Scientific Program
The 2012 Niagara Falls Congress will focus on the role of the hydrogeologist in the current global environment of persistent and ever-increasing change. As we move through the early parts of the 21st century, one can be staggered by scope of global change that is occurring at an unprecedented rate on many different fronts. For example:
- there is considerable change tied to the migration of populations from rural to urban areas;
- agricultural practices are moving to greater irrigation and to larger corporation farming;
- climate change and associated rising sea levels are being discussed on an almost daily basis in the media;
- fundamental economic changes are occurring as more power is shifting to the so called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China);
- there is considerable on-going degradation in global ecosystems, many of them aquatic related;
- as the global population moves to the 7 billion mark there is an increased need for additional fresh water resources;
- with the growing awareness of the energy-water nexus, there are emerging water related concerns as we strive to meet growing energy demands; and finally
- within our own discipline, hydrogeological practices are changing with the move to increased use of GIS systems and groundwater flow models to expedite resource decision making.
All of these changes will affect the role of that the hydrogeologist plays in society. The 2012 IAH Niagara Falls Congress organizing committee particularly welcomes papers that shed light on the technical and social aspects of how global change is interacting with hydrogeology practice.
The following broad themes have been identified for the 2012 Congress: Energy and Climate Change; Karst Hydrogeology, Ecohydrology, Groundwater Management, Groundwater Quality, and General Hydrogeology. Focussed sessions under these broad themes are presented below.
The scientific program for the congress is further described on the website under:
The scientific program will be up-dated on the congress website from time-to-time, with the technical tours and short courses being finalized by December 1, 2011.
