Final Conference of the SPI-Water project: Managing water related information in support

The Conference aims to:

Bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and water policy implementation
Presenting the enhanced WISE-RTD Web Portal as a tool for sharing water related research information and operational practices
Facilitating the transfer of WFD and IWRM experiences

Target group: Operational water managers, researchers, water policy implementation agencies, policy makers, EC project coordinators, consulting & engineering companies, scientific media, ... from Europe and outside Europe

The conference program will allow the attendances to get a clear overview on the actual status on European Water Information Management and related tools in support of WFD and IWRM implementation. To achieve this, a two day agenda is set up with the following items:
General issues related to EC support in the science/policy interfacing process with respect to the implementation of the WFD and its information needs will be presented. Also the actual status will be provided on other Environmental Information Systems that are in use worldwide.
Parallel workshop sessions are organized on practical topics like the latest developments on availability of water related information, the latest enhancements in WISE RTD through real life sessions, linking WISE-RTD with water related databases. Also specific WFD and IWRM experiences from EU and non-EU countries will be communicated.

A unique insight will be provided in the future plans of the EC with respect to the Water Information System Europe (WISE), the use and role of WISE-RTD, the organization of IWRM support to non-EU countries, the twinning processes, etc.

The conference will close with a round table discussion on the availability, sharing and linking of water related information. The sustainability and safeguarding of the available European Water Management Information will be an important issue here.

30 October 2008

9:00	Registration and coffee
10:00	Welcome (P. Swartenbroekx, HydroScan)
10:15	Why supporting interfacing between science and policy with respect to the WFD? (P. Balabanis & Ph. Quevauviller, EC)
10:45	Information needs for the WFD implementation in the Danube River Basin (B. Vogel, ICPDR)
11:15	Coffee break
11:45	What is SPI-Water? (G. Vaes, HydroScan)
12:15	The renewed WISE-RTD Web Portal (W. de Lange, Deltares)
12:45	Introduction to the workshops (K. Kober, MENBO)
13:00	Lunch
14:00 – 17:30 Parallel workshops
W1	Availability of water related information
W2	Background of the WISE-RTD Web Portal
W3	Intelligent support to upload research information and experiences
W4	Facilitating IWRM in non-EU countries, cases
W5	Facilitating IWRM in non-EU countries, best practices
W6	Interlinking aspects of EUGRIS related information
W7	Interlinking aspects of IWRM-net related information
W8	Experience and synthesis on interlinking with WISE-RTD
W9	Adaptive water management linked to WISE-RTD (NeWater)
W10	Demonstration of the WISE-RTD Web Portal
Night at the Belgian Comic Strip Center
18:00	Start visit museum
20:00	Conference dinner

31 October 2008

9:00	Arrivals and coffee
9:30	Outcome of the workshops (P. Willems, K.U.Leuven)
Looking into the future
10:15	IWRM support by EC to non-EU countries and twinning
10:30	WISE (EEA / DG ENV)
10:45	Information management of EC funded projects (DG RTD)
11:00	Coffee break
11:30	Round table discussion on availability, sharing and linking of information (DG RTD, DG ENV, EEA, ICPDR; moderator P. Muys)
12:30	A future for WISE-RTD (P. Swartenbroekx, HydroScan)
12:45	Final conclusion (DG RTD)
13:00	End of conference

WFD:	Water Framework Directive
IWRM:	Integrated Water Resources Management
WISE-RTD:	Water Information System for Europe Research and Technological Development

Contact information	Guido VAES (email: guido.vaes@hydroscan.be)
Event type	Conference
File link	http://spi-water.eu/spi-water.cgi?s_id=45&subid=45&end=_en
Source	SPI-Water project
Subject(s)	INFORMATION - COMPUTER SCIENCES , METHTODOLOGY - STATISTICS - DECISION AID , POLICY-WATER POLICY AND WATER MANAGEMENT
Relation	http://www.emwis.net/initiatives/fol060732/proj459292
Geographical coverage	Belgium
Address	The International Auditorium Brussels, International Trade Union House, Koning Albert II laan, No. 5 / 2, B-1210 Brussels, Belgium (Near the railway station Brussels-North)
Organizer	SPI-Water project, HydroScan Ltd., Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Target audience	Regional
Period	[30/10/2008 - 31/10/2008]
Status	Confirmed
Working language(s)	ENGLISH

PDF