River Flow 2006

Rivers contribute in many ways to human well-being: water for household consumption and for irrigation and industry, sustainable energy, convenient transportation links and valuable wild-life habitats. Rivers also represent threats, in the form of floods and other natural or man-induced hazards. Ensuring sustainability and preserving intrinsic value are imperatives in contemporary societies. Yet, these requirements often collide with the exploitation of the economic value of the river and with actions related to risk and security management. As a result, conflicting interests have become evident and have reached new heights during the last century.

The need for observation, analysis and control of fluvial processes has thus increased dramatically. The discipline of Fluvial Hydraulics is more than ever solicited to guide engineering works, evaluate environmental impacts, and mitigate hazards: new modelling tools emerge from advances in phenomenological understanding, computational methods and measurement techniques.

River Flow 2006, organised under the auspices of the Fluvial Hydraulics Section of the International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research (IAHR), is intended to provide a forum for scientists and engineers working on Fluvial Hydraulics and river-related disciplines.

Hydrodynamic and sediment transport phenomena are adressed in the main conference topics, for which theoretical accomplishments, numerical developments, experimental investigations and field studies are welcomed. Contributions describing interdisciplinary approaches and experiences are also much appreciated, particularly on interfacial activities involving ecological and social sciences or making use of information technologies.

By bringing together practitioners with different approaches and backgrounds, the organization hopes to create a singular environment for technical and scientific debate and, not the least, to make this occasion an enjoyable experience for the participants.