Regional Climate and Hydrology

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  2. Faculties
  3. Faculty of Applied Computer Science
  4. Institute of Geography
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  6. Regional Climate & Hydrology
  7. About us
  8. PD Dr.-Ing. Jan Bliefernicht

PD Dr.-Ing. Jan Bliefernicht

Senior Scientist and Lecturer
Regional Climate and Hydrology
Phone: +49 (0)821 598 5518
Email:
Room: 2023 (B)
Open hours: by appointment only
Address: Alter Postweg 118, 86159 Augsburg

Research interests

  • Seasonal climate and weather forecasts

  • Statistical downscaling and regional climate modelling

  • Heavy precipitation, flood and drought forecasting

  • Verification of weather and hydrological forecasts

  • Hydrometeorological networks and observatories

  • Interpolation and stochastic simulation of meteorological variables

  • Hydrological and land surface modelling

  • Analysis of land-atmosphere interactions

research projects

current projects

 

FURIFLOOD: Current and future risks of urban and rural flooding in West Africa - An integrated analysis and ecosystem-based solutions

 

CONCERT: Greenhouse gas emission and its mitgation options under climate and land use change in West Africa

 

ICP-P: Solar energy forecasts for an optimized sustainable energy production in Sub-Saharan Africa (ICP-P)

 

former projects

 

EnerShelF: High resolution energy meteorological forecasting for improved management of PV-hybrid sys    tems

 

SAWAM: Seasonal Water Resources Management in Semi-arid Regions: Application-oriented Transfer of Regionalized Global Information

 

WASCAL: West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use

 

Latest Publications

2026 | 2025

2026
Borel, Patricia; Bliefernicht, Jan-Geert; Flinkerbusch, Eva; Gutsch, Martin; Höltermann, Anke; Matthes, Ulrich; Nieberg, Mats; Nowakowski, Tobias; Tölle, Max; Reyer, Christopher P. O. (2026): A standardised approach towards selecting forests for strict protection in Germany. In: Regional Environmental Change 26, S. 143. DOI: 10.1007/s10113-026-02632-9
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Davies, P.; Dombrowski, O.; Baatz, R.; Hendricks Franssen, H.-J.; Guug, S.; Sy, Souleymane; Bliefernicht, Jan; Quansah, E.; Amekudzi, L. K.; Kunstmann, Harald; Bogena, H. R. (2026): Multi-variate validation of a high-resolution application of the Community Land Model (CLM5) in Ghana. In: Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies 66, S. 103573. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrh.2026.103573
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Ndiaye, Aissatou; Sawadogo, Windmanagda; Bliefernicht, Jan; Dione, Cheikh; Moussa, Mounkaila Saley; Dungall, Laouali; Gaye, Amadou Thierno; Kunstmann, Harald (2026): Optimizing solar energy forecasting in Senegal: sensitivity analysis of WRF-solar radiation schemes. In: Theoretical and Applied Climatology 157 (5), S. 323. DOI: 10.1007/s00704-026-06272-1
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Ndiaye, Aissatou; Bliefernicht, Jan; Lamptey, Benjamin; Kunstmann, Harald (2026): Powering decisions: a case study of weather and climate services in Senegal's energy sector. In: Climate Services 42, S. 100655. DOI: 10.1016/j.cliser.2026.100655
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Oussou, Francis E.; Kiese, Ralf; Sy, Souleymane; Bliefernicht, Jan; Spangenberg, Ines; Guug, Samuel; Schäfler-Schmid, Anja; Steinbrecher, Rainer; Neidl, Frank; Ayamba, Michael; Hingerl, Luitpold; Quansah, Emmanuel; Frempong, Alex; Davies, Patrick; Sawadogo, Windmanagda; Olusegun, Christiana F.; Mwanake, Ricky. M.; Yalo, Nicaise; Asiwaju-Bello, Yinusa A.; Boukari, Moussa; Amekudzi, Leonard K.; Ogunjobi, Kehinde; Kunstmann, Harald (2026): Soil nitrous oxide and methane emissions in contrasting land use of the West African Sudanian savanna. In: Scientific Reports 16, S. 11398. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-36221-x
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Akpoti, Komlavi; Velpuri, Naga Manohar; Leh, Mansoor; Kagone, Stefanie; Mekonnen, Kirubel; Owusu, Afua; Tadesse, Mulugeta; Prabhath, Paranamana Thilina; Madushanka, Lahiru; Perera, Tharindu; Parrish, Gabriel E. L.; Nangia, Vinay; Sy, Souleymane; Bliefernicht, Jan; Guug, Samuel; Seid, Abdulkarim H.; Senay, Gabriel B. (2026): VegET evapotranspiration for Africa: continental-scale simulation, multi-product evaluation, and drought assessment. In: Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies 66, S. 103511. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrh.2026.103511
PDF | BibTeX | RIS | DOI

