the challenge

Some of the most significant challenges facing society in the next few decades result from past and present degradation of the environment, and the ways in which both society and environment respond to these pressures.

Hydrosciences research is central to the definition and resolution of these problems, and to the provision of information and solutions for policy makers and managers. Some of the key environmental challenges to be tackled in the next decade include:

• Climate change interactions with aquatic systems
• Water resource management, particularly in South-East England
• Societal response to extreme events such as drought and floods
• Chemicals in the aquatic environment: present and future
• Ecosystem health and sustainability

With our partners in government and industry, HYDRA activities are focused on defining the nature and extent of current knowledge in these core areas, identifying the gaps in the science, and undertaking the multi-disciplinary collaborative research needed to meet these challenges.

Examples of work undertaken by members of HYDRA in these core areas are available on our research pages