Call for abstracts for the International Conference: Water resources in Europe - The past, present and future

Institute of Meteorology and Water Management invites to participate in the International Conference: Water Resources in Europe – the Past, Present and Future. The Conference will be held in Cracow on 19-21 October 2009 in Cracow University of Technology, 24 Warszawska str. in Cracow.

The Conference is organized under the auspices of World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The Conference is under the Patronage of the Minister of the Environment.

The development of the society over the history of civilization was always connected with the access to water. Water was used for municipal, navigational, energetic, industrial, agricultural, recreational purposes and even for shaping of the landscape. Water is indispensable for the live of people and plants. Access to water was and still is the basis of the economic and social development. The lack of water was always the reason of lowering the quality of life and socio-economic situation. In particular, an essential feature is the lack of water resulting in a drought or excess of water leading to flood. Both these phenomena bring important economic, ecological
and social losses. An essential factor is the contamination of water.

Recently observed climatic changes result in more frequent appearance of extreme phenomena (floods, droughts, hurricanes, rain or hail storms). These situations require the system approach to the management of water resources, accurate measurements and forecasting based on model results.

The main assumption of the water policy of European Union is the principle of sustainable development, protection of water quality and water dependent ecosystems. Poland is the country of scarce water resources and insufficient hydraulic infrastructure.

The aim of this International Conference is the presentation of the existing state of the water resources and water management in Europe and in various European countries as well as the forecast of this state in the near and far future. The subject of the conference are inland surface and ground waters.

The Conference will be held in Cracow – the city of vast historic traditions, numerous interesting monuments, ancient capital of Poland. In he city located on Vistula River, the queen of Polish rivers. During the conference there will be study excursion to the important hydraulic project: dam, reservoir and hydraulic power plant Czorsztyn-Niedzica on Dunajec River. This project was commissioned in 1997.

Conference language will be Polish and English. Simultaneous interpretation will be secured.

CONFERENCE TOPICS:

• Water balance of Europe and European countries (amount, quality, use)
• Water balance of Poland in the past, present and in the perspective of 2020
• Water resources of Poland in comparison to other European countries
• Methods for the assessment of surface and ground water resources
• Water resources in view of possible climate changes
• Systems of the protection of surface and ground water resources
• Methods of the adaptation of water-economic systems to the changing climate conditions
• Sustainable use of surface and ground water resources
• Existing and designed new hydraulic projects and their influence on water resources

Registration forms, abstracts and full text of the papers must be send electronically to the conference address: konferencja@imgw.pl
Abstracts should be send by e-mail to: konferencja@imgw.pl not later than 31 January 2009.
www.imgw.pl link international conference 2009.