Hydrology and Water Resources

Start next run: October 2010
Duration: 18 Months
Location: UNESCO-IHE, Delft, the Netherlands

Hydrology is an earth science studying the circulation and distribution of global water and encompassing elements of other disciplines, such as geology and geophysics, meteorology and climatology, ecology and engineering.

Hydrologists play a key role in integrated water resources assessment and management. The programme enables graduates to understand, describe and quantify the physical and bio-geochemical processes of the hydrological cycle so that they can better plan, manage and engineer natural water resources.

Participants learn to determine the impact of hydrological extremes on society, and the impacts of society on water resources. They collect and interpret data and use mathematical models to produce forecasts and predictions. They investigate and solve complex problems in hydrology arising from increasing demands on water resources and global changes in environment and climate.

This specialisation enables graduates to work in river basin management, prediction and mitigation of floods and droughts, water supply, water quality and public health, hydropower, land use and development, environmental survey and planning, and other related fields.

Participant Profile

Participants must have a BSc degree in a relevant field, such as geosciences, civil engineering, environmental sciences or agricultural sciences. Basic undergraduate-level knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry is also a pre-requisite. Participants benefit from professional experience in government and community service, engineering consulting, research institutes or universities. A general interest in the interdisciplinary fields related to hydrology is also required.

Learning Objectives

Graduates who have undertaken the Hydrology and Water Resources specialisation will be equipped with:

• An in-depth understanding of theories and concepts in surface and subsurface hydrology, the physical, chemical and biological interactions between the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, the biosphere and the atmosphere.
• A thorough awareness of natural and human-induced variations in space and time of hydrological systems.
• Good knowledge of the literature and contemporary research questions in hydrology.

Graduates will be able to:

• Apply and integrate relevant physical, chemical, applied mathematical, computational and earth-scientific principles and concepts.
• Use information and communication technology within a hydrological context.
• Master the major hydrological methodologies and applications with regard to water quantity and quality, including techniques for data collection, processing and analysis, and the application of catchment hydrological modelling and aquifer modelling techniques.
• Evaluate and analyse hydrological systems and processes at a wide range of scales in both space and time for the purpose of water resources assessment, natural hazard assessment and mitigation, and environmental planning and management.
• Design and conduct hydrological research and experiments for applied or scientific purposes, independently or within a team.

In addition, graduates will:

• Be aware of the importance of hydrology to society, the relationship of hydrology and other disciplines such as ecology, meteorology and climatology.
• Be able to co-operate within a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary framework with due consideration of ethical and social aspects related to the application of their knowledge and skills.

Course contents

The specialisation modules deal with the following subjects:

• Hydrogeology enables participants to describe groundwater systems, qualitatively and quantitatively, building on their basic knowledge of the hydrological cycle and of earth science.
• Hydrology deals with the processes of land-surface and near-surface hydrology relating to evapotranspiration, soil water movement, stream flow dynamics and their interaction with groundwater.
• Water quality covers the basic chemical principles and reactions that play a role in the determination and evolution of water quality, and the various subsurface systems that transport contaminants.
• Data analysis systems deal with the processing of spatial hydrological data and with statistical data analysis, including the use of current data software, and with the ability to judge and evaluate hydrological data processing methods.
• Tracer hydrology and flow systems analysis presents methods of analysing and assessing hydrological flow systems, with special attention to hydro-chemical and tracer hydrological approaches.

In addition, participants choose two of the following modules:

• Data collection and processing or Groundwater exploration and monitoring.
• Hydrological modelling or Groundwater modelling.

The list below shows all course modules of the specialisation within the framework of the International Master Programme in Water Science and Engineering (participants can choose between modules that have the same module-number). This is followed by a six month research and thesis phase. In total, the programme covers a period of 18 months and graduates will be awarded 106 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits.