Geographical Human-Environment Research
The research focus "Geographical Human-Environment Research" centers on exploring the complex interactions between human activities and environmental processes. Our primary aim is to develop sustainable solutions that harmonize human needs with ecosystem integrity. A key aspect of our work is bridging theoretical and applied research approaches to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics within human-environment systems.
Main Research Areas
- Human-Water Interaction:
We examine how various stakeholders navigate variability, uncertainty, and risks associated with water resources. Our research focuses particularly on hydrological extremes—such as floods and droughts—and the management of water use in agriculture. - Decision-Making Under Uncertainty:
We explore how diverse perceptions of uncertainty and varying knowledge systems shape decision-making processes and influence the resilience of social-ecological systems. - Inter- and Transdisciplinarity:
Our approach combines natural and social science perspectives with stakeholder input to foster sustainable human-environment relationships. Central to this is the use of participatory research methods that enhance knowledge exchange between science and practice.
Regional focus: Central Europe & Sub-Saharan Africa
Contact: Prof. Dr. Britta Höllermann
News
From October 2024, the German Research Foundation (DFG) will be funding the Research Training Group "Ecological Regime Shifts and Systemic Risks in Coupled Socio-Ecological Systems (ECORISK)" at Osnabrück University, in which Prof. Dr. Britta Höllermann and Christine Heinzel from the working group will also be involved. To the announcement
35th International Geographical Congress in Dublin, Ireland
From August 24-29, the International Geographical Congress (IGC) took place in beautiful Dublin. The working group Geographical Human-Environment Research with Prof. Britta Höllermann & Andrew Asaviansa and the working group Geography Didactics with Prof. Christian Dorsch & Lydia Heilen participated. They presented their research findings to colleagues from all over the world in three lectures on the topics of Flood Risk Management in Ghana's Vulnerable Regions, Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach to Dam Development in Ghana and the ongoing BMBF project Shift(Intergenerational dialogue on planetary boundaries and responsibility). Day excursions took them to the Cliffs of Moher, the Howth Cliff Walk and Glendalough. Of course, there was also a visit to a pub. Slàinte!
Freedom in Transition? Intergenerational Dialogue on Planetary Boundaries and Responsibility (SHIFT)
Project Duration: April - November 2024
Funding: BMBF
Directed by: Prof. Dr. Britta Höllermann & Prof. Dr. Christian Dorsch
ECORISK: Ecological Regime Shifts & Systemic Risk in Coupled Social-Ecological Systems
Project Duration: 10/2024 - 09/2029
Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)
B5 Directed by: Prof. Dr. Britta Höllermann
Members: Christine Heinzel
Water-Energy-Food Nexus - Multi-Purpose Dam in Ghana (2024-2025)
Project Duration: 2024 - 2025
Sponsorship: Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Directed by: Prof. Dr. Britta Höllermann
Members: Andrew Asaviansa
PARADeS Project (2020-2023)
Project Duration: 2020 -2023
Funding: BMBF
Directed by: Prof. Dr. Britta Höllermann & others
Further information on the project
| 2024 | Viglione, A., Mukherjee, J., Annis, A., Castro, C., Hirabayashi, Y., Höllermann, B., Lafaye de Micheaux, F., Llasat, MC., Mazzoleni, M., Merz, B., Nakamura, S., Nardi, F., Rusca, M. & Yan, H. (2024): Human-flood systems. In: Tian, F., Wei, J., Haeffner, M. & Kreibich, H. (eds): Coevolution and Prediction of Coupled Human-Water Systems. A Socio-Hydrologic Synthesis of Change in Hydrology and Society. Cambridge University Press (in press) https://iahs.info/News/news/panta-rhei-symposium/ |
| Höllermann, B. (2024). Socio-ecological systems in transition: Land use visions in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. Standort. doi. org/10.1007/s00548-024-00908-y | |
