Global Water and Climate Adaptation Centre

The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at TU Dresden and RWTH Aachen University, together with partners from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (Chennai, India), the Asian Institute of Technology (Bangkok, Thailand) and the Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources at the United Nations University (UNU-FLORES) , have set up the Global Water and Climate Adaptation Centre (ABCD-Centre).

The ABCD-Centre (after the first letters of the 4 participating locations in 3 countries on 2 continents) deals with climate adaptation measures in the Global South, especially in the water sector. The topic supports the emerging field of water research, which TU Dresden defined as part of its successful application for excellence. A total of 2.8 million euros will be available for the center from May 2021 to December 2025 (an extension for another five years until 2030 with a budget of a further 3 million euros is planned). Scientists are working closely together in three interdisciplinary thematic clusters:

• Water security, water resource management, safe water supply and water treatment
• Ecosystem resilience and nature-based adaptation measures
• Traditional knowledge, local economies and social acceptance

The new Global Center not only promotes the mobility of early-career researchers and provides scholarships for Master's and doctoral students, but also offers a new joint international degree program on "Water Security and Global Change". In order to effectively counter the effects of the pandemic and further optimize future exchange in research and teaching, great importance will be attached to the implementation and further development of digital formats. Furthermore, a network is to be established with the three other Global Centers for Climate and Environment and with the four Global Centers for Health and Pandemic Preparedness, which were established at the same time. The topic of water obviously plays a central role here and the internationally renowned expertise and existing resources of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at TU Dresden and the partners involved can be built upon.

For example, the existing international degree programs Hydro Science and Engineering and Tropical Forestry at TU Dresden and the degree program "Engineering Geohazards" at RWTH Aachen University will be integrated into the center's training portfolio. The intensive exchange of students, doctoral candidates and lecturers is intended to create an effective network to stimulate further research projects, but also to pave the way for the successful transfer of knowledge and technology with the involvement of business, politics and civil society.

The establishment of the ABCD Center will make a significant contribution to the further development of TU Dresden as a global university for the 21st century, contributing to overcoming global challenges with excellent research and innovative teaching.

DAAD funds Global Research Center with partners in India and Thailand with 600.000€  annually until 2030.

The international community continues to face urgent global climate and environmental problems, the importance of which for sustainable development has been further highlighted by the ongoing pandemic. In this context, the  German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is using funding from the Federal Foreign Office to support the establishment of Global Centers for the interdisciplinary networking of science, politics, business and civil society for the effective transfer of research results into practice.

Information on the DAAD Global Centers funding program

The project is funded by the DAAD with funds from the Federal Foreign Office.

Information for journalists:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Stamm
Chair of Hydraulic Engineering
Chairperson for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Tel.: 0351 463-34397

Dr. rer. nat. André Lindner
Executive Manager for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Phone: 0351-463 34899