Hydrogeochemistry group from the IGMG © RUB, Warner News and Events Sustainable Groundwater Management (LURCH) has started! The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has launched the funding measure “Sustainable Groundwater Management (LURCH)". It is part of the BMBF strategy "Research for Sustainability (FONA)" and aims to protect groundwater as the most crucial drinking water resource and significant ecosystem through sustainable management. The project iMolch ("Sustainable water management concepts for Germany using innovative monitoring strategies”) is coordinated by the chair of Hydrogeology & Hydrogeochemistry. Scope of the project: Despite the sufficient water supply, there is an almost nationwide need to optimise groundwater use in Germany due to the high degree of water utilisation. The management practice of aquifers must therefore be made more efficient. The aim of the proposed project is to develop and use the innovative process and source indicators as well as reactive solute transport models to provide a comprehensive status description of selected groundwater bodies regarding water quality, water quantity and ecological status. Based on the monitoring, conceptual and numerical forecast models will be developed to describe and evaluate the development of groundwater quality and its ecological status. The concept for the implementation of sustainable use of groundwater resources can be divided into three topics in the project: (1) the Development of innovative monitoring tools based on indicators for the localisation of pollutant sources and the determination of relevant biogeochemical processes in the subsurface, as well as the elaboration of scenarios regarding climate, use and demand. (2) The development of conceptual and numerical models for the spatial and temporal distribution of contaminants in the subsurface and for the prediction of future water quality and quantity, and (3) the development of strategies for action in groundwater management and science communication, particularly about current and future areas of tension in water use. FKZ: BMBF 02WGW1667A