We are engaged in the collection, description and statistical modelling of environmental data with spatial and temporal support. The focus is on the development of indicators and process-based statistical models for the characterisation of past (reconstruction), present (monitoring) and future (prediction, projection) environmental systems under climate and global change. With our proven expertise in extreme hydrological events, we are a nationally and internationally recognised player in the assessment and prediction of low flow and drought events and their impacts on the economy and society.

Contact: Gregor Laaha

Our focus areas

Low flow and drought (hydrological drought, groundwater drought, water quality)

Statistical hydrology

Hydrometerological extremes and risk (pluvial floods, heavy rainfall and erosion)

Spatial modelling of environmental phenomena (regionalised low-flow mapping, modelling of citizen science data on ecology, wildfire risk)

Detection and assessment of trends and changes (low flow, water temperature)

Our methods

Geostatistics and regional modelling

Space-time modelling

Trend and breakpoint analysis

Seasonality analysis and seasonal shifts

Statistics of extremes and time series analysis

Process-based machine learning and data mining

Our team

Assoc. Prof. Priv.-Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Gregor Laaha (Fachbereichsleiter)

Mag.Dr. M.Sc. Johannes Laimighofer MSc. (Wiss. Mitarbeiter seit 2019)

M.Sc. Farhana Sweeta Fitriana (wiss. Mitarbeiterin seit 2024)

B.Sc. Alina Bachler (wiss, Mitarbeiterin seit 2024)

Dr. Fatemeh Firoozi (wiss. Mitarbeiterin seit 2025)

B.Sc. Leon Hohenstein (stud. Mitarbeiter seit 2025)

Former staff

B.SC. Magdalena Scholly (2024 - 2025)

MSc. Nur Banu Özcelik (2022 - 2024)

Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Moritz Feigl (Stud. MA) (2016)

Dipl.-Ing. Tobias Gauster (2015 - 2018)

Dipl.-Ing. Judith Zehetgruber (2013 - 2014)

Dipl.-Ing. Daniel Koffler (2011 - 2013)

Dipl.-Ing. Lydia Matiasch (2007 - 2011)

Dipl.-Ing. Maximilian Pamperl (Stud. MA)

Research and publications

Doctoral thesis:

Dipl.-Ing.Dr. B.Sc. Matthias Schlögl (2019) Weather events and risk assessment in road traffic

Mag.rer.nat Sandra Karanitsch-Ackerl (2021) Tree rings as an indicator of drought

Mag.Dr. M.Sc. Johannes Laimighofer MSc. (2023) Spatio-temporal modelling of low water

MSc. Nur Banu Özcelik (ongoing) Stochastic modelling of precipitation and erosivity

MSc. Eva Kaminsky (ongoing) The impact of rising water temperatures on urban groundwater quality

Dr.nat.techn. Zahra Ghelichipour (2010, Inst. of Landscape Development, Prof. A. Muhar) Risk management for national park visitors

Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Bakk.techn. Benedikt Becsi (2022, Inst. of Meteorology, Prof. Kromp-Kolb) Transdisciplinary Assessment of Climate Change

Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Andreas Brandl (2023, Inst. of Hydraulic Engineering, Prof. Mader) Key Stimuli for Fish Ladders

Diploma thesis / Master thesis:

Dipl.-Ing. BSc Cornelia Christine Kramsall (2018) Drought impacts in Austria

BSc MSc Theresa Walter (2016 Co-supervision) Modelling fox observations using Citizen Science data

Dipl.-Ing. BSc Theresa Maurer (2016 Co-supervision) Effects of groundwater fluctuations on rock deformation

Dipl.-Ing. BSc Clemens Nocker (2019) Spatial modelling of pluvial floods

Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. BSc Matthias Schlögl (2015) Extreme weather hazards of the Austrian road network

Dipl.-Ing. Dipl.-Ing. BSc Antonia Schneider (2023) Cold extremes in North American climate models

Dipl.-Ing. Dipl.-Ing. BSc Teresa Hamedinger (2025) Hydrological characterisation of groundwater droughts in Upper Austria

Lectures

Statistics for UBRM and UIW (Bakk. compulsory subject)

Environmental Statistics (Master elective in Eng.)

Statistics of Extreme Events and Geostatistics (Master elective in Eng.)

Interdisciplinary Seminar on Environmental Information Management (Master elective)

Citizen Science in Ecology (Unit "Environmental Statistics", Master elective)

Selected chapters from UIW (Unit "Statistics", Bakk. compulsory subject)

Master Seminar

Other courses offered by the Institute of Statistics