Books (Civil Engineering)

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Browsing Books (Civil Engineering) by Subject "Sediment control"

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    Erosion and sediment dynamics from catchment to coast
    (UNESCO, 2008) Di Silvio, Giampaolo; Basson, Gerrit
    UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP) launched the International Sediment Initiative (ISI) in 2002, taking into consideration that sediment production and transport processes are not sufficiently understood for practical uses in sediment management. Since information on ongoing research is an important support to sediment management, and bearing in mind the unequal level of scientific knowledge about various aspects of erosion and sediment phenomena at the global scale, a major mission of the ISI is to review erosion and sedimentation-related research. The two papers below were prepared in conformity with this important task of the ISI, following the decision of the ISI Steering Committee at its session in March 2004. The subject of both papers is the modelling and prediction of sediment processes in watersheds and watercourses, which is essential for the development of sediment management policies and strategies in the respective regions. Since the tasks of sediment management differ from region to region, it is reasonable to discuss the problems and methods that prevail in one or another region in separate reviews. For this reason, the two papers published below are entitled: Erosion and sediment dynamics from catchment to coast, “A Northern Perspective” (by Professor Giampaolo DiSilvio from the University of Padua, Italy), and “A Southern Perspective” (by Professor Gerrit Basson, from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa). The differences between the northern and the southern perspectives indicate the different kinds of problems that sediment research has to deal with in different climatic and socio-economic conditions. Thus, the northern perspective essentially deals with problems encountered in Europe and Northern America, such as mobility of river sediments and their deposition in reservoirs and coastal zones, whereas the southern perspective puts the emphasis on the origin and mobility of the sediments in semi-arid zones and their impacts on land and water resources. However, it should be underlined that the concepts and methods described in the papers of either perspective can be applied also to other regions as appropriate. Generally, in any region, the most efficient methods of modelling would depend upon the nature of the problems that sediment management has to resolve in the concrete case. Accordingly, in subsequent papers on the same subject other aspects of erosion and sediment transport might also be examined which are relevant to typical management situations that may occur in different geographical and socio-economic settings. It should be underlined that, in line with its general strategy, ISI is open to collaboration with international, regional, or national associations and institutions involved in the promotion of sustainable sediment management policies. ISI focuses on international information exchange on sediment-related matters, ensuring access to policy makers in UNESCO’s Member States, and encouraging sediment research in interested regions and states. The publication of the two papers on erosion and sediment dynamics should, among others, serve this purpose. Readers are thus invited to react and contribute by way of comments and suggestions to the follow-up of these two reports.