Does development automatically follow once roads are built? Not quite – as a recent study by the research team led by Prof. Dr. Revilla Diez demonstrates. Focusing on the Zambezi Region in northeastern Namibia, the authors examine whether large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Walvis Bay Ndola Lubumbashi Development Corridor actually lead to sustainable regional progress – or whether smaller, regional roads might ultimately have a greater impact.

The publication was part of a Master’s reading seminar in Physical Geography at the University of Cologne. Under the guidance of Miriam Zickel, students analyzed the study, discussed it critically, and reflected on it in conversation with Justina Nangolo, one of the study’s co-authors. This blog post summarizes the students’ key insights – a journey through satellite imagery, infrastructure policy, and the deeper question of what development really means on the ground.

What do ice sheets several kilometers thick have to do with how we manage the ground beneath our feet today? Quite a lot – especially when it comes to hidden valleys carved into the subsurface, known as glacial overdeepenings and tunnel valleys. These relics of past ice ages were formed as glaciers scoured the underlying bedrock, leaving behind deep troughs – often hundreds of meters deep, now buried under layers of sediment and invisible to the naked eye. But what do these structures mean for us today – in terms of groundwater, geothermal energy, or even the safe storage of nuclear waste? 

That’s exactly what a recent study by the research group around Prof. Dr. Frank Preusser set out to explore – and what caught the attention of Master’s students in a physical geography seminar at the University of Cologne. The students analyzed the publication, conducted an interview with Prof. Dr. Preusser, and compiled their insights for you in this blog post. A journey into glacial landscapes of the past – and a geological legacy that may matter more than ever.

When a river overflows, it carries more than just water into the floodplains — it also transports an almost invisible threat: microplastics. But what happens to these particles once the floodwaters recede? Do they remain on the surface, infiltrate the soil — and what are the implications for soil systems? A research team from the Institute of Geography at the University of Cologne investigated these questions in detail, using the Langel-Merkenich floodplain as a case study. Their study offers new insights into the causes and mechanisms of microplastic distribution in fluvial floodplain environments.

Master’s students in geography engaged closely with both the study and the research process — and have prepared the findings for you in this blog post.