"Water Resources: Developments in a Changing Environment"
Goals of the 19th NRB symposium and workshop
Over the last 40 years, accelerating social and technological developments have taken place in the world's northern regions, despite the few inhabitants, harsh environments and remote locations. These developments are challenged by existing uncertainties in terms of climate variability, sparse observational networks, occurrence of extreme events (e.g., flooding, droughts, fires), changes in societal needs (e.g., engineering, energy, water, natural resource exploration), and political interest (e.g., funding, recreation/resource development). In response to these challenges, the 19th Northern Research Basins (NRB) symposium and workshop will address the subject of "Water Resources: Developments in a Changing Environment".
In 1975, the International Hydrological Program (IHP) National Committees of the USA, USSR, Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden established the IHP working group on Northern Research Basins. The overall objective of the NRB working group is to encourage research in hydrological basins at northern latitudes where snow, ice, and frozen ground have a dominant role in the hydrological cycle. Since 1975, these interests have been promoted by eighteen symposia/workshops held to date in the eight countries that span the Circum-Arctic. The goal of 19th meeting is to permit US and International scientists and engineers engaged in northern hydrological research an opportunity to communicate their research findings and set new milestones for future hydrologic knowledge. This symposium and workshop will be held in south-central Alaska, where international delegates and participants will exchange hydrologic experiences, take a tour of a proposed large hydropower project, and observe coastal watersheds dominated by snow, glaciers, and other hydrologic features. In addition we will explore the local culture and hypothesize about the future hydrology of this region in the context of environmental change.