Jochen Hack

Leibniz Universität Hannover · Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Sciences

While for most of a landscape, urbanization leads to a significant habitat loss, rivers in urban areas are usually maintained or developed for their drainage function. Rivers are often the most important biophysical and ecological connection of cities with their surrounding ecosystems, although usually heavily altered due to urban impacts. For the...

Nature-based solutions (NBS), understood as actions that use ecosystem processes to address societal needs, can play important roles to future-proof river landscape development for people and nature. However, knowledge gaps exist how NBS can be planned and implemented at landscape scales. This Special Issue brings together insights and experiences...

Green Infrastructure (GI) connects different types of green features via various scales, thereby supporting urban biodiversity and service provision. This study presents a methodology capable of identifying multiple functions to assess GI in less-developed countries, where such methodologies are lacking. GI was assessed based on a high-resolution l...

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are currently promoted as a panacea for improving human-nature relations. Yet the way of amplifying and mainstreaming NbS beyond scientific demonstrator projects into policy contexts is still bearing shortcomings, in particular in the uncertain futures of a post-COVID-19 world. Successful NbS amplification may be achiev...

Green flood retention measures (GFRMs) are nature-based solutions applied to. mitigate floods by slowing and storing floodwater. This study employed a hydraulic, model developed in HEC-RAS to analyze the effects of GFRMs in the Quebrada Seca-Burío basin in Costa Rica. A multi-criteria methodology was developed to select. suitable sites for implemen...

Urbanization in Latin America (LATAM) has considerably increased, but poor planning has resulted in significant socio-ecological problems, such as flooding, environmental pollution and contamination of water sources. Green infrastructure (GI) is a recent concept to respond specifically to these problems. The concept is attractive because it propose...

Climate change is one of the most important factors impacting hydrological regimes. In this paper, climate change impact on streamflow of Loukkos basin (northwestern Morocco) is evaluated using SWAT model for three future periods: near (2021–2040), mid (2041–2070), and far (2071–2100), compared to baseline 1981–2020. A set of bias-corrected climate...

Urbanization is a global phenomenon which has provoked severe disruptions in hydrological cycles, resulting in flooding problems. While detailed studies exist for the world's temperate zones, they are few for tropical zones where most of future urbanization may occur and where flooding is already a problem. A tropical watershed in Costa Rica was us...

The management of urban water has evolved from single-function systems to more sustainable designs promoting society and nature as inputs to engineer novel infrastructure. In transdisciplinary research, co-design refers to a design-thinking strategy in which people jointly frame a problem–solution. This article presents a conceptual framework to as...

The management of urban water has evolved from single-function systems to more sustainable designs promoting society and nature as inputs to engineer novel infrastructure. In transdisciplinary research, co-design refers to a design thinking strategy in which people jointly frame a problem-solution. This article presents a conceptual framework to as...

The management of urban water has traditionally evolved from single-function systems to more sustainable perspectives promoting society and nature as inputs to engineer novel infrastructure. In the field of transdisciplinary research, co-design refers to a design thinking strategy in which people jointly frame a problem-solution. This article prese...

Nature-based Solutions (NBS) are considered promising approaches to solve a variety of socio-ecological challenges. In urban contexts, however, several limitations to their promotion and implementation exist, mostly because of a high competition for space, diverging stakeholder interests and predefined grey infrastructure development pathways. This...

When it comes to implementing green infrastructure in urban areas, past research emphasized the lack of knowledge of decision-makers as one of the main challenges. Hydrological performance and service delivery uncertainties often circumvent a decision favoring sustainable solutions. In addition, there are also doubts about the legal framework and p...

Background Climate change affects communities around the globe and often through water related challenges such as increased flood and drought risks. The related impact on drinking water availability and food production, risk of waterborne diseases, and damage to properties and coastal zones are high and increasing. At the same time, we see an incre...

The European Universities Initiative (EUI) promotes European values and identity and aims to revolutionise the quality and competitiveness of European Higher Education. As part of this effort, the University Network for Innovation, Technology and Engineering (Unite!) is working on developing a Joint Program (JP) offer with embedded mobility and fle...

The urbanization has resulted in significant changes in the water balance. Urban Green Infrastructures (UGI) have become a promising method for reducing reoccurring floods whilst providing additional social and ecological benefits. However, there are several challenges to successfully implementing UGI in already developed areas, such as accounting...

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are emerging solutions inspired and supported by nature to address societal challenges, such as climate change and rapid urbanization. Among others, these solutions have the potential to meet storm and waste water management goals, while providing co-benefits for society and economy in urban areas. However, as NBS are c...

EPA SWMM hydraulic modeling requires the estimation of different parameters allowing the determination of the basin's response upon a given precipitation event. Some physical parameters, such as area or perimeter, are measurable and can be accurately determined; however, other parameter estimation presents greater uncertainty, such as the width par...