2025
Waongo, Moussa; Laux, Patrick; Bliefernicht, Jan; Coulibaly, Amadou; Traore, Seydou B. (2025): A genetic algorithm approach for location-specific calibration of rainfed maize cropping in the context of smallholder farming in West Africa. In: Agricultural Sciences 16 (1), S. 89-111. DOI: 10.4236/as.2025.161006
PDF | BibTeX | RIS | DOI
Yahaya Seydou, Abdel Nassirou; Sy, Souleymane; Quesada, Benjamin; Bliefernicht, Jan; Manevski, Kiril; Amekudzi, Leonard K.; Appiah-Adjei, Emmanuel K.; Ogunjobi, Kehinde O.; Traore, Bouba; Gyamfi, Charles; Kunstmann, Harald (2025): Biophysical effects of land cover changes in West Africa: a systematic review. In: Environmental Research Letters 20 (7), S. 073001. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/addbf4
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Hingerl, Luitpold; Bliefernicht, Jan; Guug, Samuel; Sy, Souleymane; Neidl, Frank; Jagdhuber, Thomas; Kunstmann, Harald (2025): Comparative analysis of land–atmosphere interactions across three contrasting ecosystems in the West Sudanian Savanna. In: Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies 61, S. 102751. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102751
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Afféwé, Dognon Jules; Merk, Fabian; Bodjrènou, Marleine; Rauch, Manuel; Usman, Muhammad Nabeel; Hounkpè, Jean; Bliefernicht, Jan-Geert; Akpo, Aristide B.; Disse, Markus; Adounkpè, Julien (2025): Impact of precipitation uncertainty on flood hazard assessment in the Oueme River Basin. In: Hydrology 12 (6), S. 138. DOI: 10.3390/hydrology12060138
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Sy, Souleymane; Arnault, Joel; Bliefernicht, Jan; Quesada, Benjamin; Duveiller, Gregory; Yahaya Seydou, Abdel Nassirou; Oussou, Francis E.; Fersch, Benjamin; Laux, Patrick; Huber‐García, Verena; Hirner, Andreas; Kunstmann, Harald (2025): Impacts of idealized land use and land management changes on weather extremes in West Africa. In: Earth's Future 13 (11), S. e2025EF006094. DOI: 10.1029/2025ef006094
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Rauch, Manuel; Bliefernicht, Jan; Maranan, Marlon; Fink, Andreas H.; Kunstmann, Harald (2025): Interannual rainfall variability in West Africa: reconstruction based on atmospheric circulation patterns. In: International Journal of Climatology 45 (14), S. e70088. DOI: 10.1002/joc.70088
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Eisenacher, Steffen; Fluhrer, Anke; Bliefernicht, Jan; Short Gianotti, Daniel J.; Kunstmann, Harald; Jagdhuber, Thomas (2025): Lightning density and its coupled covariates within the continental United States. In: Earth and Space Science 12 (9), S. e2025EA004207. DOI: 10.1029/2025ea004207
PDF | BibTeX | RIS | DOI
Guug, Samuel; Sy, Souleymane; Quansah, Emmanuel; Bliefernicht, Jan; Neidl, Frank; Steinbrecher, Rainer; Ayamba, Michael; Frempong, Alex; Davies, Patrick; Spangenberg, Ines; Oussou, Francis E.; Diallo, Belko Aziz; Salack, Seyni; Hackman, Kwame; Amekudzi, Leonard K.; Ogunjobi, Kehinde; Kunstmann, Harald (2025): Methane emissions from rice cultivation in West Africa and compensation options from nature reserve forests. In: Environmental Research Letters 20 (4), S. 044050. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/adc28c
PDF | BibTeX | RIS | DOI
Rauch, Manuel; Bliefernicht, Jan; Sawadogo, Windmanagda; Sy, Souleymane; Waongo, Moussa; Kunstmann, Harald (2025): Seasonal prediction of rainfall variability for the West African Sudan-Sahel. In: Frontiers in Water 6, S. 1523898. DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1523898
PDF | BibTeX | RIS | DOI
Sawadogo, Windmanagda; Bliefernicht, Jan; Faye, Aissatou; Kunstmann, Harald (2025): Where should sports events be held under global warming? A case study of the African Cup of Nations. In: Sustainable Cities and Society 119, S. 106091. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2024.106091
PDF | BibTeX | RIS | DOI

Academic Career

  • 2024: Habilitation degree (PD) in Climate and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Applied Computer Science, University of Augsburg
  • Since 2020: Senior Scientist and Lecturer, Chair of Regional Climate and Hydrology, Institute of Geography, University of Augsburg
  • 2017–2019: Guest Lecturer, Center for Development Research, University of Bonn
  • 2016–2020: Research Associate  (Post-Doc) with teaching duties, Chair of Regional Climate and Hydrology, Institute of Geography, University of Augsburg
  • 2010–2016: Research Associate (Post-Doc), Chair of Regional Climate and Hydrology, Institute of Geography, University of Augsburg
  • 2010: Doctoral degree (Dr.-Ing.) in Hydrology, Institute of Hydraulic Engineering, University of Stuttgart
  • 2004–2010: Research Associate with teaching duties, Chair for Hydrology and Geohydrology, Hydraulic Institute of Engineering, University of Stuttgart
  • 2003–2004: Internship, Gen Re, Natural Hazard Departement, Cologne
  • 2003: Diploma in Geoecology, Institute of Geoecology, Technical University of Brunswick
  • 2001: Internship at Student Assistant, German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section Hydrology, Potsdam
  • 1997–2003: Study of Geoecology, Technical University of Brunswick

 

 

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