Projects / Programmes
Water Science and Technology, and Geotechnical Engineering: Tools and Methods for Process Analyses and Simulations, and Development of Technologies.
January 1, 2017
- December 31, 2021
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.20.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Hydrology |
|
| 1.08.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Control and care of the environment |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T220 |
Technological sciences |
Civil engineering, hydraulic engineering, offshore technology, soil mechanics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.07 |
Engineering and Technology |
Environmental engineering
|
| 1.05 |
Natural Sciences |
Earth and related Environmental sciences |
dam engineering, environmental engineering, environmental geology, field experiments, geotechnics, hydraulic engineering, hydraulics, hydrology, laboratory experiments, mathematical modeling, numerical modeling, risk management, sanitary engineering, simulations, water science, water technology
Researchers (46)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The proposed Research Programme (RP) will be performed by a programme group (PG) of researchers from 2 institutions: UL FGG and IHR; they are closely related, being partners in this ARRS RP since 2004, as well as in other bilateral and multilateral research projects. The 2 partners are compatible with regard to laboratory and field equipment and fields of expertise which assures efficient implementation of the RP.
The proposed RP is divided into a selected number of well-defined and interrelated tools and/or methods and synergistic research subgroups, each headed personally by a renowned senior researcher In each research subgroup, several researchers will cooperate with a clear final goal: development of a new tool, method or technology that can be applied in the field of water science, water technology, and geotechnical engineering. The proposed RP will be supported by additional sources, such as young researchers, national, and international research, and development projects.
The proposed RP will be focused on the development, validation and testing in real environments of selected tools/methods/technologies in the fields of water science, water technology and geotechnical engineering with a clear aim to raise our understanding of natural and man-made environments and technological/infrastructural systems for their better management and governance. The proposed objectives can be summarized as follows:
Analyses and simulations of relevant parameters influencing water- and geo-related hazards and risks.
Advanced monitoring and modelling techniques for studying interactions between hydrological and biogeochemical cycles.
Modelling and analyses of hydro-meteorological events and their consequences with an emphasis on extreme events in the changing environment.
Developing innovative instrumentation and techniques for monitoring relevant hydrological parameters in running and standing waters.
Advancing geomorphometric methods to improve the modelling of hazardous processes at Earth's surface.
Development of advanced wastewater treatment (WWT) technologies.
Upgrades and improvements of the advanced PCFLOW2D modelling tool for depth-averaged free surface flow simulations.
Introducing innovative instrumentation and techniques for monitoring the dynamic response of massive concrete dams.
Development of advanced modelling tools for assessing specific hydraulic, eco-hydraulic, and geomorphological phenomena in watercourses and marine environment.
Circular economy in the water sector for closing the loop between water demand, water use, and water resources.
Longitudinal transmittance and connectivity of river habitats.
Hydraulic model tests of hydropower structures.
Non-contact measurements of shallow flows.
The use of osmotic suction for fast and reliable identification of salts in low permeable soil pore water.
Study of soil liquefaction.
Developing advanced monitoring and modelling techniques for landslide hazard and risk assessment and landslide mitigation.
Significance for science
Over the last decades, changed climate variability patterns can be noticed through the various weather events around the world including in Europe. Additionally, human activities have disrupted the natural hydrological regimes and ecological processes. In fact, the societal and environmental challenges linked to water-related issues are staggering in many cases. More specifically, the number of fatalities as well as the economic damages caused by water-related disasters, such as floods and droughts, landslides and land subsidence is dramatically increasing worldwide, mainly as a result of increased population living in areas vulnerable to water-related disasters. One of the most important global drivers that will significantly increase water-related risks in the near future is population growth and its spatial and temporal dynamics. Other drivers, such as land-use changes, urbanization, migration patterns, energy issues, food production, are derived from population change and economic development. Many of these patterns can be also noticed in Europe where we are confronted with the increasing frequency of flood and drought events, drinking water shortages, water quality issues, and intensified geomorphological processes of different origin and duration, causing increasing economic damages. The climate variability and human population trends demand adaption and modification of the current approaches in water resources management and geotechnical engineering. These changes will require comprehensive understanding of the changing environment which can be achieved solely through systematic research work which covers field measurements and field studies, supported by laboratory measurements and laboratory studies and, finally, modelling and simulations based on acquired field and laboratory data.
The main motto of the Research Programme (RP) is in line with the new Scientific Decade 2013–2022 of International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), entitled “Panta Rhei – Everything Flows”. The purpose of Panta Rhei is to improve the interpretation of the processes governing the water cycle by focusing on their changing dynamics in connection with rapidly changing human systems.
The great challenge for the hydrological, hydraulic, water quality and geotechnical scientific community is to identify appropriate and timely adaptation measures in a continuously changing environment. To this end, the main scientific gaps are: i) incomplete understanding of natural processes and links with atmosphere/biosphere/human society; ii) appropriate techniques for data integration and/or assimilation, iii) scaling and heterogeneity issues; iv) capabilities to predict natural processes and their interactions and feedbacks with socio-ecological systems; v) energy efficient (waste)water treatment technologies with resources (water, nutrients) recovery and improved water purification capability (e.g. emerging pollutants removal); vi) uncertainty estimation, communication and incorporation into adaptive resource management decision-making. Finally, there is a need for being more active in transferring knowledge to policy.
The practical aim of the proposed RP is to improve our capability to make predictions of water resources dynamics and to contribute to the development of advanced water treatment technologies with recovery of resources (water, nutrients, and energy) and improved water purification, to support sustainable societal development in a changing environment. The concept focuses on hydrological systems as a changing interface between environment and society, whose dynamics are essential to determine water security, food security, human safety and development, and to set priorities for sustainable environmental management. The proposed RP is addressing, and is fully in line with, the priorities of the European Innovation Partnerships – EIP Water: 1) water reuse and recycling; 2) recovery of resources; 3) water and energy integration
Significance for the country
The 21st century is dedicated to water. Many conflicts in this century are predicted to be about water rather than (crude) oil. Some countries have written a right to water into their constitutions. The emerging climate-change related issues are to be answered in the fields of water science and technology, and geotechnical engineering. Many problems in geotechnical engineering are related to water (ground water, seepage, water content, water pressure, etc.) and joint efforts to solve them are needed for better environmentally friendly solutions. Many new problems will arise due to climate-related changes and we need a much better understanding of the whole water cycle (both on the Earth's surface and beneath) – merely protecting water resources and securing drinking water is no longer enough. Improved usage of natural resources is needed, including water and soils, stressed in the orientation towards green cities, circular economies, but also for safer geoenviroment for mankind with joint efforts for water and geo-related disaster risk reduction in efforts to build more resilient societies and economies. UNESCO CHAIR at University of Ljubljana on Water Related Disaster Risk Reduction will help to disseminate and verify our results worldwide.
Damages from water-related disasters continue to increase all over the world (e.g. floods, landslides), while available water resources are becoming increasingly scarce (e.g. droughts) also as a result of increased water pollution due to population growth and urbanization. Along with water the increasing demand for food calls for e.g. phosphate fertilisers. However, due to the emerging global challenge of phosphorus scarcity with serious implications for future food security, phosphorus needs to be recovered for productive re-use as a fertilizer in food production to replace increasingly scarce and more expensive phosphate rock. The research under the RP will be an intricate part of joint worldwide efforts to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters (INTERPRAEVENT, UNESCO IHP and WLF). Incorporating UNESCO Chair in Water Related Disaster Risk Reduction in RP will help spread and incorporate our results worldwide. The research in experimental basins is a constituent part of the studies carried out by the AMHY regional group of UNESCO’s FRIEND project and by the ERB association. We will operate experimental basins for observations and research together with researchers from other countries in the framework of the HELP UNESCO Programme and ERB. The research projects concerning aquatic environment issues and their management are among EU’s priority tasks. The proposed RP paves the way to high level water and energy efficiency in WWT by creating innovative solutions ready to be replicated by municipal plant operators and a wide range of water-intensive industries. It will significantly change municipal and industrial WWT by overcoming the stigma of cost- and energy-intensive, CO2- and sludge-producing operations. The RP will contribute to process industries becoming less water dependent while ensuring efficient management of other resources (e.g. raw materials and energy). The social objective of the proposed RP is also to obtain freshwater and make it suitable for human activities in order to allow sustainable development of human activities without irreversible impacts on natural resources.
Most important scientific results
Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report