Además del propio proceso de urbanización, las actuales crisis climáticas y medioambientales resultan en diversos retos para las ciudades y sus habitantes. En tiempos pasados, los ríos eran el un requisito principal para la fundación de asentamientos grandes, ya que suministraban agua potable, permitían la continua producción agrícola y proporciona...

Ökologisch orientierte Planung hat sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten zu einem festen Bestandteil integrativer Planungsprozesse entwickelt, nicht zuletzt durch die entsprechenden umweltbezogenen Genehmigungsverfahren und Prüfinstrumente sowie das Kontrollinstrument der ökologischen Baubegleitung. Trotz dieser notwendigen Maßnahmen in der Raum- und Ges...

A full consideration of ecosystem services (ES) impacts, interactions and improvements can result in more sustainable and adaptive solutions for dredging and marine construction projects. Furthermore, the benefits can be translated in monetary terms, providing returns on investment and highlighting the links between ecology and economy. For some ho...

Sealed surfaces in urban areas change the water and energy balance resulting in decreased evapotranspiration and infiltration, magnified stormwater runoff, and sensible heat fluxes. Urban Green Infrastructures (UGI) are implemented to reverse such effects. This study examines the potential of a high-resolution grid-based model to show the impact of...

Place-based research faces multiple threats, including both natural and global health hazards and political conflicts, which may disrupt fieldwork. The current COVID-19 pandemic shows how these threats can drastically affect social-ecological research activities given its engagement with different local stakeholders, disciplines, and knowledge syst...

Place-based research faces multiple threats, including both natural and global health hazards and political conflicts, which may disrupt fieldwork. The current COVID-19 pandemic shows how these threats can drastically affect social-ecological research activities given its engagement with different local stakeholders, disciplines, and knowledge syst...

Overcoming Limitations of Ecology and Engineering in Addressing Society’s Challenges By providing an integrated, systems-approach to problem-solving that incorporates ecological principles in engineering design, ecological engineering addresses, many of the limitations of Ecology and Engineering needed to work out how people and nature can benefici...

As the global population continues to soar and the number of inhabitants in cities climbs ever higher, sustainable development strategies are urgently needed to prevent catastrophic ecological decline in our urban environments. Understanding anthropogenic threats is the first step towards conservation: Jochen Hack, Professor of Ecological Enginee...

We manage the environment to obtain water, land, and food. Ecosystem services (ES) are defined as the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. The ES concept provides a framework for evaluating the costs and benefits of natural resource management. It can be used to evaluate, justify, or optimise decisions on how land- and waterscapes are managed, f...

Urbane Gewässer unterliegen enormem Nutzungsdruck und müssen neben ihrer ökologischen Funktion vor allem wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Anforderungen gerecht werden. Obwohl die Europäische Wasserrahmenrichtlinie die Verbesserung der Gewässer fordert und das Erreichen eines guten ökologischen und chemischen Zustandes als Ziel definiert, werden urbane...

In the original publication, the affiliation of all the authors were mixed up and processed incorrectly. It has been updated in this correction.

The quality of water in many urban rivers in Latin America is increasingly degrading due to wastewater and runoff discharges from urban sprawl. Due to deficits in sanitary drainage systems, greywater is discharged to the stormwater drainage network generating a continuous dryweather runoff that reaches rivers without treatment. One of the main chal...

Decentralized Nature-based Solutions such as Urban Green Infrastructures (UGI) are increasingly promoted to reduce flooding in urban areas. Many studies have shown the effectiveness of flood control of UGI at a plot or neighbourhood level. Modelling approaches that extrapolate their flood reducing impact to larger catchment scales are often based o...

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) provides multiple functions that combine ecological and social benefits. UGI is being increasingly promoted and implemented in the Global North. In other parts of the world, such as in the Global South, infrastructures for UGI implementation and promotion are sparse. The state of infrastructure development and infor...

Green Infrastructure (GI) connects different types of green features via various scales, thereby supporting urban biodiversity and service provision. This study presents a methodology capable of identifying multiple functions to assess GI in less-developed countries, where such methodologies are lacking. GI was assessed based on a highresolution la...

Green Infrastructure promotes the use of natural functions and processes as potential solutions to reduce negative effects derived from anthropocentric interventions such as urbanization. In cities of Latin America, for example, the need for more nature-based infrastructure is evident due to its degree of urbanization and degradation of ecosystems,...

Green Infrastructure promotes the use of natural functions and processes as potential solutions to reduce negative effects derived from anthropocentric interventions such as urbanization. In cities of Latin America, for example, the need for more nature-sound infrastructure is evident due to its degree of urbanization and degradation of ecosystems,...

The increasing demand for water in urban areas of developing countries has been given more importance to rainwater harvesting techniques in the last decades. However, there is still a lack of general approaches to show and compare the potential to benefit effectively from direct roof runoff at different locations. Past studies mainly focused on spe...

Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI), a sustainable engineering design approach for managing urban stormwater runoff, has long been recommended as an alternative to conventional conveyance-based stormwater management strategies to mitigate the adverse impact of sprawling urbanization. Hydrological and hydraulic simulations of small-scale GSI measu...

Green Infrastructures (GI) are considered key to reconcile ecological and social benefits by providing multiple functions. The concept is increasingly promoted and guidelines for its implementation have been developed in many countries and regions of the Western Hemisphere. However, for other parts of the world, especially for countries with less d...

Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI), a sustainable engineering design approach for managing urban stormwater runoff, has long been recommended as an alternative to conventional conveyance-based stormwater management strategies to mitigate the adverse impact of sprawling urbanization. Hydrological and hydraulic simulations of small-scale GSI measu...

Nicaragua enacted its Water Law in 2007, with the Dublin Principles for sustainable water management and integrated water resources management as its guiding framework. Implementation of the law remains a challenge, but significant efforts have been made to roll out this new water resources framework, to improve water management by enhancing a mult...

The conventional urban stormwater management practices focus on carrying away runoff quickly by lined conveyors, which increase the surface runoff and reduce the time of concentration, subsequently causing floods in downstream areas. Ecological Management Practices (EMPs) provide nature-based solutions for reducing flood risks in a sustainable and...

Nature-based-solutions (NBS) pursue a combination of economic, social, and environmental benefits that can meet municipal goals on stormwater and rapid urbanization problems. However, NBS have fallen behind in reaching to the political and legal framework, and with this, to a policy mix for urban stormwater sustainability. When looking closer at NB...

Urbanization nowadays results in the most dynamic and drastic changes in land use/land cover, with a significant impact on the environment. A detailed analysis and assessment of this process is necessary to take informed actions to reduce its impact on the environment and human well-being. In most parts of the world, detailed information on the com...

Natural rivers in urban areas bear significant potential to provide ecosystem services for the surrounding inhabitants. However, surface sealing by houses and street networks, urban drainage, disposal of waste and wastewater resulting from advancing urbanization usually lead to the deterioration of urban rivers and their riparian areas. This ultima...

Natural rivers in urban areas bear significant potential to provide ecosystem services for surrounding inhabitants. However, surface sealing by houses and street networks, urban drainage, disposal of waste and wastewater resulting from advancing urbanization usually lead to deterioration of urban rivers and their riparian areas. This ultimately res...

Natural rivers in urban areas bear significant potential to provide ecosystem services for the surrounding inhabitants. However, surface sealing by houses and street networks, urban drainage, disposal of waste and wastewater resulting from advancing urbanization usually lead to the deterioration of urban rivers and their riparian areas. This ultima...

Different simulation models are used in science and practice in order to incorporate hydrological ecosystem services in decision-making processes. This contribution compares three simulation models, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, a traditional hydrological model and two ecosystem services models, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services...

Nicaragua is preparing the construction of an interoceanic canal that will be the longest and largest canal on Earth. An environmental and social impact assessment was published in 2014 supporting a general viability of the canal. Nonetheless, several scientists and societal actors raised serious concerns regarding the social, economic, and ecologi...

Positive relationships between biodiversity and urban ecosystem services (UES) are widely implied within both the scientific and policy literatures, along with the tacit suggestion that enhancing urban green infrastructure will automatically improve both biodiversity and UES. However, it is unclear how much published empirical evidence exists to su...

Nicaragua is preparing the construction of an interoceanic canal that will be the longest and largest canal on earth. An environmental and social impact assessment has been published in 2014 supporting a general viability of the canal. Nonetheless, several scientist and societal actors raised serious concerns regarding the social, economic and ecol...

Different simulation models are used in science and practice in order to incorporate hydrological ecosystem services in decision-making processes. This contribution compares three simulation models, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, a traditional hydrological model, and two ecosystem services models, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services...

Small-scale hydropower is a robust and reliable form of sustainable energy supply in remote areas. On the one hand, the potential for hydropower generation depends on the specific climate in a given place, and precipitation above all. On the other hand, such potential also depends on the catchment’s characteristics, e.g., topography, land use, and...

The practical implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) remains a challenge for practice and research. The recently adopted Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030 with its sub-targets accentuates this again and highlights the challenges of reducing the number of people suffering from water scarcity. The Working Group „Integrat...

Growing global resource scarcity is demanding more effective integration and coordination of resource use across different use sectors. Especially the water, food and energy sectors are increasingly competing for common resources while rising environmental standards and climate change concerns result in additional resource constraints. These depend...

This contribution deals with the interaction of urban drainage systems and receiving water bodies of storm water effluents. It introduces and discusses two possible approaches of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to improve ecological functions of urban areas: 1. Reduction of runoff from rainfall excess through nature-oriented urban infiltration, storag...