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Freshwater systems, resources and society - A different water circle. A "French presidency of the European Union" event (20-21 November 2008, Paris, France) Impacts of Europe's changing climate - 2008 indicator-based assessment Shared Environmental Information Workshop "Towards Shared Environmental Information in Europe: Opportunities and Challenges for Integrated Research" (28-29 January 2009, Wallingford, UK) Freshwater systems, resources and society - A different water circle. A "French presidency of the European Union" event (20-21 November 2008, Paris, France) The notion of sustainable development refers to both a rationale for action and recognition over the long-term of changing balances between environmental, social and economic issues. It thus serves to support both environmental decisions and global policies. The topic of water remains a major issue in the context of the global change. Via existing or future directives (WFD, Urban wastewater treatment, Nitrates, Flooding, Pesticides, REACH, etc.) and the environmental recommendations of the world organisations and treaties, European public polices have placed the water issue at the heart of essential questions. This symposium, whose topic largely coincides with European environmental research policies and those of its operational management, will contribute to European structuring of research in the field of water and the resulting developments. Organised by Cemagref, the leading freshwater-research institute in France, in partnership with the European research networks recognised in the field and that it helped to create, e.g. PEER (Partnership for European Environmental Research), EURAQUA (European Network of Freshwater Research Organisations), the symposium mobilizes the relevant world scientific organisations such as IAHS (International Association of Hydrological Sciences) and the European professional organisations (European Water Association, Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform) involved in water management. The water sciences, which include the biophysical, life and social sciences, will constitute a central part of the symposium that will make clear their potential to support the sustainable-development land policies, through study of resources and uses, development and conservation, and generally, land and water. The subjects of the symposium stress the need for major multi-disciplinarity and inter-disciplinary work that is now a prerequisite in developing the complex research objects that characterise the research in the water sciences. Simultaneous translation French/English For more information: http://www.cemagref.fr/water-and-society/index-en.htm Impacts of Europe's changing climate - 2008 indicator-based assessment The report presents past and projected climate change and impacts in Europe by means of about 40 indicators and identifies sectors and regions most vulnerable with a high need for adaptation. The report covers the following indicator categories: atmosphere and climate, cryosphere, marine biodiversity and ecosystems, water quantity (including river floods and droughts), freshwater quality and biodiversity, terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity, soil, agriculture and forestry, human health. Furthermore the report shows the need for adaptation actions at EU, national and regional level and the need for enhanced monitoring, data collection and exchange and reducing uncertainties in projections. The report is a joined effort of the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC-IES) and the World Health Organisation Europe (WHO) with major input from almost all PEER partners. Link to report: http://reports.eea.europa.eu/eea_report_2008_4/en/ top Shared Environmental Information Workshop "Towards Shared Environmental Information in Europe: Opportunities and Challenges for Integrated Research" (28-29 January 2009, Wallingford, UK) The recent Communication from the European Commission “Towards a Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS)” (COM(2008) 46 final) as well as the INSPIRE Directive (2007/2/EC) not only provide for the first time ever a genuine European policy driver for environmental informatics, but also a considerable challenge for research organisations involved in environmental monitoring, data provision and modelling. The overall aim of the workshop is to discuss the opportunities and challenges for research that are posed by the development of European-wide environmental information systems such as SEIS. The workshop will brainstorm on how research institutes and higher education institutions - either in their role as data holders or as science providers - can help making environmental information sharing in Europe a reality. The workshop aims at connecting the research community, sharing experiences and best practices and discussing the development of new tools and methodologies. Thus, the event will help researchers and practitioners get up to speed with the state-of-the-art in this fast-changing business, looking in a holistic way at the whole process from collecting and managing data to delivering and using environmental information. While it is not the intention to focus on the technical development or implementation of SEIS as such, the workshop will generate ideas which may add value to the SEIS concept. The objectives of the workshop are:
For more information: http://www.ceh.ac.uk/SEIS/PEER-EEA-AGILEworkshop.html Deadline for registration is 15 December 2008. top |
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