Welcome to the Institute of Geo-Hydroinformatics (GHI) at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), part of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Our research addresses pressing challenges at the intersection of soil, water, climate, and the environment. We seek to understand how environmental systems respond to climate and human pressures, and to transform this understanding into improved predictive capabilities and sustainable solutions.

Our work spans scales from fundamental processes in porous media to field, regional, and global environmental dynamics. We investigate a broad range of interconnected challenges, including soil degradation and salinization, soil health, water security, groundwater dynamics, evaporation and water losses, land–atmosphere interactions, drought and extreme events, and emerging threats to terrestrial and water systems. A central element of our research is the integration of fundamental process understanding with environmental intelligence. We combine theory and process-based modelling with laboratory and field experiments, environmental sensing, Earth observation, and large environmental datasets.

We increasingly harness artificial intelligence, machine learning, big-data analytics, satellite remote sensing, thermal imaging, and advanced computational methods to observe, understand, and predict complex interactions between soil, water, and the atmosphere. Our ambition is to move from environmental observations to actionable knowledge: connecting measurements and data with physical understanding, predictive models, and climate-informed engineering. Through interdisciplinary and international collaboration, we aim to contribute to more resilient management of soil, water, and environmental resources.

We are committed to educating and supporting the next generation of scientists and engineers. We welcome motivated students, doctoral researchers, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting scientists who are interested in contributing to our research. Please explore our website for current research activities and opportunities, or contact us to learn more.

geohydroinformatics(at)tuhh.de