| Evers, M., Delos Santos Almoradie, A., Ntajal, J., Höllermann, B., Johann, G., Meyer, H., Kruse, S., Ziga-Abortta, F., Bachmann, D., & Schotten, R. (2024). Lessons Learned from PARADeS Project for Flood Disaster Risk Planning and Management in Ghana. doi.org/10.48565/bonndoc-195 | |
| 2023 | Butsch, C., Schmiege, D., Cummings, V., Heinkel, S.-B., Anthonj, C., Falkenberg, T., Höllermann, B., Kistemann, T., Scharlach, H., & Timm, C. (2023). Ethics reviews and research ethics in geography. Geography Newsletter, 305, 1-6. |
| Höllermann, B., & Riemann, L. (2023). Methods for stakeholder engagement [MOOC lecture]. In S. Kruse, L. Riemann, K. Pareek, F. Ziga-Abortta, & B. Höllermann (Eds.), Enhancing collaboration in flood disaster risk management. hkc-online. de/Projekte/PARADeS%20Open%20Learning%20Content/Module%206/3.2%20stakeholder%20engagement%20methods.mp4 | |
| Höllermann, B., & Riemann, L. (2023). The role of stakeholder in flood disaster risk management [MOOC lecture]. In S. Kruse, L. Riemann, K. Pareek, F. Ziga-Abortta, & B. Höllermann (Eds.), Enhancing collaboration in flood disaster risk management. hkc-online. de/Projekte/PARADeS%20Open%20Learning%20Content/Module%206/3.1%20role%20of%20stakeholders%20in%20FDRM.mp4 | |
| Höllermann, B., & Riemann, L. (2023). Stakeholder engagement: Lessons learned [MOOC lecture]. In S. Kruse, L. Riemann, K. Pareek, F. Ziga-Abortta, & B. Höllermann (Eds.), Enhancing collaboration in flood disaster risk management. hkc-online. de/en/Projects/PARADeS-Open-Learning-Content | |
| Kruse, S., Evers, M., & Höllermann, B. (2023). Applied interdisciplinary research: How to co-create meaningful results. In M. Evers, S. Kruse, A. Almoradie, & M. Tuschen (Eds.), Managing flood disaster risk in Ghana: findings, products and recommendations (pp. 20-22). PARADeS. | |
| Kruse, S., Höllermann, B., Wallin, I., & Evers, M. (2023). Participatory scenario development. In M. Evers, S. Kruse, A. Almoradie, & M. Tuschen (Eds.), Managing flood disaster risk in Ghana: findings, products and recommendations (pp. 17-19). PARADeS. doi. org/10.6094/UNIFR/242726 | |
| Kruse, S., Riemann, L., Pareek, K., Ziga-Abortta, F., & Höllermann, B. (Eds.). (2023). Enhancing collaboration in flood disaster risk management. hkc-online. de/en/Projects/PARADeS-Open-Learning-Content | |
| Höllermann, B. (2023). Adaptation to flood risk: Cross-scale and stakeholder perspective. In M. Evers, S. Kruse, A. Almoradie, & M. Tuschen (Eds.), Managing flood disaster risk in Ghana: findings, products and recommendations (pp. 30-32). PARADeS. doi. org/10.6094/UNIFR/242726 | |
| 2022 | Höllermann, B., Rangecroft, S., Rohse, M., Banks, E. W., Day, R., Di Baldassarre, G., Frommen, T., Hayashi, Y., Lebek, K., Mondino, E., Rusca, M., Wens, M., & Van Loon, A. F. (2022), Go together, to go further! Reply to "Human-water research: discussion of 'Guiding principles for hydrologists conducting interdisciplinary research and fieldwork with participants'", Hydrological Sciences Journal, 1-3. doi. org/10.1080/02626667.2022.2128804 |
| Heinzel, C., Fink, M., & Höllermann, B. (2022). The potential of unused small-scale water reservoirs for climate change adaptation: A model- and scenario based analysis of a local water reservoir system in Thuringia, Germany. Frontiers in Water, 4. doi. org/10.3389/frwa.2022.892834 | |
| Rangecroft, S., Rohse, M., Banks, E. W., Day, R., Di Baldassarre, G., Frommen, T., Hayashi, Y., Höllermann, B., Lebek, K., Mondino, E., Rusca, M., Wens, M., & Van Loon, A. F. (2022). Bridging the gap: reply to discussion of "Guiding principles for hydrologists conducting interdisciplinary research and fieldwork with participants". Hydrological Sciences Journal, 67(7), 1149-1151. doi. org/10.1080/02626667.2022.2060111 | |
Ntajal, J., B . Höllermann, T. Falkenberg, T. Kistemann, and M. Evers (2022). Water and Health Nexus-Land Use Dynamics, Flooding, and Water-Borne Diseases in the Odaw River Basin, Ghana. Water, 14(3): 461. doi. org/10.3390/w14030461 | |
2021 | Proswitz, K., M. C. Edward, M. Evers, F. Mombo, A. Mpwaga, K. Näschen, J. Sesabo and B . Höllermann (2021). Complex Socio-Ecological Systems: Translating Narratives into Future Land Use and Land Cover Scenarios in the Kilombero Catchment, Tanzania. Sustainability 13(12): 6552. 10.3390/su13126552 Höllermann, B., Näschen, K., Tibanyendela, N., Kwesiga, J. & Evers, M. (2021): Dynamics of human-water Interactions in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania - Insights from farmers' aspirations and decisions in an uncertain environment. European Journal of Development Research 33: 980-999. 10.1057/s41287-021-00390-4 |
