Water both in terms of quantity and quality is of vital significance for the social and economic development of society but at the same time it is important for the state of the various ecosystems. Increasing population, socioeconomic developments, increasing pollution from industry, agriculture and cities have increased the pressure on the water resources and the available amount of water of suitable quality to fulfill the needs of the various sectors is therefore steadily decreasing. This inevitably gives rise to competition for water and results in conflicts of interest both at local, regional, and national scales but also in large transnational river basins.

Sustainable solutions to water related problems require a thorough and interdisciplinary scientific understanding of the various components of the hydrological cycle and of the exchange of water and matter between these. Of particular importance is the understanding of how the quantity and quality of the water resources are affected by antropogenic and climate changes. To increase the scientific understanding of the hydrological processes and their interaction input is required from several scientific disciplines including hydrology, geology, geography, agronomy, meteorology, geochemistry and environmental chemistry. The scientific knowledge needs to be integrated and placed in a broader socio-economic context to secure a sustainable development and management of the water resources. 

Denmark has a long research record within the various disciplines pertinent to water resources. Research is carried out at universities, research institutes and private organizations, and PhD candidates are educated at the universities located across the country. Over the past 10 years or more various dedicated research programs within water resources and in particular with emphasis on groundwater have been carried out that have promoted collaboration between the various institutes.

The Research School of Water Resources (Fiva) is funded by the Danish Research Training Council under the Danish Research Agency and is a formal collaboration between nine institutions in Denmark with expertise within water resources. Universities, government and private research institutes are member of the partnership and the overall aims are:

1. to support and improve the research education of PhD students within the field of water resources
2. to strengthen and integrate the scientific environment of the PhD students within water resources
3. to establish a scientific forum for exchange of knowledge within water resources
4. to strengthen the international links

The activities of Research School include:

1. seminars and workshops
2. international PhD courses on special topics with input from international experts
3. funding of international visiting professors
4. partial funding of PhD scholarships

The Research School was established in 2002 and funding has been awarded for a five year period.

Director:

Karsten H. Jensen, Professor PhD

Department of Geography and Geology
University of Copenhagen
Øster Voldgade 10
DK-1350 Copenhagen K.

Phone +45 3532 2484
Fax +45 3314 8322
Email: khj@geo.ku.dk

Secretariat:

Scientific secretary:
Frederik Uldall

Department of Geography and Geology
Øster Voldgade 10
DK-1350 Copenhagen K

Phone +45 3532 2414
Email:fu@geo.ku.dk


Financial secretary:
Kristian Bjergbakke

Department of Geography and Geology
University of Copenhagen
Øster Voldgade 10
DK-1350 Copenhagen K.

Phone +45 3532 2483
Fax +45 3532 2501
Email: krb@geo.ku.dk

 

Steering Committee:

Karsten H. Jensen, Professor PhD
Department  of Geography and Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen

Peter Bauer-Gottwein, Associate Professor PhD
Environment & Resources, Technical University of Denmark

Bent Hasholt, Associate Professor
Department of Geography and Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen

Jens Raunsø Jensen, Associate Professor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen

Steen Christensen, Associate Professor PhD
Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Aarhus

Morten Lauge Pedersen, Assistant Professor PhD
Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University

Jens C. Refsgaard, Research Professor
Hydrology Department, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland

Anders Branth Pedersen, Scientist
National Environmental Research Institute, University of Aarhus

Finn Plauborg, Senior Scientist PhD
Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus

Henrik Madsen, Senior Hydrologist PhD
DHI - Water, Environment & Health

Ebba Dellwik, Post Doc
DTU - Risø, Wind Energy Department

Wilhelm May, Senior Scientist
Danish Meteorological Institute

TBA, Representative of the PhD students
Department of Geography and Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen


Steering committee homepage
(only access for members).