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United Nations University-FLORES

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United Nations University-FLORES

Kontaktinformationen, Karte und Wegbeschreibungen, Kontaktformulare, Öffnungszeiten, Dienstleistungen, Bewertungen, Fotos, Videos und Ankündigungen von United Nations University-FLORES, Hochschule und Universität, Ammonstrasse 74, Dresden.

Our mission is to contribute – through research, teaching, capacity development, and dissemination of knowledge – to the resolution of pressing challenges in the sustainable use and integrated management of water, soil, and waste via a .

05/06/2026

June 5 is

Heat. Floods. Drought.
More frequent. More intense. Too loud to ignore.

And yet, humanity is closer to the solutions than ever before.
What happens next is still in our hands.

At UNU-FLORES, we are advancing solutions through our work on:
- Resilient Food, Forest and Ecosystems
- Transformed Landscapes
- Sustainable Buildings and Construction
- Responsible Electronics
- Circular Textiles

All driven by a Approach to the sustainable management of environmental resources.

Join the movement. Share your voice, shift the narrative, and help accelerate the solutions already within reach.

04/06/2026

Publication Spotlight: How Spatial Resolution of Soil Information Affects Hydrological Modeling in More Complex Topography—A Comparison for a Mesoscale Mountainous Watershed in NE Tanzania

Our doctoral researcher, Simon Chidodo, led a study on how soil data detail affects water modelling in Tanzania. It found that using high‑resolution soil information gives more accurate results than coarser global data. The improved data better captures underground water movement, reduces uncertainty, and strengthens model performance, especially for low water flows. This helps decision-makers manage watersheds more effectively, particularly in regions where detailed environmental data is limited.

Read the full paper here: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/13/5/124

03/06/2026

A Milestone Achievement: Congratulations to Luisa on her PhD. Defence!

We are proud to congratulate Luisa on the successful defence of her doctoral thesis. Her thesis is entitled “Managing the Transition to E-Mobility – A Approach.”

It explores how countries in the Global South can develop more just, circular, and integrated frameworks for managing end-of-life electric vehicle batteries. While e-mobility is a key strategy for climate mitigation and cleaner transport, it also creates new socio-environmental challenges, especially in contexts with limited waste management infrastructure and governance capacity.

The dissertation combines the perspectives of Circular Economy, Resource Nexus, and Just Transition to examine the environmental, social, and policy dimensions of e-mobility transitions. Through different case studies, including Sub-Saharan Africa, Mongolia, Mexico, the research discusses how end-of-life battery management can be improved through integrated governance, resource recovery, and more inclusive policy approaches.

This achievement reflects years of dedication, rigorous research, and commitment to addressing pressing sustainability challenges. She was supervised by Prof. Karthe and Prof. Dornack.

As she embarks on the next chapter of her career, we wish Dr. Luisa continued success in her professional development, research endeavors, and contributions to sustainable development.

01/06/2026

Publication Spotlight

Our Doctoral Researcher, Vaibhav Aggarwal, recently published a paper entitled “Financial Inclusion for Smallholders: Integrating a Resource Nexus Approach Into Agricultural Finance Systems” together with Prof. Edeltraud Guenther and Dr. Matthias Walz.

Financial inclusion of smallholder farmers is a global challenge that leaves the vast majority of farmers in the Global South excluded from the formal financial system. This emerges partially because of a lack of information to the farmers, but mostly because of our lack of understanding of the agricultural finance system.

Their new publication on the Financial inclusion of smallholder farmers applies systems thinking, along with the Resource Nexus approach, to recombine fragmented knowledge and create a holistic picture of the agricultural finance system. It highlights that siloed approaches in this regard may provide short-term remedies, but in the long run, they yield unintended consequences, including problems with access to finance for smallholder farmers. The study invites policymakers and practitioners to adopt an integrated approach to the agricultural finance system, considering farmers' environmental, social, economic, and cultural aspects alongside financial instruments. These should be facilitated by integrating technology, infrastructure availability, extension services, and institutional support.

Read the full paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sd.71118

28/05/2026

Senior Citizens Explore Science at UNU-FLORES

UNU-FLORES hosted sixteen senior citizens from Slovakia for an engaging educational visit focused on science and sustainability. The group travelled to Dresden as part of the Erasmus+ programme, combining their stay with a German language learning experience.

The programme introduced participants to key Resource Nexus topics, including water scarcity, sustainable development partnerships, and digital tools such as maps and digital twins. Participants also explored the environmental impacts of consumption and production, while engaging with critical questions around global sustainability, food systems, recycling, and science communication in everyday life.

Prof. Serena Coetzee highlighted the importance of inclusive science engagement:

“The Knowledge Academy for the Resource Nexus is designed to reach beyond academia and policy spaces. By engaging senior citizens, we are creating opportunities for broader public participation in science and ensuring that sustainability conversations are inclusive and accessible.”

The visit underscored the value of lifelong learning and demonstrated how science communication can bridge generations. For UNU-FLORES, such initiatives reinforce its mission to connect science with society and highlight the importance of inclusive approaches to addressing global challenges.

