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Ice and snow on the retreat: what climate change means for our water

Artificial snow slopes wind their way through green forests and meadows. Last winter once again took a heavy toll on ski resorts. But climate change is not only a major challenge for tourism. If it is too mild and dry during the cold season, this also has a negative impact on the water balance. "The snow cover fulfils an important function. When it melts in spring, it supplies the rivers and replenishes the groundwater," says Wolfgang Schöner from the Department of Geography and Regional Science at the University of Graz. The researcher is involved in a new study on the effects of climate change on Austria's water management. The study was commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management (BML).

University of Graz launches project to share green know-how with Southeast Asia

Thailand and Vietnam are not only among the top tourist destinations. According to the Global Carbon Atlas, they are also among the regions with the highest carbon emissions worldwide. A new EU project led by the University of Graz aims to show how the two countries can make fruit and rice growing and tourism more environmentally friendly. At the beginning of March, representatives of the twelve participating institutions met at the University of Graz and at Schloss Seggau to initiate the first measures.

Study shows: more heavy rain due to global warming

A new study has confirmed for the first time that heavy rainfall events in Austria have become more intense. A team of researchers from Geosphere Austria, the University of Graz, the Vienna University of Technology and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was able to prove that the amount of rain falling within one day during extreme events has increased by 8 percent over the last 40 years and that these events bring 15 percent more rain than before.

Flood risk on the rise: Climate change causes more persistent heavy rainfall

Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change. River floods such as those along the Ahr and Meuse valleys in 2021, the Central European floods of last September and the recent floods in Valencia, Spain, are caused by so-called cut-off lows. The Wegener Center at the University of Graz has now for the first time investigated how these storms could change with climate change. "We expect that persistent cut-off lows north of 40 degrees latitude and in East Asia will occur earlier in the year. Canada, northern Europe, Siberia and China in particular will have to prepare for more heavy and prolonged heavy rainfall in spring," says project leader Douglas Maraun. The results of the study have just been published in the scientific journal Communications Earth & Environment.

Circular Bioengineering: FWF Cluster of Excellence aims to revolutionise the product cycle

Take a renewable raw material from nature – wood, for example – break it down into its building blocks and use them to create a functional material, such as a water-repellent surface coating, with the help of green chemistry. Once this has served its purpose, break it down again into its chemical components and use them to build something new. This idea is set to revolutionise the production and life cycle of materials and goods. The Cluster of Excellence "Circular Bioengineering", funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, is researching how to produce products from biomass, develop sustainable methods for the production process, and open options for returning products that have reached the end of their lifetime back into a cycle. The University of Graz is a partner in this Cluster of Excellence, for which the FWF is providing 18 million euros. Including its own funds, the total volume of the project is 27 million euros. The lead is with the BOKU University in Vienna.

Circular Bioengineering: FWF Cluster of Excellence aims to revolutionise the product cycle

New research: intensity of extreme heatwaves could increase much more than expected

It is known that heatwaves become more severe as the climate warms. But a new study led by the University of Graz now shows that the most extreme heat events may intensify much stronger than previously expected. "These results have dramatic consequences for the planning of adaptation measures. Current climate risk assessments may have substantially underestimated these changes," says Douglas Maraun, lead author of the study, which has just been published in the renowned scientific journal Nature Communications.

Wie der Klimawandel den Erdboden stresst: Studie zeigt Auswirkungen auf Grünland

Tiefe Risse auf Wiesen und Erdböden – spätestens im Sommer zeigt sich wieder dieses Bild. Und das immer häufiger, denn Dürreperioden nehmen zu. Sie verändern aber nicht nur das Wachstum von Pflanzen, sondern stören massiv den Wasserhaushalt darunter. Der ohnehin oft spärliche Regen fließt zu schnell ab und kann nicht mehr gespeichert werden, wie Forschungen unter Beteiligung von Geolog:innen der Universität Graz zeigen. Die Studie wurde im internationalen Fachmagazin Science veröffentlicht.

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Excellent and climate-friendly: University of Graz presents Green Academia Award 2024

How can outstanding academic achievements and sustainable mobility be successfully combined when travelling on business? The philosophers of the…

New climate records

Whether in terms of greenhouse gas concentrations, temperatures across the globe, ocean heat and global sea level, total land area in extreme drought…