2020 | Rangecroft, S., Rohse, M., Banks, E., Day, R., Di Baldassarre, G., Frommen, T., Hayashi, Y., Höllermann, B., Lebek, K., Mondino, E., Rusca, M., Wens, M. & Van Loon, A. (2020): Guiding principles for hydrologists conducting interdisciplinary research and fieldwork with participants, Hydrological Sciences Journal 10.1080/02626667.2020.1852241 Höllermann, B., & Evers, M. (2020): Identifying the Sensitivity of Complex Human-Water Systems Using a Qualitative Systems Approach. Frontiers in Water, 2. 10.3389/frwa.2020.00025 |
2019 | Höllermann, B. & Evers, M. (2019): Coping with uncertainty in water management: Qualitative system analysis as a vehicle to visualize the plurality of practitioners' uncertainty handling routines. Journal of Environmental Management 235: 213-223 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.01.034 Näschen, K., Diekkrüger, B., Evers, M., Höllermann, B., Steinbach, S. & Thonfeld, F. (2019): The Impact of Land Use/Land Cover Change (LULCC) on Water Resources in a Tropical Catchment in Tanzania under Different Climate Change Scenarios. Sustainability 11: 7083. |
2018 | Höllermann, B. (2018): Decision-making under uncertainty in model-based water management, Bonn University and State Library, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/7602. García-Santos, G., M. M. de Brito, B . Höllermann, L. Taft, A. Almoradie and M. Evers (2018): Methodology to explore emergent behaviors of the interactions between water resources and ecosystem under a pluralistic approach. Proc. IAHS 379: 83-87. piahs. copernicus.org/articles/379/83/2018/ |
2017 | de Brito, M. M., Evers, M., & Höllermann, B. (2017): Prioritization of flood vulnerability, coping capacity and exposure indicators through the Delphi technique: A case study in Taquari-Antas basin, Brazil. Intern. Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 24: 119-128. 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2017. 05.027 Evers, M., Höllermann, B., Almoradie, A., Garcia Santos, G. & Taft, L. (2017): The Pluralistic Water Research Concept: A New Human-Water System Research Approach. Water 9(12): 933. 10.3390/w9120933 Höllermann, B. & M. Evers (2017): Perception and handling of uncertainties in water management-A study of practitioners' and scientists' perspectives on uncertainty in their daily decision-making. Environmental Science & Policy 71: 9-18. 10.1016/j.envsci.2017.02.003 |
2016 | Johannsen, I., Hengst, J., Goll, A., Höllermann, B. & Diekkrüger, B. (2016): Future of Water Supply and Demand in the Middle Drâa Valley, Morocco, under Climate and Land Use Change. Water 8 (8): 313. |
2015 | Höllermann, B. & Evers, M. (2015): A risk-based integration and analysis concept for the consideration of uncertainties in water management decisions. Hydrology and Water Resources Management 59 (5): 255-263, 10.5675/HyWa_2015,5_6 Höllermann, B. & Evers, M. (2015): Integration of uncertainties in water and flood risk management. Proc. IAHS, 370: 193-199. 10.5194/piahs-370-193-2015 |
2012 | Giertz, S., Diekkrüger, B. & Höllermann, B. (2012): Impact of Global Change on water resources in the Quémé catchment, Benin. In Bogardi, Leentvar &. Nachtnebel (eds.): River basins and Change. GWSP and UNESCO-IHE: 34-40. |
2010 | Höllermann, B., Giertz, S. & Diekkrüger, B. (2010): Benin 2025 - Balancing future water availability and demand using the WEAP system. Water Resources Management 24: 3591-3613, 10.1007/s11269-010-9622-z Hadjer, K., Höllermann, B. & Bollig, M. (2010): Social organization, livelihoods and water supply in Benin. In: Speth, Christoph & Diekkrüger (eds.): Impacts of Global Change on the Hydrological Cycle in West and Northwest Africa, Springer: 286-304. |
2009 | Höllermann, B., Diekkrüger, B. & Giertz, S. (2009): Assessment of current and future water availability of the Ouémé catchment (Benin, West Africa) for integrated water resources management using the decision support model WEAP. HYWA 53 (5): 305-315. |