Hydromorphology

Hydromorphology is the large-scale study of the relationship between water and landscapes, and the associated changes.

For surface water specifically, hydromorphologists use empirical observations and computer-based modelling to try to understand the physical changes of rivers, their movement and their meanders, the deepening or filling of their beds by sediment transport, and changes to their banks and riparian ecosystems.

In this sense, hydromorphology combines hydraulics and geology, and therefore also includes links with groundwater resources.

At a time of climate change and a trend towards extreme events, low-water flows and violent rainfall, hydromorphology helps to incorporate knowledge of hydrological regimes in order to maintain the physical, physico-chemical and ecological continuities of rivers, while at the same time applying flood risk management solutions.

As such, hydromorphology feeds into the design and implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and the design of programmes of measures for aquatic environments as part of a complex, systematic approach.

Solutions such as river restoration, rewilding and re-meandering, and the creation of flood plains, involve the application of hydromorphological knowledge in order to limit flood risks, preserve water resources and support aquatic biodiversity and riparian ecosystems.