The Conservation and Management of Rivers (updated 12/3/2010)

20 Years On

An international conference at the University of York, UK 6-9 September 2010

 

 

Overview

In September 1990 the Nature Conservancy Council organised an international conference on ‘The Conservation and Management of Rivers’. The conference was truly international, attracting 337 delegates from 29 countries.

 

By September 2010 twenty years will have elapsed since the York conference.  A huge amount has changed in the world since then – economically, politically, culturally, scientifically. This conference will look back over this period and assess the changes in river conservation – how the environment has changed, how the legislation and policies that drive conservation have changed, how organisations have changed, how techniques for practising river conservation have changed, and how public attitudes have changed. What predictions did we make in 1990? Which have been proved accurate and which have not? Where have we succeeded and where have we failed?

 

The 2010 conference provides an opportunity both to share experience as we look back over the last 20 years, and to use the lessons of the past to look 20 years on into the future.

Aims

The conference, sponsored by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage and Natural England, will bring together all those with an interest in achieving greater integration of conservation within the management of river systems. It will provide a forum for scientists, policy makers, water resource managers, engineers and nature conservationists to:

 

• discuss the theory and practice of river conservation
• describe progress in different parts of the world
• define appropriate strategies for the future

 

The emphasis of the conference will be on habitat and wildlife conservation but will be set within the wider context of water management. The meeting will have a broad, international perspective, and will reflect the range of priorities within and between countries in the developed and developing world.

 

Organising Group

Professor Philip Boon (Scottish Natural Heritage) (Group chair)

Dr Nigel Holmes (Alconbury Environmental Consultants)

Chris Mainstone (Natural England)

Professor Peter Maitland (Fish Conservation Centre)

Vicky Morgan (Joint Nature Conservation Committee)

Professor Malcolm Newson (Tyne Rivers Trust)

Dr Roger Owen (Scottish Environment Protection Agency)

Professor Howard Platt (Northern Ireland Environment Agency)

Dr Paul Raven (Environment Agency)

Professor Chris Spray (University of Dundee)

 

Dates and venue

The conference will return to the same venue as in 1990 (Central Hall, University of York), and will run from Monday 6 September to Thursday 9 September 2010.

 

Programme

Papers on the following topics are likely to be included in the programme:

 

• Philosophy of conservation – historical and global perspectives
• Catchment characteristics and river ecosystems
• The case for conservation – threats to river systems, trends in the state of rivers, the value of protection
• River classification/assessment of conservation potential
• Ecosystem integrity – biological, chemical, hydromorphological
• New methods and approaches
• Ecosystem services and environmental economics
• The integration of habitat and wildlife conservation with wider management objectives
• Catchment management
• River management – overall objectives, channel engineering, riparian zones, catchment control, fluvial changes
• Adaptive management
• The relevance of climate change to river conservation
• Evidence-based management and monitoring
• The recovery and rehabilitation of rivers and streams
• Integrating river conservation with recreation and amenity
• Protecting rivers by legislation – geographical overviews
• Public involvement in river conservation and management

 

Each part of the programme will start with a keynote address, followed by papers selected by the Organising Group from those offered. Keynote speakers are likely to include Professor Malcolm Newson (UK), Professor Stuart Bunn (Australia), Professor David Dudgeon (Hong Kong), Robin Abell (USA) and Professor Jay O’Keeffe (The Netherlands). Our after-dinner speaker will be Professor Brian Moss (UK).

 

The organisers will encourage the display of poster papers, and these will be reviewed towards the end of the conference in an oral paper presented by an invited speaker.

 

A selection of papers from the conference will be published by Wiley-Blackwell in an edited book, as a sequel to River Conservation and Management ¹derived from the York conference in 1990.

 

Indicative costs

The conference fees will be set out in the third circular, together with a booking form. It is likely that the full fee covering attendance at all conference sessions, accommodation at the University of York, and all meals will be approximately £420 with a reduction of £50 for early booking. Concessionary rates and rates for attending individual conference days may also be available.

 

 

To secure a place at the conference please download Third Circular and complete the booking form, then forward to York University following their link. Even if you have already registered, booking is essential to secure a place at the conference.

 

 

For other conference related queries other than booking please contact