SOLVE - Securing Terrestrial Water Cycles: the Helmholtz SOlution Lab Elbe RiVer Basin
Advancing science to operationalize the principle of "keeping water in the landscape" through actionable, basin-scale solutions for sustainable water management.
While "keeping water in the landscape" is a key principle of the German National Water Strategy, its implementation remains fragmented, with around 25,000 planned measures across the Elbe River Basin requiring prioritization and evaluation. SOLVE brings together scientists and stakeholders to develop the scientific knowledge, tools, and collaborative approaches needed to support evidence-based water management for both society and ecosystems.
SOLVE is one of the Solution Labs of the Helmholtz Water Initiative, which develops science-based solutions to strengthen water resilience under global change.
The Challenge
Why do we need SOLVE?
- Increasing droughts and floods challenge water management.
- Water must be retained in the landscape to improve resilience.
- Thousands of planned measures require scientific evaluation.
- Decisions must consider both ecological and societal benefits.
Our Vision
We aim to transform the principle of "keeping water in the landscape" into practical, science-based solutions that can be implemented across entire river basins.
Our Scientific Approach
Connectivity as a common scientific framework
SOLVE uses connectivity as a common scientific framework to understand how water, ecosystems, and water management interact across the Elbe River Basin. By linking hydrological and biological processes with the effects of water management measures, SOLVE aims to identify where and how interventions can most effectively help keep water in the landscape.
How do we investigate these connections?
- River basin perspective
- Earth Observation
- Hydrological & groundwater modelling
- Environmental genomics
- AI & Machine Learning
- Scenario analysis & decision support
SOLVE combines advanced hydrological and groundwater modelling, Earth Observation, long-term monitoring, environmental genomics, and AI and machine learning to understand connectivity and quantify the cumulative effects of water management measures across the Elbe River Basin. Scenario analysis and interactive decision-support tools help translate this knowledge into actionable solutions.
From Science to Action
Water resilience cannot be achieved by science alone. Through the Water Action Hub, SOLVE brings together scientists and stakeholders to co-design research questions, evaluate management options, and develop practical solutions.
Continuous exchange through task forces, workshops, feedback loops and scenario dialogues ensures that stakeholder needs inform the science from the outset, while tools such as the Decision Theatre support collaborative, data-driven decision-making.
SOLVE Partners
SOLVE brings together Helmholtz research centres and partners from science, water management, public authorities and practice to jointly develop solutions for a more resilient Elbe River Basin.
