Background

The International Sediment Initiative (ISI) is a UNESCO-programme, which has been set-up in September 2004. The mission of ISI is to organize and promote international information exchange and provide direct access to policy makers in Member States, while activating scientific and professional communities in all regions and countries concerned. ISI will promote the elaboration and monitoring of sediment data to develop appropriate methods and procedures in sediment management. The main activities and projects of ISI are: review of erosion and sediment-related research, global evaluation of sediment transport, setting-up of an erosion and sediment information system, development of case studies for large river basins, networking with other institutions in the field of sediments and education and capacity building.

The International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin (CHR) is a cooperation of scientific institutions from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the field of hydrology. The mission of the CHR is the expansion of the hydrological knowledge in the Rhine basin as well as the support of decision making in sustainable water resources management by solving of cross-border problems. CHR aims at the joint development of know-how and equipment for observation, quantification and forecasting of sediment transport.

Objectives of the workshop

To present a state-of-the-art of sediment related problems
To discuss present and future problems in relation to sediment management.
To exchange knowledge about erosion, transport and deposition of sediment.
To detect and discuss research needs.
To discuss and solve specific problems in a Swiss alpine catchment area.
The International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin (CHR) has invited scientists, researchers, decision makers, consulting experts and stakeholders in the field of sediment management to discuss these issues during a three day workshop.

Structure and workshop themes

The workshop was divided in two plenary working sessions and a technical field trip.

Session 1: Experiences from the River Rhine basin

Keywords:
Debris flows
Sediment transport during flood events
Reservoir sedimentation
Sediment problems in impounded  reaches
Sediment quality
Sediment finger printing
Morphological processes at bifurcations
Navigation aspects of river and sediment management

Session 2: Experiences from other continents

Keywords:
Soil erosion
Sediment management
Reservoir sedimentation
Time series and accuracy
Sediment balance

Technical field trip:

Keywords:
Assessment of sediment processes in torrent catchments
Hazard maps
Sediment transport in rivers

The one day field trip took place in the Lütschine basin in the Berner Oberland

Organisers and sponsors

The invitation to the event is issued by the International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin (CHR) in cooperation with UNESCO International Hydrological Program / International Sediment Initiative, the University of Berne and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment

Co-sponsors

Hydrologic Commission of Switzerland
National IHP-secretariats of the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland

Language

Working language of the workshop was English.
Working language during the field work was English and German.