It is a problem hidden underground: as the sea level rises due to climate change, the salinity of the groundwater near the coast also increases - which in turn supplies the majority of our drinking water. What can be done? This is the subject of a new research project.
Hydrogeologist Prof. Dr Gudrun Massmann and ecological economist Prof. Dr Bernd Siebenhüner from the university speak of a "creeping danger": as groundwater salinisation is progressing relatively slowly due to low flow velocities underground, society and decision-makers have so far paid little attention to it, say the scientists. Their aim is to investigate the extent of the problem and develop strategies for society to deal with increasing groundwater salinisation - for example on the North Sea coast - as well as countermeasures.
The project is part of the new priority programme "SeaLevel" (Regional Sea Level Change and Society) initiated by the German Research Foundation (DFG). As an interdisciplinary project, it will combine natural science modelling with social science analyses and the participation of local actors in the Northwest region. The DFG is funding the Oldenburg project with 475,000 euros over the next three years.
The scientists want to develop models to depict and predict current and future flow conditions and groundwater salinity levels. They will interlink the analysis of the socio-economic consequences with this in order to subsequently identify suitable countermeasures. Massmann and Siebenhüner want to place a particular focus on patterns of perception, the knowledge and learning processes of relevant social actors and the costs triggered by salinisation.
Prof Dr Gudrun Massmann heads the "Hydrogeology and Landscape Water Balance" working group at the Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences. Prof. Dr Bernd Siebenhüner is a university lecturer in Ecological Economics at the Institute for Business Administration and Business Education and spokesperson for the board of the university's "Oldenburg Center for Sustainability Economics and Management" (CENTOS).