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The Federal Institute of HydrologyDie Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde – BfG
Perceiving waterways as lifelines. Harmonizing economic and human activities with nature. Within Germany and beyond. www.bafg.de
Seeing the whole. Balancing interests. Solving conflicts. www.bafg.de
Our continent is traversed by major rivers and canals and is surrounded by wide coastal waters. They form a system of waterways that crosses national boundaries and provides links between countries and people.
These waterways are a valuable asset for all people living in Europe. They are habitat for animals and plants. They bring supplies to remote regions. They serve as energy source and offer recreation. They are links between nature and culture.
The assessment of the impacts of human activities requires special knowledge about the structures and the functions of waters and their interactions with other compartments of the environment. We, the BfG, have this expert knowledge.
Economic uses of our large waterways and their preservation as ecological systems can be reconciled. We have the necessary know-how and diversified approaches to make this possible.
Welcome to the Federal Institute of Hydrology – Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (BfG) – in Koblenz
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Germany’s major rivers, coastal waters, and canals are lifelines that are used in many different ways. In its function as a scientific institution ranking as a supreme federal agency, the BfG continuously monitors and documents their status. Thus, we can offer competent answers to questions regarding the feasibility of certain projects, and we mediate between different opinions and conflicting interests.
Our competence – the German federal waterways
Water bodies provide transport routes that are both economic and environment-friendly. Their maintenance and the development of their transport function require supra-regional responsibility and co-operation between the German federal states. Accordingly, all water-ways in federal ownership that serve for the general transport of passengers and freight are controlled by the national gov-ernment through the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV), pursu-ant to the German Waterways Act (WaStrG).
Applied science – the services provided by the BfG
Scientific inquiries/
cooperations
Experiencies pooled since 1948
Knowledge base in the BfG
Evolution
Commissioned research projects
Consulting and assessments
Project-related activities
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Consulting & assessmentsBased on scientific findings acquired by the BfG and elsewhere, we highlight sustainable and economic uses of our waterways. By doing so, we contribute to reconciling conflicting interests and goals.
Research & developmentIn the context of our applied research, we are steadily refining our measuring methods, theoretical approaches, and forecasting models. These tools help us to improve the interpretation of the available data.
Hydrological dataWe monitor the federal waterways, record their condition and changes, and document evidence – for instance in our hydrological information systems.
Customers and partners
Together with the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS), the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV), the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nuclear Safety and Nature Conservation (BMU), and an array of other customers and partners from the fields of politics, public adminis-tration, and science, we develop and implement management concepts for the German federal waterways. At the international level, our aim is to develop a co-operative cross-border use of waterways.
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Waterways are complex systems. To understand them in all their diversity, it is necessary to consider them from different perspectives. We meet this requirement with an expertise that is unique in Germany – anchored in our three scientific divisions “Quantitative Hydrology”, “Qualitative Hydrology”, and “Ecology”.
Quantitative Hydrology
We measure water levels and streamflow and examine the geometry and the morphological conditions of waterways. These studies and measure-ments go far beyond the narrow scope of the water-way and consider also the floodplain, groundwater-river interactions, developments in the catchment area, and even impacts of global climate change. Here, the development of measuring equipment and methods and the quality assurance of the data play major roles. Com-bined with appropriate simu-lation, forecasting, and sce-nario models, the data allow to draw reliable conclusions on the impacts of hydraulic engineering and water-man-agement measures and on the development of runoff in the catchment areas.
Qualitative Hydrology
We measure the occur-rence of contaminants in waters. In our expert reports and research projects we deal with impacts of contaminant releases on aquatic eco-systems and consequences for water uses.By integrating the disci-plines of chemistry, bio-chemistry, eco-toxicology, and radiology, we have comprehensive knowledge about the water quality in navigable inland and coastal waters, as well as about their suspended solids and sediments. Data from a nation-wide meas-uring network deliver the inputs needed to develop and apply cause-effect scenarios and forecasts and to provide reliable information for the public. A key issue of our work is to minimize detrimental impacts of waterway main-tenance and development projects on the qualitative status of waters.
Ecology
We study the ecosystems in and along the federal waterways. We explore their composition and develop concepts and measures for ecologically compatible waterway- management practices. Here, we examine not only the origin and extent of eco-logical changes, but identify also ways and means for mitigating or compensating possible negative side-effects of water uses and of human interventions into the existing balances in nature and landscape.To answer complex eco-logical questions it is not enough to examine merely the beds of rivers or canals. We need a holistic and impact-oriented system-atic approach to develop environmental compatibility studies (Environmental Impact Assessment – EIA), project-accompanying landscaping plans or com-prehensive environmental concepts for waterways and their neighbourhood.
Multidisciplinarity is our hallmark –The BfG’s fields of activity
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Networking our expertise gives us a holistic understanding of waterways We solve our tasks by an interdisciplinary and project-related approach. Thus, the findings of the different scientific disciplines that are united under our roof can be focused on solutions that meet practical requirements. For instance, only the combination of data on abiotic phenomena with biological and chemical analyses gives the whole picture of the situation.
Our divisions and departments co-operate on many topics, because inter-disciplinary work of our scientists is indispensable to cope with the complexity of our tasks.
Tools for improved river-basin management
The involvement of numer-ous natural and anthropo-genic factors complicates strategic-political decisions for modern river-basin management. Hence, in co-operation with compe-tent federal institutions, authorities of the German federal states, and other specialized project part-ners, we are developing model-based aids for decision-making (e.g. DSS Elbe, INFORM).
