Dr. David Vetsch
Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Topic: How much river dynamics can humans bear - how much the fish?

Academic host: Irina Overeem

Abstract: Discharge of water and sediments are main controls of the dynamics in rivers. Especially during floods, the dynamics can be very high and lead to flooding and land loss. In the course of increasing land and water usage, humans have tamed rivers to control their dynamics. However, this led to the degradation of riverine ecosystems, often with fatal consequences. Today, modern river management seeks to restore continuity and connectivity along rivers to improve ecological conditions and reverse the trend of biodiversity loss. The speaker, a researcher and engineer, will take you on a journey along a river from source to mouth and demonstrate the importance of river dynamics based on recent research projects involving numerical modelling.