Objective
The essential provision of water resources to meet social needs and the demands of economic development comes up against the considerable increase in demand for water, both for human consumption and for production, and against the constraints on use of resources because of their pollution in various forms. This fact, which is experienced in all the different phases of the water cycle, has raised awareness of the necessity of protecting free groundwater resources.
The main objective of COST 67 will be to provide a critical assessment of the present knowledge of the most important relevant factors (physical, chemical, geohydrological or biological) and to discuss several approaches to the consideration of the interaction between various transport, transfer and transformation processes. The main foci of the Action will therefore be:
the improvement of the understanding of coupling between chemistry and transport in heterogeneous natural porous media with particular emphasis on processes such as sorption, precipitation, redox reactions and colloidal matter transport at different scales (from molecular to mega-scale);
the narrowing of the gap between laboratory experiments, field studies and numerical modelling in the hydrogeochemical transport;
establishing a framework for geochemical kinetic databases.
A further important aspect of COST 67 is the substantial simplification of access to aquifers in many different geological formations such as alluvial materials in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, or granitic bedrocks in Scandinavia. Close collaboration between scientists from the different countries will facilitate contact between the groundwater protection agencies of the different countries and encourage the mutual understanding of the groundwater protection policies of the different European countries with respect to the global water cycle.
Current status
COST 67 held the 1st Management Committee meeting in April 1994, when the Chairman, Dr Ph. BEHRA (F), and Vice-chairman, Dr S Banwart (UK), were elected. After the 2nd MC-meeting in September 1994 the Management Committee represented 12 participating countries and after the signing of UK in March 1995, the Action has a total of 13 participating countries. COST 67 is further organised in 3 Working Groups with the Co-ordinators listed below :
Working Group 1 : "Process Studies" (Dr L. CHARLET)
Working Group 2 : "Field Studies" (Dr Ketil HAARSTAD & Dr P. WERSIN)
Working Group 3 : "Modelling" (Dr. M. SARDIN & Dr W. INZELBACH)
We have so far arranged two MCM per year and the scientific programmes of the Working Groups were adapted to the objectives of the Action. Potential reference sites have been identified and the work on/with them will start end-1996. COST 66 Action has many similarities to COST Action 67 and the two Actions are working together in several fields.
Several of the scientists has been on Short-Term Scientific Missions.
Work planned
An important task, through the WG 1 "Field Studies", has been" to establish Reference field sites for collaborative studies. So far 7 sites have been selected, and the 7th MC/WG meeting visited the one in Debrecen (H). The next meeting will be at the new Norwegian airport at Gardemoen where, for many years, the builders have been registering possible environmental pollution.
There is very good co-operation with COST 66, and the two Actions are planning a joint congress in Strasbourg (F) in late- 1998. The co-operation has resulted in the two Actions together planning new Actions to be started in 1998 when the COST 67 Action ends.
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
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1049 Brussels
Belgium