Over 40 million cubic metres per year
More than 40 million cubic metres of sediment depos-its need to be dredged every year from coastal waters, rivers, canals, and ports to keep them navigable. The environ-mentally safe and economi-cally reasonable disposal of the dredged material is a demanding task that can be solved only by the co-oper-ation of different institutions and disciplines. We develop concepts, instructions, and work aids for the cost-effec-tive and safe disposal of dredged material.
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National and international networking in thought and actionWater is a vital resource. All over the world, it is involved in its different physical states in innumerable natural and technical processes and systems, which sometimes assume continental or even global dimensions. Hence, the responsible and sustainable use of this precious resource is only possible if institutions of many countries work together. Waterways do not stop at national borders!
We attach high importance to our participation in numerous national and international co-operations and activities on water-related issues.
Among other things, we provide several global data centres with water-related information, contribute to the international hydrological programmes of UNESCO and WMO, and are represented in several transnational river commissions.
The Global Runoff Data Centre (GRDC)
The Global Runoff Data Centre (GRDC), established at the BfG in 1988, oper-ates under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It is a contribution of the Federal Republic of Germany to the World Climate Programme Water (WCP-Water) of WMO. Central tasks of the GRDC are the world-wide acquisition, storage, and dis-semination of historical and near-real-time river-discharge data in support of Global Change research and water-resources assessment.
The IHP/HWRP Secretariat
The German contribution to the International Hydro-logical Programme (IHP) of UNESCO and to the Hydrol-ogy and Water Resources Programme (HWRP) of WMO is coordinated by a national committee. It is the function of the German IHP/HWRP National Committee to offer a forum for the hydrological sciences, thus making the national and international aspects of the hydrological community accessible for the mutual benefit of everyone.Both programmes in Ger-many are managed by the IHP/HWRP Secretariat at the Federal Institute of Hydrology.
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With the active transfer of our knowledge we encourage an understanding for the opportunities and constraints of responsible water-resources management, helping to advance decisions and their realisation.
We also constantly learn something new by communicating with our customers and partners.
In our application-oriented information systems we process technical knowledge and facts about watercourses, coastal waters, and canals to make this expertise available to our customers and partners.
Each year, we host a number of interesting meetings and events on various projects and topics. Proceedings of such meetings and results of our scientific work are documented in our publications.
We also publish our own journal, Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung (Hydrology and Water Resources Management) and operate the Central Library of Hydrology in Germany (Gewässerkundliche Zentralbibliothek des Bundes).
On our Homepage in the Internet we present a wealth of information on hydrological topics. You are invited to visit us at www.bafg.de
Openness and exchange – Knowledge transfer by the BfG
Identifies demandsBfG Satisfies demands
Knowledge Transfer
Customers & Partners
Optimises
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Within the federal system of Germany, responsibilities for waters are divided between national authorities and those of the federal states, the Länder. As a scientific institution ranking as a supreme federal agency, the BfG is responsible for the German waterways in federal ownership. In this position it has a central mediating and integrating function.
The Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde – Federal Institute of Hydrology – (BfG) advises federal ministries, such as the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS), and the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) in matters regarding the utilisation and management of the German federal waterways.
Being part of the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS), it is also our mission to contribute to the implementa-tion and operation of an efficient and environment-friendly transport system. By improving the national infrastructure we want to boost Germany’s economic power, strengthen German industry, and anchor it in a European context.
As a modern supreme federal agency our goal is to make a responsible and active contribution to the future use of watercourses and coastal waters in Germany and in Europe.
Building bridges and integrating – Mission and organisation of theFederal Institute of Hydrology
German Federal Ministries e.g. BMVBS
Federal States EU
International
Federal Scientific Institutions
e.g. BfG, BAW, BSH
Waterway and Shipping Administration
Projects
Tasks
Projects
Cooperation
Decision aids
Decision aids
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Organisation chart of the BfG
Die BfG im Geschäftsbereich des
Our organisational set-up reflects our fields of competence and their multidisciplinary combination.
Status: December 2006
Division MQuantitative Hydrology
Department M1Hydrometry and Hydrological Survey
Department M2Water Balance, Forecasting and Predictions
Central Services
Department Z1Administration
Department Z2Information Technology
Department M3Groundwater, Geology, River Morphology
Department M4Geoinformation and Remote Sensing
Division GQualitative Hydrology
Department G1General Water Quality Issues
Department G2Aquatic Chemistry
Department G3Bio-Chemistry, Ecotoxicology
Department G4Radiology
Division UEcology
Department U1General Ecological Issues, Environmen-tal Protection
Department U2Ecological Interactions
Department U3Vegetation Studies,Landscape Management
Department U4Fauna and Ecology
Department M5Geodesy
Director GeneralSecretariatIHP/UNESCOHWRP/WMO
Department CControlling, Public Relations
Knowing what has been. Recording what is.Predicting what will be. www.bafg.de
ImprintEditor and Text: more virtual agency, BonnDr. D. Herpertz/A. Hommes, BfG
Translation: B. Übelmann/M. Sauer, BfG
Design: more virtual agency, Bonn Astrid Groborsch
Photos: Archiv BfG und P. Friese, Meckenheim
Print: Druckerei Kopp, Köln
Federal Institute ofHydrology
Am Mainzer Tor 1��0�� KoblenzGermany
P.O.Box 2002����002 Koblenz
Fon: +��2�11�0�0Fax: +��2�11�0���02
E-mail: [email protected]
