中欧社会论坛 - China Europa Forum

The China-Europa Forum and the Chongqing Science & Technology Commission (CSTC) organise a joint workshop addressing the topic of “Healthy Rivers and the Implementation of Sustainable Water Resource Management”, with the participation of the Estuarine and Coastal Ecohydrology Group, operating within the framework of UNESCO IHP/MAB, and the University of Chongqing, China.

Ecohydrology is the science of the interplay between hydrology and biota. Therefore, as a new integrative science Ecohydrology involves finding solutions to issues surrounding water, people, and the environment. Ecohydrology considers the functional interrelations between hydrology and aquatic ecosystems and their biota at the catchment (watershed) scale. It considers the use of ecosystem processes as tools to meet freshwater resource management goals, such as enhancing natural processes of nutrient retention to avoid harmful algal blooms. In effect, it proposes a ’dual regulation’ of the system by simultaneously using ecological and hydrological processes to enhance the overall integrity of aquatic ecosystems in the face of human-mediated alterations. Ecohydrology does not specify the method of incorporating ecosystem processes into management programs, as that is site-specific. As part of the strategy, it focuses on understanding useful ecosystem processes and communicating that understanding to water managers in a way that enables incorporation into planned and existing programmes.

The Workshop is expected to:
 demonstrate the application of the ecohydrology approach to solve issues surrounding water, environment and people;
 contribute to the development of research on ecohy­drology, increasing scientific knowledge to implement integrated watershed management and identifying solutions for sustainable development in ecological and social systems in which water acts as a main driver; and
 provide qualitative and quantitative validation of the effectiveness of the ecohydrological approach in practice.
 provide the basis for the launching of a platform for decentralized cooperation between Europe and China which will aim to support focused projects and promote best practices through the use and coordination of available financial instruments .
 prepare the 2011 workshop in Europe