Water, Environment and Food Security

The main research interest of this group is to conduct integrated studies involving natural and social sciences to water, food and environment relations at the local, river basin, national and global level. A particular focus is on the development and application of qualitative and quantitative/modeling tools in the analysis of complex systems concerning integrated water (and land), food and environment management.

The main goals of the research are:

• to improve the understanding of the impact of increasing water scarcity on food security and environmental sustainability
• to assess the impact of food trade on the water balance and the environment with respect to chemical and nutrient transports on different geographical scales
• to identify influencing factors and their interactions to support policy development for the integrated water, food and environmental management at different levels.

Projects

• Water Scarcity - Its Measurement and Implications for Virtual Water Import, SNF project, 2004-2007 (Junguo Liu).
• Modelling of farmers’ irrigation behaviour in the Chao Bai Catchment, the Haihe River Basin, China, SIAM project, 2006-2008 (Yuan Zhou).
• Global assessment of virtual water trade and its social-economic and environmental impacts, 2006-2009 (Jafet Andersson).
  
• Feasibility Assessment of the Virtual Water Strategy in Regional Water Resource Management in Iran. SNF project, 2006-2009, (Monireh Faramarzi).
  
• GEO-BENE, EU project, 2007-2009 (Junguo Liu).
  
• The virtual water strategy in the water resources management in Egypt, in collaboration with the National Center of Water Research in Egypt, 2006-2009 (Hong Yang).
• An integrated assessment of environmental impacts of mining activities in two selected catchments (upper Crisul Alb and Certej) in the Apuseni Mountains, Romania, and transboundary river pollution, 2005-2007 (Diana Dogaru).