26/05/2026

UNU-FLORES is pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Daniel Karthe as the next Director of UNU-FLORES, effective 1 September 2026.

Since joining UNU-FLORES in 2020, Prof. Karthe has played a key role in developing the institute's visibility in research, education and advocacy for the . His strong international research experience in integrated management of environmental resources including water, soil, air, biota, raw materials and waste provides an excellent background to guide UNU-FLORES in strengthening its mission to advance the Resource Nexus approach and support evidence-based solutions for sustainable development worldwide.

Prof. Karthe will build on the legacies of Prof. Reza Ardakanian and Prof. Edeltraud Günther in establishing UNU-FLORES as a global thought leader on the approach in environmental assessment and management.

We wish Prof. Karthe a successful transition into his new role and look forward to jointly shaping the next chapter in our institute's history.

For more: https://unu.edu/news/prof-daniel-karthe-appointed-next-director-unu-flores

PC: Paul Glaser

26/05/2026

UNU-FLORES Researchers Contribute to Forest Policy Meeting in Prague

At the 6th International Forest Policy Meeting (IFPM6) in Prague, doctoral researchers Lwin and Preeyaphat contributed to a panel titled “Actors as Drivers of Forest Governance Outcomes: Insights from Asia and Africa.” The panel featured six interventions exploring how different actors influence forest governance and resource management across diverse contexts.

Their contributions focused on mangrove ecosystems in Southeast Asia. Lwin presented on the intercausal links between human interactions in mangrove management and environmental outcomes in Myanmar, while Preeyaphat examined actor–power relations and vulnerability dynamics in Thailand’s mangrove landscapes.

The panel also included case studies from Ghana, Korea, Mongolia, and Vietnam, addressing issues such as forest concessions, value chains, and REDD+ initiatives, with a strong focus on actor roles and benefit distribution.

An engaging discussion with participants followed, creating a dynamic space for reflection, feedback, and knowledge exchange among researchers and practitioners applying similar theoretical approaches.

25/05/2026

Publication Spotlight

Our doctoral researcher, Yamikani Makwinja from Malawi, recently completed a paper entitled "A Global Systematic Review of Resource Nexus and Nature-Positive Sustainable Development: An Invitation to a New Research Agenda" together with Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi, Patrick John O’Farrell, & Edeltraud Guenther.

The research focuses on land cover dynamics in Southern Africa.

Why is this important?

The way we use land, whether for farming or for cities, is directly linked to our water, energy, and food systems. It is all connected.

This research examines how changes in land use, such as deforestation for agriculture, affect not only forests but also water availability, food security, and our efforts to address climate change. It is about seeing the whole picture, not just one piece. This is the value of the approach.

A key takeaway from the review is that while many studies examine resources such as water and energy, they often overlook one of the most important elements: people. The paper shows that only 17 percent of studies include social and cultural dimensions, the people and communities connected to these systems. This represents a critical gap.

Yamikani is supervised by Prof. Edeltraud Guenther; Dr. Patrick O'Farrell and Dr. Jude Kimengsi.

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2025.2554480

22/05/2026

Newly Launched SURE Hub Presents at Amazon Week

The UNU SURE Hub, which officially opened on 6 May will participate in Amazon Week session in the session “Material Design towards a Sustainable Future,” held as part of the closing event of GRK 2250, a DFG‑funded Research Training Group at Dresden University of Technology dedicated to improving the impact safety of building structures using mineral‑bonded composites. Within this session, contributions from the Hub and its partners will highlight research on natural fibers sourced from the Amazon, such as curauá, used as reinforcement in cement‑based materials.

The session will also present work on lightweight bamboo construction systems for emergency housing, as well as 3D printing approaches using locally available materials, including soil, plant‑based resins, and natural fibers. Potential social housing applications in the Amazon region will also be explored, along with the Hub’s planned joint postgraduate programs, summer schools, and short courses on resilience, circular construction, and sustainable resource management.

Read more about the Hub: https://unu.edu/flores/announcement/unu-establishes-sure-hub-puc-rio

Amazon Week: https://www.amazonweek.eu/2026-edition/berlin/

21/05/2026

We are at the World Urban Forum.

Join our side event “House at the Intersection of Resource Efficiency and Resilience.”

The session will be facilitated by Jessica Jones-Langley from UN-Habitat. Panellists include Edeltraud Guenther (UNU-FLORES), Esteban Leon (UN-Habitat), Atiqah Fairuz Salleh (UNU-FLORES), Gulnara Roll (GlobalABC) and Bruno Demers (Architecture Without Borders Quebec).

On May 22, 2026, from 12:00 to 13:30 (UTC+04:00), join us in person at Room ONE UN room B or online https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1y/k1ysgnq338

For more information: https://wuf.unhabitat.org/event/wuf13/housing-intersection-resource-efficiency-and-resilience

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Öffnungszeiten

Montag	09:00 - 18:00
Dienstag	09:00 - 18:00
Mittwoch	09:00 - 18:00
Donnerstag	09:00 - 18:00
Freitag	09:00 - 18:00

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