Field of Study – Physical Geography (N 006)
- Admission rules
A meeting of the Commission for Admission to Doctoral Studies in the Field of Physical geography science (N 006) with participation of applicants (motivational interviewing) will be held at the Conference Hall of Nature Research Centre on 10 September 13.30 pm (local time) (online available too). Motivational interviewing will be conducted on the topic the applicant selected for his/her doctoral studies and thesis; applicants are recommended to deliver a 10 min duration PowerPoint presentation and give a brief review of planned research and scientific achievements. The interview and presentation will be evaluated taking into consideration the applicant’s scientific competence (publications, participation in scientific research projects and conferences), motivation in selecting the topic of the thesis, and primary methodological skills.
The extremes of hydrometeorological events are one of the most visible signs of climate change. The ability of the landscape to absorb and mitigate the effects of such extremes ensures more favourable living conditions for people, the stability of ecosystems, and a reduction in the scale of damage. Water bodies and their catchment areas are affected by two extremes: drought or flooding, which are mitigated by the ability of catchment landscapes to retain and absorb as much water as possible, to slow runoff during floods, and to meet water demands during droughts. The water retention potential of the basin is influenced by landscape elements in a variety of ways, and a deeper understanding of their interrelationships would help to identify the most sensitive and vulnerable areas, and to provide a deeper justification for management measures.
The aim of the study would be to assess how changes in land use and hydrography in the catchment affect its water retention potential, and to develop a methodology for assessing the area’s water retention potential based on cartographic analysis. The study would identify and justify the factors influencing the water retention potential (vegetation, land use, soil granulometry, slope gradients, artificial surfaces, drainage systems, etc.). A methodology for qualitative assessment of the water retention potential of the landscape would be developed using geo-quantitative analysis. The verification of this methodology would be carried out by analysing catchments with different water retention potentials: their long-term water regime; changes in the water regime due to changes in land use; and response to extreme events (heavy rainfall, droughts).
The implementation of water retention measures as a response to floods devastating residential areas and research on their impact has been carried out in different parts of the world in the last decade: in China, the Sponge City, Sponge Catchment spatial planning concept has been developed (Nguyen et al., 2019, Yunfei et al., 2023); research on the landscape hydric potential has been carried out in the catchments of Central Europe (Wałęga et al, 2020; Wojkowski et al., 2023); the hydrological effects of landscape change and hydrological vulnerability have been reviewed by researchers in the USA and Australia (Jones Jr. et al., 2021, Stephens et al., 2021); the assessment of the impact of land use on catchment water resources has been carried out in the UK (Peskett et al., 2023). The SpongeScapes project of the European Horizon Programme in seven European countries in 2023-2027 also addresses this topic.