Balwois 2012 International Conference on Water, Climate and Environment

Overview

The purpose of the conference is to provide a solutions-based forum and to exchange information regarding research activities and plans for studying the relationship between climate and environment changes and human activities with specific focuse on water related matters.

BALWOIS 2012 is a platform for creating partnerships in solving water scarcity problems, floods, droughts, environmental degradation and risk affecting different regions by facilitating the sharing of experiences through the presentation of scientific and technical papers and posters on planning research and development activities.

The main objectives of BALWOIS 2012 are to provide at international and Balkan scales:

• a meeting that will further the progress of the knowledge in the fields of Scientific Research, Education, Policy and Development Activities and on all the Water related issues related to climate and environment changes, hazards mitigation, water resources assessment, management and protection, etc.

• an atmosphere to enhance the links between the providers and the end users of water related knowledge,

• a forum for free discussion of new ideas, research, development and applications, including techniques and methods to stimulate future works,

• opportunities for students and young researchers and engineers to meet their experienced peers and to stimulate them to join BALWOIS activities,

• an exhibition of current hardware and/or software in the field of water, and

• new knowledge through the publishing of high quality papers in BALWOIS web site and through DVD bundle, books and journal edition, etc.

The main topics of BALWOIS 2012 are:

- Climate and Hydrology

- Water, Environment and Human activities

- Water related risks

- Integrated Water Resources Management

- Ecohydrology

- Computing and technologies in Water sector

- Other related topics

During this fifth BALWOIS conference, specific attention will be dedicated to the application of the Water framework directive and to specific tools applied to the decision support in water domain. A free training course on Ecohydrology will be organized on Wednesday 30.

Ohrid is one of the most welcoming towns of Republic of Macedonia with a very significant cultural heritage. The location of the conference on the shore of Ohrid Lake - 358 km², several millions years old and surmounted by splendid Macedonian and Albanian mountains - is particularly well chosen to work on topics linked with climate and environment changes which already affects the balance of the Balkan lakes, protection of the biodiversity against increasing anthropogenic pressures and international shared waters.