20th Northern Research Basins Symposium and Workshop

Kiutaköngäs rapids, Oulanka national park, Kuusamo. © Johanna Korhonen

Goals of the 20th NRB symposium and workshop

“You will know the value of hydrological information when the tap goes dry.” This slight modification of the statement of Benjamin Franklin could be the motto of the 20th Northern Research Basins symposium and workshop, which will be held in Kuusamo, northern Finland in August 16-21, 2015.

The main theme of the 20th NRB will thus be “Value of hydrological information”.  According to the main objective of the NRB working group, we would be most interested in the value of information related to snow, ice and frozen ground. Globally, melting snow provides water for up to two billion people on all continents, even for some people in Africa. It also plays a key role in agriculture, hydropower production and industrial water supplies. Information related to changes in glaciers and various ice phenomena is of utmost importance e.g. in climate change research.

In 1975, the International Hydrological Program (IHP) National Committees of Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the USA and the USSR established the IHP working group on Northern Research Basins. The overall objective of the NRB working group is to encourage research in hydrological basins at northern latitudes where snow, ice and frozen ground have a dominant role in the hydrological cycle.

The Kuusamo meeting will thus be the 40th anniversary of the NRB, and the 20th NRB symposium/workshop. It is therefore good time to have a look at the history – and set new milestones for future research. Challenges are plentiful.

As in all previous NRB symposia/workshops, general sessions on aspects related to snow, ice and frozen ground will be included in the program. Particularly papers on the topics ”Climate change impacts on arctic environment”, ”New techniques in northern hydrological studies” and “Role of snow and ice in northern hydrology” are most welcome.

• Please send all enquiries related to the symposium: 20th-nrb@ymparisto.fi.

Important dates