Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) is responsible for various policy areas in the Federal Republic of Germany, essential ones of which are reflected in the naming of the ministry. Until 1986, three different ministries within the Federal Government were responsible for environmental concerns: the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health. Then, in the middle of the same year, a single government authority for the federal environmental policy was created for the first time, the then Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). In the course of the following decades, additional responsibilities were temporarily transferred to the authority, such as including urban development, housing, rural infrastructure, public building law, construction as well as federal buildings, which also led to name changes thoughout the years (e.g. BMUB between 2013 and 2018). At present, the ministry is also responsible for consumer protection policy and therefore uses the extended abbreviation BMUV. For more than 30 years now its main task has remained unchanged however: to ensure the protection of the population from environmental toxins and radiation, the wise and economical use of raw materials, the protection of the climate and the use of natural resources in a way that preserves the diversity of animal and plant species and their habitats. A key responsibility is to prepare legislation in order to design the legal framework in the areas of responsibility. This also includes shaping regulatory law and transposing EU directives into national law. Furthermore, this includes the financial promotion of research and development, support for the market introduction of innovative technologies, cooperation at national and international level, and communication for broad social participation and acceptance in the protection and careful use of the environment and resources.
DVGW-Water Technology Center (TZW)
TZW: DVGW-Technologiezentrum Wasser - the German Water Centre – is part of DVGW e.V. , the German Gas and Waterworks Association. Based on comprehensive research activities and practical experiences TZW develops solutions for all areas of national and international water management issues from resource protection via water abstraction and treatment to distribution up to consumers’ tap.
Bioremediation of Oil-Contaminated Soils through Application of Guano
The project examined the potential of guano fertilizer for the bioremediation of oil-contaminated soils. Studies on microbial communities in both chronic and newly contaminated sites show that guano improves the growth of bacteria and degrades hydrocarbons. It therefore has the potential to further refine bioremediation technologies.
Source: German National Library of Science and Technology Hannover (TIB)
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ was established in 1991 and has more than 1,100 employees in Leipzig, Halle/S. and Magdeburg. They study the complex interactions between humans and the environment in cultivated and damaged landscapes. The scientists develop concepts and processes to help secure the natural foundations of human life for future generations.
