French and Dutch Versions are available on request 1. Committee Activities during the period January 1995 - August 1996
1.1 Meetings of the Belgian National Committee of the IHP (BNC IHP) 1.1.1 Decisions on the composition of the Committee
The Committee has always, since being in existence, been composed of representatives from scientific laboratories and university laboratories:
from federal or regional ministries and administrations and from organisations and companies with activities related to water. During the period 199596, the Committee consisted of 38 members under the chairmanship of two co-presidents: Mr. ir. D. Brumagne (French- speaking) and Prof. A. Van der Beken (Dutch-speaking). At the Committee meeting on 12 September 1996, Mr. ir. J. Laurent \tas elected as new French-speaking co-president for a period of 3 years.
Mr. J. Laurent is general Inspector of the “Division Etudes et Programmes du Ministere wallon de I’Equipement et des Transports”, responsible for hydraulic and hydrological studies. Professor A. Van der Beken was re-elected for the Dutch-speaking members.
The secretariat of the BNC is supported by the office of the non-profit making European association TECHWARE (TECHnology for WAter REsources) which is based at the Brussels Intercommunal Water Company (C.I.B.E.)
At this meeting, the Committee decided to review it’s composition and to open up the Committee to representatives of interdisciplinary bodies.
1.1.2. Account of activities of IHP-IV
Apart from the individual activities of the Members of IHP-IV, the BNC has been most prominent in IHP-IV on an intermediary basis in the two Postgraduate Hydrology courses and in training courses in Belgium. It must also be noted that during IHP-IV, Belgium \vas a member of the Intergovernmental Council.
1.1.3. Decisions on the contribution to IHP-V
Several Members replied to the appeal to contribute to the IHP-V.
Some Members of the BNC were held back by the IHP-V Bureau for certain themes of the IHP-V.
1.2. National Activities within the framework of IHP
Collaboration with other national or international organisations or programmes
The BNC also channels information from the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) and from the European network EurAqua (European Network of freshwater research organisations).
1.3 Education and Training Course
1.3.1. Contribution to the IHP courses
The BNC sponsors two Postgraduate Hydrology courses which are part of the IHP network.
* Le Diplame SpCcial Interuniversitaire en Hydrologie (D.S.I.H.) started in 198 1 and has progressively grovvn, from only having 2 students in it’s first year, to around 30 students in 1990, finally to 50 students currently on the course.
Approximately 80% of these students come from developing countries and the remaining 20% come from European countries.
In relation to the standardisation of European degrees. it was granted that the degree be classified as a Degree in Specialised Studies giving the title D.E.S. in Hydrology.
The programme consists of 4 15 compulsory teaching hours spread over the different parameters of the vvater cycle:
- Hydrometeorology - Agrohydrology
- Hydrology of the unsaturated zone - Surface hydrology
l physiography t runoff
l sediment transport
l hydrometry and metrology . floods and low flows - Hydrogeology
- Hydrochemistry
- Balances and water management models - Legislation
As a follow-on, the students must take 150 optional hours of the course in the fields of:
- Study and prospection of groundwater, including geophysical methods
- Recharge of aquifers
- Mathematical modelling and geo-informatics - Agrohydrology (including irrigation and drainage) - Hydraulic constructions, surface reservoirs, darns....
- Urban hydrology, sewer networks, flood and low flow forecasting - Water supply networks
- Pollution and water treatment - Coastal zones and estuaries - Land use
At the end of the course a dissertation ,of a minimum of 200 hours.
must be presented.
The programme is organised by the Universite de Liege, the Universite Libre de Bruxelles, the Universite Catholique de Louvain and the Faculte des Sciences Agronomiques de Gembloux, which share among themselves various courses. The Polytechnic Faculty of Mons participates in the programme in the area of optional courses and/or the dissertation.
The degree was recognised from the beginning as 3rd cycle training by the National Foundation of Scientific Research. The programme may be completed in 1 year but is usually carried out over 2 years. It is accessible by university graduates of Faculties of Applied Sciences. of Faculties of Science and of Faculties of Agronomic Science. The acceptance of other graduates may be possible in agreement wit the Scientific Committee responsible for the management of the programme. Possibly, pre-requisite courses may be initiated.
