PUB 2011 P3 Putting PUB into Practice
10-14 May 2011: Canmore, Alberta, Canada
The PUB International Secretariat and Canadian National Committee held a major workshop to investigate issues and opportunities related to Putting PUB into Practice in Canmore, Alberta, at the gateway to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, from 10th to 14th May 2011.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the following sponsors / exhibitors
The principal aim of the meeting was to make progress towards a crystallisation of 'state of the art' PUB research, in order to facilitate its encapsulation in tools which contribute directly to the solution of real-world challenges in water resources management. We brought together a broad cross-section of researchers, practitioners and toolset developers with interests in this field.
By examining a gradient from data-rich to data-poor contexts, and considering the needs of a range of hydroclimatic regions, the workshop shared and consolidated knowledge between and across PUB Themes and Working Groups, and the variety of regional efforts and perspectives represented in the movement. Participants learnt about a range of different approaches for maximising the predictive value of streamflow data, and the translation of theory based on understanding of the structure and variability of physical processes into practical predictive solutions.
Other sessions considered the potential for new technologies (in hydrometeorological measurement, process verification, catchment characterisation and information management) to contribute to the development of innovative modelling toolsets which incorporate these improvements in hydrological understanding, thereby encouraging the translation of PUB research into practice.
The workshop was conducted as a series of presentations by invited speakers, followed by discussions in breakout groups based on hydroclimate regions (Polar, Mountain, Arid / Semi-arid, Temperate, Tropical), with summary reports of their findings made to the full assembly.
These sessions were augmented by a poster display, in which some 25 attendees participated.
Other events during the workshop included an 'icebreaker' barbecue, a public presentation by a water-resources practitioner describing their use of PUB outputs, an evening spent exploring the host town of Canmore, and a post-meeting field excursion to the the Columbia Icefield and Lake Louise, assisted by Brewster Travel.
The full program of presentations is available for download here. The list of Posters is available here.
The workshop was arranged by a Local Organising Committee chaired by Prof John Pomeroy (PUB 4th Biennium Chair), in conjunction with a Scientific Programming Committee formed from leading members of the PUB movement from around the world: full details of its composition are available here.