9th International SedNet conference, 23-26 September 2015, Krakow, Poland

31. mai 2015 M S
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Kurs og konferanser, Nyheter

Solving societal challenges: working with sediments 

Hosted and co-organized by the Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology 

Sediments and society – what is the connection? Sediments – unseen or unnoticed most of the time – have a variety of impacts on human activities and vice versa, particularly along rivers. If the river is used for shipping, too much sediment may become an obstacle. The foundations of bridges may become unstable if too little sediment is available, creating a safety risk. After flooding, sediments are distributed over flood plains and with increased construction in natural flood plains these sediments add to the clean-up efforts and may become a health issue if contaminated. Even more dangerous are the mud and debris flows that can occur during larger floods.

Our aquatic resources are linked to sediment with its many and sometimes conflicting ecosystem services: recycling of nutrients, providing habitats for fish, adsorbing pollutants… But different ecosystem services are accompanied by different interests. How to deal along a watershed with too much or too little sediment? What to do about contaminated sediment that is mobile and may be taken downstream with the next flood? Or what about the contamination that stays in place but affects the local ecology and regional communities? Does contaminated mean “dangerous”? What is “too much” or “enough” sediment in a river and does it justify e.g. dredging or sand exploitation or are there alternatives?

Different countries have different experiences with the quantity and quality of sediments in their rivers, and with dealing with the challenges that arise from there. The role, attributed function and perception of sediments influence the way it is managed in a river system. At the core of the SedNet conference in 2015 will be the link between sediment and society, and the exchange of knowledge and respective experiences on an international level. Sediments are an integral part of the river system. Is this role acknowledged in a sufficient way?

Conference Programme 

The following platform sessions are organised:

– Sediments and society (23 September, morning)

– Sediment quality and perception (23 September, afternoon)
– Sediment in historical and recent mining areas (23 September, afternoon)
– Sediment remediation and uses (23 September, afternoon)
– Valuing sediments and their services (24 September, morning)
– Understanding sediment fluxes and budgets on a river basin scale (25 September, morning)
– Building with dredged material and/or sediment (25 September, morning)

Further there is a

  • Special Session: Impact of Fine Sediment on Ecology (24 September, afternoon)
  • Special Session: How to Build Public Trust for Sediment Management? (25 September, morning)
  • Workshop: Sediment Discharge Test (24 September, morning)
  • SedNet Working Group: Sediments in a Changing Environment (24 September, afternoon)
  • Getting Sediment at the European Strategic Research Agenda – Meeting of the SedNet Working Group Sediment Science and Policy Interfacing (24 September, afternoon)
    Poster Session (continuously during conference)
  • Excursion to the Wieliczka Salt Mine and dinner (24 September, evening)
  • Excursion to the historical village of Tyniec (26 September, morning)

 

The detailed preliminary conference programme is here.

 

Registration

The conference registration form is here.

Deadline for registration is 1 September 2015.

 

Conference Fee

Regular fee: 400 euro

Students: 100 euro

If a student has submitted an abstract that has been selected for oral presentation, then his/her fee is waived.

 

The fee includes admission to the whole conference programme, social (dinner) events on the evenings of 23 and 24 September 2015 and an excursion on 26 September. The fee excludes 23% Polish VAT.

 

Language

The conference language will be English. No translation facilities will be provided.

 

Conference venue

The event will be hosted at the Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection of AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland. http://www.agh.edu.pl/en

 

Hotel accommodation

Suggestions for hotels can be found on the conference webpage http://sednet.org/conference2015.htm

 

 

In case you have any questions please contact:

 

SedNet Secretariat
email: marjan.euser@deltares.nl
www.sednet.org

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