Helmut Habersack

Univ.Prof. Helmut Habersack is a Professor in Hydraulic Engineering at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. His research focuses on sediment transport dynamics, river restoration, flood management, and hydropower impacts in large river systems. He leads the Hydraulic Engineering, Hydraulics and River Research department, specializing in fluvial processes and their environmental implications. His work integrates field measurements, laboratory experiments, and computational modeling to address challenges in sustainable water resource management. Key areas include bedload dynamics in glacial catchments, floodplain evaluation, and sediment management strategies for hydropower systems. He collaborates internationally on projects such as DanubeSediment and EFRE initiatives, emphasizing transboundary river management and climate change adaptation. His contributions span over 150 peer-reviewed articles, advancing methodologies in tracer-based sediment tracking and floodplain resilience assessment.

Education and qualifications include Dipl.-Ing. (FH), Dr.nat.techn., and Dr.hc honoris causa. Consultation hours are available by appointment.

Research highlights include innovative approaches to river restoration in the Thaya border section, critical flood flow analysis during extreme events like the 2024 Wien River flood, and development of the Floodplain Evaluation Matrix (FEM) for multi-criteria river assessments. He also investigates microplastic transport in large rivers and hydraulic infrastructure impacts on aquatic ecosystems. His laboratory facilities support advanced experimental studies on sediment-particle interactions and ecohydraulic modeling.