ECO-GEOWATER is an initiative jointly promoted within the WATER-GIS thematic network by the Associations GISIG and Techware. It is a pool of Scientific High Level Conferences in the frame of the IHP (Improving Human Potential) programme of the Fifth Framework Programme. ECO-GEOWATER structures a pool of events to assess and present the state-of-the-art of the scientific research in the GIS discipline as support to the analysis and solution of the problems related to the water domain sciences.

The training impact is an increased knowledge of GIS technology and usability in the field, opening to young researchers a range of techniques and holistic tools to develop research in the Water domain.

The project impacts on attitude to European collaboration at different levels among:

It creates a scientific forum for expert scientists and young researchers, and open to the users.

Water is the fundamental resource for human life, with uses often conflicting one another and with environmental preservation. Most of the water issues incorporate a spatial dimension: Geographical Information (and GIS) is then able to support many activities of the water domain.

That suggests an effort for co-operation among experts, promoting the integration and the development of research in the geo-related aspects of theWater domain together with GI science and its tools.

ECO-GEOWATER answers the need of a transfer of knowledge and experience on the link between GI and water resources, in particular on the equilibrium preservation/exploitation of resources. The aim is to train young researchers on GI approaches, methods and techniques, with the purpose to improve their capacity in water resource evaluation and management.

ECO-GEOWATER individuates three leading streams (working groups), with key-note speakers covering these fields in a multidisciplinary way:

• Water Resources Assessment
• Water Use Management
• Natural Hazards

These streams will be integrated in a "catchment perspective", for addressing Catchment Information Systems (CIS) and contributing to River Basin Management Plans (RBMP), the current research approach in line with the EU policies (e.g. the EU Water Framework Directive).

ECO-GEOWATER foresees a series of "Euro-Events", addressed by the project Scientific Committee:

• EuroConference "Link Geo and Water Research", to address the ECO-GEOWATER streams and to assess their state-of-the-art, also presenting selected EU projects in the field.
• EuroLabCourse "GIS and Water Domain", to allow young researchers to get experience on GI tools and on their use for water applications.
• 3 EuroWorkshops focused on the selected leading streams, for an effective transfer of knowledge and enhancement of geo-research in these fields.
• EuroConference "GI for International River Basin Management in the Danube Basin", to collect the lessons from the working groups and to address their integration in a catchment perspective.

In addition to the above Euro-events, a "Virtual Permanent Conference" will be established as dissemination tool and to facilitate the access of young researchers to the geo and water communities at a European level.

Senior scientists and young researchers are the main target of the EuroEvents.

The ECO-GEOWATER initiative will last two and a half years. It aims to establish an operational network of researchers that, thanks to the organic structure of the working groups and the possibility of well timed events, will be able to play a role of introducing young researchers to a highly qualified training environment. Moreover, it will be for scientists an active

forum for knowledge update and for discussing in an interdisciplinary way the issues of their field and of the related research domains.

The project, while maintaining a high scientific level, will target also the world of users, both to exploit their experience/needs as input to the activity, and to ensure the best fall-out of the project achievements.

EU Programme "Improving human research potential and the socio-economic knowledge base": High-Level Scientific Conferences

Project No: HPCF-2001-00147

Keywords: Geographical Information, Water, Catchments, Mobility of young researchers

Project co-ordinator: GISIG

Partners: Techware and the host organisations (AMGA, Hydrocontrol, NERC, CNR-CSITE, Budapest University of Technology and Economics)

Milva Carbonaro, GISIG
Via Piacenza 54	Tel. +39 010 8355588
16138 Genova	Fax. +39 010 8357190
ITALY	Email: gisig@gisig.it
www.gisig.it/eco-geowater