IAHS News
IAHS, with UNESCO and WMO, establishes the Dooge and Volker medals under the International Hydrology Prize
As of 2014, two medals will be awarded under the International Hydrology Prize: the Dooge medal and the Volker medal. Both medals are intended to distinguish outstanding achievements by hydrological scientists, but with a different focus. The Dooge medal is aimed at fundamental contributions to the science of hydrology, whereas the Volker medal is aimed at outstanding applications of hydrological science for the benefit of society at large.
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Characterising water quantity and quality: new approaches and future directions
The Gothenburg HW03 workshop contained three keynote presentations focusing on surface water quality and groundwater techniques, and looking to the future. The first keynote by Arthur Horowitz (US Geological Survey) challenged many of the practices within monitoring dissolved and particulate water quality parameters and gave the audience plenty to think about in their past and future activities. (If readers want to find out more, Art’s presentation is based on his review paper in Environmental Science and Technology (2013) 47, 2471-2486)). Jim Butler et al.’s keynote gave an overview of new and enhanced tools for hydrogeological characterisation, such as for rapid assessment of subsurface hydraulic properties to depths of 30 m.
Cold- and mountain region hydrological systems
Cold- and mountain region hydrological systems under climate change: towards improved projections
Gothenburg symposium H02 was organized by the International Commission for Snow and Ice Hydrology (ICSIH) together with the International Commission on the Coupled Land-Atmosphere System (ICCLAS). It addressed major issues both in modelling cold- and mountain regions hydrological processes and in adapting these models to changing climatic conditions.
Deltas: Landforms, Ecosystems and Human Activity
Gothenburg symposium HP1, focused on deltas, was very successful, comprising 7 invited keynote papers, 15 full papers and 6 poster papers. The set of papers within the published volume (IAHS Publ. 358) provides overviews on delta processes and covers almost all types of delta environments, mostly marine, but also inland deltas.
Tracer hydrology and groundwater systems
During the International Commission on Tracers workshop HW07, at Gothenburg, the presentations covered many branches of hydrology.
How can models help to solve water quality problems?
How can models help to solve water quality problems was the focus of workshop HW13, which included a round-table discussion, organised at Gothenburg by ICWQ and ICSW. During the first two sessions the keynote lecture and papers presented by authors from UK, Finland, Estonia, Brazil, Sweden, South Africa, Poland and Germany provided useful, interesting information on application of water quality models for solving real water quality problems in different countries and regions, as did the poster session. The third session was devoted to the round-table discussion; two suggested questions were discussed in two groups, who then presented their responses to the whole audience.
6th IAHS International Symposium on Integrated Water Resources Management DEADLINE APPROACHING
Bologna, Italy, 4-6 June 2014
The symposium is framed within the Panta Rhei IAHS Scientific Decade 2013-2022 and will focus on Evolving Water Resources Systems - Understanding, Predicting and Managing Water - Society Interactions.
Five new titles from IAHS - the Gothenburg books
The following titles resulting from the Knowledge for the Future Assembly, 22-26 July 2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden are now available from the IAHS Bookshop.
A Survey on Water Safety Plans by WHO
What is the survey objective?
The primary objective of this survey, led by World Health Organization (WHO), is to achieve a better understanding of the global and regional progress of risk assessment and risk management approaches applied in drinking water supplies. In the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, such approaches are known as Water Safety Plans (WSPs). Throughout the survey, the term WSP is used; however, the survey also seeks information on equivalent approaches that may be named differently. The survey has been designed to collect important information on WSP implementation and related benefits and challenges in order to inform and strengthen future WSP support, guidance and advocacy.
Da Vinci's Water Theory - Review
Leonardo Da Vinci's Water Theory by L. Pfister, H.H. Savenije and F. Fenicia
The August 2013 issue of Geoscientist carried a review of this book published by IAHS.
" ..... The book demonstrates nicely how science progresses through a combination of need and curiosity. Da Vinci’s life-long interest in water was triggered by knowledge of devastating floods, and a need to better protect cities and populations, leading to work on flood-control projects. But as an observer and artist, he was also fascinated with water and its power for its own sake, as in the book’s cover illustration of a storm..........
..... Of 13,000 pages of notes at his death, only half remain, and in dispersed collections. The authors must therefore be commended for their detective work in piecing together Da Vinci’s water theories in an informative and entertaining read."
Excerpt from book review by Peter Easton (reproduced by permission).
The book, IAHS Special Publication 9, is available from the IAHS bookshop.