The German Environment Agency (UBA) declared the coarse substrate-dominated, calcareous small highland river as the water body type of 2020 on the occasion of World Water Day on 22 March 2020. Streams of this type occur primarily in the limestone regions of the central highlands , for example in the Swabian Alb and Frankish Alb. Only eight percent achieve 'good' ecological status. read more
UBA names water body type of the year 2020
Marine Regions Forum discusses solutions for marine protection
200 international experts meeting in Berlin. read more
Protect oceans and polar regions, secure coastal areas for the long term
UBA and AWI demand more climate action and protection of the oceans and the mitigation of risks for coastal regions. read more
Plastics in the environment
New UBA study: Numbers, background information, research needs, and measures to combat the plastic flood. read more
Sewage sludge disposal in Germany
Heavy metals, residues of pharmaceutical drugs and plastic: just a few of the many pollutants contained in sewage sludge. Until recently most of the sludges were used as agricultural fertiliser. Nowadays more than half of it is used and combusted for energy purposes. A new UBA brochure has information on disposal practices and on the current status in sludge treatment and recycling. read more
EU member states need to step up the fight against antibiotics in the environment
German Environment Agency presents seven priority areas for action read more
Wastewater effluent in rivers: Challenges for drinking water?
Treated urban wastewater is usually discharged to rivers. A UBA study assessed the contributions of wastewater effluents in surface waters in Germany and evaluated potential risks for drinking water abstraction. read more
Can product design prevent marine litter?
Designers can also contribute to solving the problem of marine litter – with the right choice of materials when designing products, for instance. This was the topic of a workshop that was initiated by the UBA in June 2018 with approximately 30 participants from the Baltic Sea Region. The results and specific recommendations for action have now been published. read more