The Potsdam WaterHub - Research, Networking, Training and Outreach

Europe's climate is warming faster than any other region of the world. This accelerated  warming has severe consequences for water resources and water extremes. Heatwaves occur more frequently and intensively, and extreme events such  as droughts and heavy rainfall are increasing considerably. For Europe, we expect that an atmospheric temperature increase of 2°C would double economic losses from flooding while economic losses from droughts might  triple. Whereas regions in southern Europe and the Mediterranean already experience frequent droughts, wetter regions such as Germany will experience particularly dramatic changes in hydro-climatic conditions.

Within Germany, challenges for managing water during dry periods are particularly evident in the state of Brandenburg in Eastern Germany. Low annual precipitation and sandy soils with low water storage capacity characterize this region, which is considered both “water-rich and water-poor” for good reasons. Increasing impacts of anthropogenic climate change will likely lead to changing rainfall and evaporation patterns, with consequences for water supply to soils, rivers and groundwater aquifers. We can expect more stress for aquatic ecosystems due to changing river flows, while changing soil moisture and groundwater levels will negatively impact agriculture, forests and terrestrial ecosystems. Furthermore, in the coming decades, large areas of southern Brandenburg will have to compensate for a massive water deficit caused by decades of groundwater pumping in the context of lignite mining.

The Potsdam WaterHub was established as a cross-institutional platform to support and connect water researchers in Potsdam. Potsdam provides an ideal starting point for such an initiative, given its high density of internationally recognized research institutions and long-standing expertise across the water sciences. We will present our strategy to foster interdisciplinary exchange, collaborative research, involvement in BSc/MSc training and innovation to advance understanding of complex water systems and risks. In addition, the WaterHub actively engages with the public, media, policy-makers, and stakeholders from industry and practice, contributing scientific knowledge and dialogue towards sustainable water management and adaptation strategies in a changing world.