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The motto for World Water Day 2022 is "Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible". This is why "groundwater" was chosen as the water body type of the year this year. The largest available freshwater resources on earth lie invisibly underground. For many people in the world, groundwater is the only available source of drinking water. read more

Water is a vital and limited resource. There are legal provisions on its sustainable management, designed to protect waterbodiesas an element of the ecosystemas a basic necessity for human lifeas a habitat for animals and plants as a usable commodity.The tasks of water resource management are manifold and diverse, and the regulatory framework is equally extensive. read more

Pursuant to the 2nd amendment of the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV), since December 2012 the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt – UBA ) has been tasked with stipulating mandatory evaluation criteria for materials and substances that come into contact with drinking water. Previously, UBA has issued guidelines and recommendations which were less legally binding. Since the amen... read more

See here for maps and further information on how to reach all the offices of the German Environment Agency (UBA). Click on the maps to open a more detailed view. Detailed maps (where available) appear by clicking on the arrows in the photo gallery. read more

Nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients for aquatic plants (algae, macrophytes). Their high concentration causes excessive growth especially of algae (Eutrophication). Rivers transport nitrogen and phosphorus into lakes and North sea and Baltic sea and influence its nutrient concentration. read more

Division V of the German Environment Agency is responsible for climate protection, energy and emissions trading. The German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt) is based here. In Germany, it is the body responsible for trading in certificates for the emission of climate-damaging carbon dioxide. read more

Our headquarters are located in Dessau-Roßlau in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, where we have been since 2005. Our other offices are in Berlin, Bad Elster (Saxony), Langen (Hesse), Merseburg (Saxony-Anhalt), Salzgitter (Lower Saxony) and Cottbus (Brandenburg). We also operate a seven station measurement network extending from Zingst on Rügen island to Zugspitze. read more