As part of over 18,000 presentations at the European Geoscience Union (EGU) General Assembly 2025 in Vienna, three postdoctoral students from IWU-WB presented their current research and experiments.

Their contributions promoted the innovative work of IWU-WB in understanding pollution, sediment and wood transport processes in rivers. Dr. James Lofty presented his work on transport dynamics of plastics in rivers, Dr. Daniel Rebai presented his experiments on turbulence and sediment transport and Dr. Jiangtao Yang presented his work on the abrasion of large wood in rivers. The week was filled with multidisciplinary discussions, posters and presentations, with time to network with both European and International researchers in the evening events.

Abstracts for the conference can be found here:

James Lofty:
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3136

Daniel Rebai:
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9842

Jiangtao Yang:
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6721

We had the pleasure of welcoming students and professors from the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Institute for Water and Environment (IWU). The visitors were part of the Erasmus Mundus MSc in Flood Risk Management and the MSc in Water and Sustainable Development programs. Led by professors Leonardo Alfonso and Arlex Sanchez Torres, the group participated in engaging academic discussions and exchanged knowledge with KIT researchers.

The visit began with a warm welcome and lunch at the KIT Mensa, followed by a series of academic presentations and interactive sessions. Prof. Mario Franca introduced the activities and structure of KIT and IWU, providing insights into the institute's multidisciplinary approach to water research. This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Ali Pourzangbar, who shared current research and future plans  on machine learning applications for flood mapping and risk analysis.

A highlight of the day was the guided tour of the Theodor Rehbock Hydraulics Laboratory led by Dr.-Ing. Frank Seidel, where students explored the large-scale hydraulic facilities and ongoing experimental projects. The visit concluded with an informal stroll across the KIT campus.

Within the frame of the Girls’ Day 2025, IWU-WB contributed with the workshop “Design rivers, protect nature, optimize structures – Become a hydraulic engineering expert!” to a versatile program offered by KIT.

After a short introductory round to get to know each other, we discovered diverse topics of practical and scientific hydraulic engineering by different physical models in our Theodor-Rehbock-Riverlab. Amongst, we found out how to revitalize degraded channels to give fish a natural habitat and the possibility to find their way through the river, how structures built in rivers affect the morphology, and how to protect a house from floods.

A big ‘thank you’ to all participants for taking part, your curiosity and interest!

Together with Tobias Beck from the South Württemberg Student Research Center (SFZ), Niklas Ruf and Jana Spiller visited the IWU to present their development of a flood warning system.

In Baden-Württemberg, flood warnings are published for all larger bodies of water across the Flood Forecast Center (HVZ) at the LUBW in Karlsruhe. For small streams or catchment areas, however, the installation of additional gauges by municipalities and private residents can help to identify flood risks early and reliably.

The innovative "build-your-own" measuring device integrates a radar sensor that can be attached e.g. under bridges and determines water levels and flow rates. Using the LoRaWAN radio protocol, the data is sent to a server in an energy-saving manner, which stores it, evaluates it and, in case of an impending flood, sends a notification to residents or fire departments via a specially developed app and circular email.

After a lively discussion and a visit of the Theodor Rehbock hydraulic engineering laboratory, we went on to LUBW for an insight into the federal water gauge network and the forecast models operated by HVZ.

As part of his three-week research visit to the Disaster Prevention Research Institute at Kyoto University, Mário Franca gave a seminar on February 25th titled “Integrating Floating Debris Transport Mechanics into Urban Flood Management.”

During his stay in Kyoto, he was hosted by Prof. Sameh Kantoush’s research group, where he engaged in scientific exchanges on topics such as sediment bypass tunnels, plastic transport in rivers, and the application of machine learning for flood susceptibility mapping. He also participated in the DPRI Annual Meeting at the Uji Campus.

Additionally, he visited the renowned Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, led by Prof. Michio Sanjou, at the Katsura Campus – a lab with a long history of collaboration with KIT, dating back to the work of former director Prof. Iehisa Nezu and the late Prof. Gerhard Jirka.

As part of the Water Distribution Systems course in the Winter Semester, on 12th February 2025, we organized an excursion for students to explore the new Water Work infrastructures (built in 2022) operated by Stadtwerke Karlsruhe in Mörscher Forest. The visit provided insights into the water supply process, covering key components such as groundwater resources, reservoirs, and elevated water tanks that ensure stable distribution.

Students learned about advanced filtration techniques, including iron and manganese removal systems, regulated-pressure tanks, valves and maintenance progress. The excursion also featured an overview of the pumping systems that regulate water pressure and flow, along with automated monitoring and control mechanisms. Another special highlight of the visit was the impressive light show in the area of the pumping station, which artistically illustrated the system’s functionality.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Nina Rind for her guidance and engaging discussions throughout the trip.

Link to the MSc WSE promotion video