The Chair of Hydrology and Rural Hydraulic Engineering is headed by Prof. Dr. Paul Wagner. The chair focuses its teaching and research on the water balance of sites and watersheds, as well as on issues in engineering hydrology.

The research focus of the Chair Hydrology and Rural Hydraulic Engineering group is on the effects of global change on the landscape water and matter balance and the development of management strategies. 

This includes, in particular, the interactions between land use and hydrology in catchment areas, the investigation of hydrological processes at different time and spatial scales and the analysis of hydrologic extremes. In field research, a key focus is on measuring evapotranspiration, e.g. using the lysimeter at Groß Lüsewitz.

Hydrology is one of the fundamental natural science subjects in the bachelor’s degree programs in Agricultural Sciences and Environmental Engineering. Knowledge of hydrological processes and the impact of human activities on the water balance is intended to enable students to take these interrelationships into account when planning and implementing measures. In addition, the qualified awarding of contracts or the handling of hydrological issues requires knowledge of engineering hydrology methods, which are covered in the specialized modules of the Environmental Engineering program and in the subsequent master’s program.