Chair of Environmental Development and Risk Management
The natural environment is directly interrelated with human activities (anthropocene). On the one hand, the environmental compartments water, soil, air, climate and biota are made demands on by human utilisations. On the other hand, the environment threatens the society particularly through natural hazards, climate change and other impacts from anthropogenic environmental change. Therefore, knowledge about cause-effect interrelations and approaches for their operationalisation and influence are an important basis for sustainable development. To deal with the complexity of aspects involved, emergence of issues needs to be addressed beyond disciplinary views.
Against this background, the Chair of Environmental Development and Risk Management at Technische Universität Dresden engages in the analysis of human-environment systems and influences through management und governance. Anthropogenic impacts on the environment are of particular interest under environmental development, environmental threats to the society is the focus of risk management. Investigation of cause-effect interrelations is particularly related to urban and rural land use. Issues related to management and governance beyond the scientific dimension consider the science-policy interface.
Research and education address theoretical and methodological basics of environmental development and risk management. Cross-disciplinary knowledge on biophysical cause-effect interrelations of human-environmental systems as well as their integratability in management and governance on the local and regional level are in the centre. The theoretical considerations refer to concepts from systems theories, integrated resource management, risk management (including vulnerability, resilience, adaptation etc.) and environmental governance. The methodological work ranges from GIS and model-based simulations to foresight and integrated assessment, mono and multi-criteria evaluation and decision support to measures, instruments and strategies of management and governance with institutions and actors. Accordingly, explicit references to relevant natural and social science disciplines are considered.
Thematic focus are the resources water and soil and the risks due to natural hazards (e.g. floods, droughts) and climate change in the context of sustainable development of cities and regions. They are tackled with taking the view of environmental and spatial development and planning. Research and education involves cooperation with partners in Europe, Africa, and North and South America.