
SPIS4FNS – Development and Optimization of Solar-Powered Rainwater Harvesting Concepts to Strengthen Food Security in Kenya
MoreTrace substance elimination from CP plants
Best Available Techniques (BAT) for reducing the entry of micropollutants from wastewater of CP Treatment Plants for hazardous waste into water bodies
MoreWaLKIS
Wasserwirtschaftliche Ermittlungen und Anwendung von digitalen Versiegelungsdaten aus amtlichen Liegenschaftskatasterdaten – Phase I & II
MoreDriftwood forecasting on waterways
Investigation of the necessity and efficiency of measures to prevent and retain driftwood to protect bridge structures and culverts
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