The D.S.I.H. is co-ordinated by the Laboratoires de geology de I’ingenieur, of hydrogeologie et de prospection geophysique de IUniversity de Liege, Facultt des Sciences appliquees.
* The “Interuniversity Programme in Water Resources Engineering” (IUPWARE)
This programme was established in 1994 when the Postgraduate in Hydrology, taught at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) since 1979, and the Postgraduate in Irrigation, taught at the Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven (KUL) since 1981, decided to join together on a single programme. The programme is taught in English with a duration of 2 years: the first year is general for everyone, and is taught at Leuven giving a diploma of advanced studies in “water resources engineering”.
For the second year, the students can choose between the options of
“hydrology”, “irrigation” or “water quality management” The courses are taught in Brussels and Louvain. A research thesis is obligatory and
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the student must achieve an MSc degree in Water Resources Engineering. The other Flemish universities work together on the programme. The number of students enrolled for the academic year 1995/96 was 35 in the first year and 25 in the second year of the course.
Each year the percentage of students who come from developing countries is around 80 to 90%.
Furthermore, IUPWARE has agreements of co-operation with A. the
“Posfgrado Interuniversitario “Diploma en Recursos Hidricos” at the Universidad Mayor San Simon (UMSS), Cochamba, Bolivia. The programme is part of a long-term agreement in which the Diploma Recursos Hidricos is a mirror-programme of the first year of IUPWARE. The aim is to develop a complete MSc programme, equivalent to the IUPWARE programme, in the second stage of the co- operation agreement;
B. “International Post-graduate Course on Hydrological Methods of Developing Environmental Management” organised by VITUKI in Budapest (Hungary). The agreement was initiated in 1995/96 and includes 1” funding for participants of countries of Central and Eastern Europe and of the new states of the former Soviet Union, 2” exchanges of teachers and researchers, 3” placements for thesis work, 4” CAL (Computer Aided Learning).
1.3.2. Organisations of specific courses
For the third time the “International Training Course on Management of Information in Science and Technology (hIIST3) with an emphasis on information related to water and the environment” was organised from December 1995 until March 1996 with twelve participants from Africa and Asia. MIST3 is organised by Dr. P. Nieuwenhuysen of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) with the support of the Administration G&r&ale de Cooperation au Developpement (AGCD).
IUPWARE also organised a summer course for the third time. from mid-July to mid-September, entitled “Micro-computer applications in water resources engineering”. This course is particularly geared towards the Alumni IUPWARE. In 1995196 there were 25 participants on this course.
1.5. Participation in international scientific meetings
Dr. G; Demarle, Member of the BNC organised the international conference
“Tropical Climatology, Meteorology and Hydrology - in memoriam F.
Bultot (19241995)“, Brussels, 22-24 May 1996.
This international conference was attended by 150 science experts from Europe, Africa, North, Central and South America and Asia. It was a contribution to the 6th Theme of the IHP: “Hydrology in an humid tropical zone”.
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1.6. Other activities at a regional level
The Royal Institute for the sustainable Management of natural resources and the Promotion of clean Technology (IRGT / KINT) was recently created and sponsored a thorough study of floods in Belgium over the past years. Several Members of the BNC took part in this study. In this context it must be pointed out that the Dienst Hydrologisch Onderzoek (DIHO) of the Department Environment / Infrastructure of the Ministry of the Flemish Region as well as the Service d’Etudes hydrologiques (SETHY) of the Ministere wallon de 1’ Equipement et des Transports (M.E.T.) have a constant warning service giving hydrological information working 24 hours a day during flood periods.
Those responsible for these services have recently created, with their counterparts from France and the Netherlands, a “Work Group for the prevention of Floods in the Meuse basin” (G.T.I.M.), notably planned for a large operational programme of European interest.
2. Future Activities
An international symposium on the “Floods of the Meuse” will probably be held in Spring 1998. A second international conference “Tropical Climatology, Meteorology and hydrology (TCMH-2000)” will take place in Brussels, May 2000.
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