From 2002-09-09 to 2002-09-12

Venue: Forum Fischbahnhof
Bremerhaven, Germany

Summary:
Low-lying coastal areas, including small nearshore islands, are among the most intensively used areas in all countries. About 60% of today's world population of approximately 6 billion people live there. Coastal areas are not only among the most densely populated regions of the earth; they are also subject to extraordinarily intensive use through industrial and commercial sites, agriculture and tourism. This intensive exploitation has considerable impact on hydrological conditions in coastal regions. Problems arise from conflicts between different uses of coastal land and waters, overexploitation of coastal resources, discharge of wastes and effluents into coastal waters, increasing stress by sea level change and growth of coastal population.

The aim of the Symposium is to increase public and political awareness of the vulnerability of coastal zones and to discuss tools and measures for sustainable water management in coastal areas at an expert level. The Symposium will provide valuable guidelines for future environmentally sound uses of coastal resources and solving water related conflicts.

Organizers: International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO
Operational Hydrology Programme of WMO
Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde
Contact Name: Gerhard Strigel, Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde
E-mail: strigel@bafg.de
URL: http://www.bafg.de/html/news/ihp/Draft_programme4.pdf