Time for Nature! 5 June is World Environment Day
The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature. Despite all the benefits that our nature gives us, we still mistreat it. With our increasing demands, humans have pushed nature beyond its limit. In the last 50 years, the human population has doubled, the global economy has almost quadrupled and global trade has increased by about ten times.
Since 1974, World Environment Day has been celebrated every year on 5 June. In 2020, the theme is biodiversity.
Biodiversity describes the variety of life on Earth. It encompasses the 8 million species on the planet, the ecosystems that house them, and the genetic diversity among them. Biodiversity may be seen as an intricate web, in which each part is interdependent.
Ecohydraulics, at the intersection of two historically different disciplines, ecology and hydraulics, is well positioned to contribute with Nature-Based Solutions to the protection of biological diversity while ensuring more sustainable and resilient societies.
IAHR is taking part in the commemoration of World Environment Day and would like to share with you a summary of its related activities and information resources in this field.
Technical committee on ecohydraulics
Some of the major challenges of the field of ecohydraulics lie in becoming more integrated as a discipline, developing a common vocabulary and a collective vision, engaging effectively with policy-makers and encouraging public participation. Formed by experts, scientists and professionally active members in this area, the IAHR technical committee on ecohydraulics contributes to the advancement of the discipline while providing a forum for the exchange of information among and between researchers and practitioners.
Furthcoming related events
The 13th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics has organized a web seminar on 23-24 November 2020 to discuss aquatic ecosystem science and management related issues. Join the seminar!
From 4 to 9 July 2021 in Granada, Spain, the 39th IAHR World Congress will bring together leading experts to help address the world’s most pressing water environment engineering challenges. Environmental and biodiversity considerations are fully integrated into the Congress programme. Organisations, companies, experts, young professionals, policy makers, scientists,… Why don’t you join us? You can participate in many ways!
Journals and articles
Journal of Ecohydraulics
The Journal of Ecohydraulics contributes to a better understanding of the state and drivers of biodiversity loss and the contribution biological diversity can make for a sustainable future. The journal embodies the varied research undertaken in ecohydraulics, covering water resources and aquatic life, ecology, biology, hydraulics, engineering, geoscience, environmental science, climate change, and other related fields, with an emphasis on the integration of these disciplines.
A selection of articles offered for free from the Journal of Ecohydraulics
In the framework of the International Day for Biological Diversity, IAHR offers for free a selection of highly-cited papers from the Journal of Ecohydraulics until 1 July 2020.
Microhabitat competition between Iberian fish species and the endangered Júcar nase (Parachondrostoma arrigonis; Steindachner, 1866)
Competition with invasive species is recognized as having a major impact on biodiversity conservation. The upper part of the Cabriel River (Eastern Iberian Peninsula) harbours the most important population of the Júcar nase, a fish species in imminent danger of extinction. Currently, this species cohabits with several non-native species. This study represents an important assessment of potential habitat competition and, therefore, these results might assist to better define future management practices in the upper part of the Cabriel River.
The presence of small weirs, far more numerous than dams, has increased habitat fragmentation on rivers worldwide. This study aims to evaluate the upstream passage performance of a potamodromous cyprinid, the Iberian barbel, over an experimental broad-crested weir by varying key-hydraulic parameters. The outcomes of this work will help engineers and biologists to establish design criteria for requalification of small barriers in order to improve fish passage and habitat connectivity.
Increasing awareness of the complexity of river ecosystems has led to the emergence of integrative disciplines that combine topics in river physical and ecological processes, exemplified by the disciplines of ecohydrology, hydroecology and ecohydraulics. However, the names of these disciplines are often referred to interchangeably without attention paid to their meaning. This ambiguity impairs the efficient development and widespread promotion of these fields of study and their applications. To address this issue, this article strives to clarify the definitions and contributions of the different disciplines.
This paper reports the morphology of a natural patch of Ranunculus penicillatus and presents high-resolution measurements of flow velocities in its wake using a stereoscopic PIV field measurement system. The methods and results of this work will be useful for planning other in situ studies. Also, the reported data on macrophyte geometry and biometrics will assist with the design of more realistic replicas for use in laboratory studies.
A selection of biological diversity related articles from other IAHR journals
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From the Journal of Hydraulic Research (JHR)
In addition to its classical tasks, hydraulic engineering has evolved to deal with water quality, environmental issues and ecology, and it is further broadened by the new challenges posed by the need for sustainable development and by the threat of global changes. This evolution must be reflected both in contents and methods of teaching. In his report, a joint IAHR and UNESCO panel addresses the current developments in hydraulic engineering and their implications for the education of hydraulic engineers.
The volume of research in vegetation hydrodynamics has exploded in recent years, as we realize that many environmental functions are influenced by vegetation. Mainly, vegetation hydrodynamics plays an important role on environmental restoration, resource management, and carbon cycling. This paper highlights some recent trends in vegetation hydrodynamics, focusing on conditions within channels and spanning spatial scales from individual blades, to canopies or vegetation patches, to the channel reach. Paper awarded with the 2013 Harold Jan Schoemaker Award.
From the Journal of Applied Water Engineering and Research (JAWER)
River bank stabilisation by bioengineering: potentials for ecological diversity [Available open access]
Riverbanks hold a key position on functionality of floodplains as they constitute the gradual transition between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. However, due to technical constructions the majority of riverbanks in temperate regions are far from their ecological potential. This results in the loss of valuable habitats and biodiversity. The need for restoration is high but hardly compatible with economic interests. This article presents a first comparative analysis of different kinds of bioengineering measures across two river types in Germany to evaluate the ecological impact on vegetation and three animal groups (fish, macrozoobenthos and birds).
From the Journal of River Basin Management (JRBM)
Major issues in Large River Basin Management occur from the watershed to local scale. Integrated river research and management is needed in order to unify the so-far existing isolated analysis of specific topics, such as floods, droughts or sediments. Rivers are the lifelines in the landscape and form the hotspots of biodiversity. The 10 articles in this special issue focus on large river hydrology, hydraulics, sediment transport, river morphology, water quality, groundwater interaction and flood hazard management.
IAHR media library
Green sea turtle. Courtesy of Dr Marian Muste, IIHR Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa.
The IAHR media library provides access to free downloadable photos and videos on hydraulics, hydrology and water resources. You can search by keywords or by browsing through different categories. You can also contribute your own media!
NewsFlash World
NewsFlash World is the electronic newsletter from the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR). Distributed free of charge to those interested in hydro-environment engineering, sustainability and research, it provides information on IAHR activities and communities around the world. Subscribe to get the latest IAHR news and updates sent straight to your inbox.