Introduction

River Basin Management 2013 is the seventh conference in this series which marks the growing international interest in the planning, design and management of river basin systems.

The importance of the appropriate management of river basins is becoming increasingly evident. Current concerns are water scarcity, quality and the need to control possible catastrophic events such as floods and a whole range of associated problems like landslides, erosion and many others related to river basins.

Significant advances have been made in the monitoring, analysis and prediction of the behaviour of riverine systems resulting in a better understanding of their mechanisms and the possibility of optimising these resources as well as being able to control or mitigate the effects of major disasters. These developments have been the result of better surveying and measuring techniques, as well as the use of increasingly accurate computer codes. They are also the fruit of better communication between practitioners and academics, through their interaction in joint research projects and regular meetings, including international conferences.

The conference aims to communicate recent advances in the overall management of riverine systems, including advances in hydraulic and hydrologic modelling, ecology, environmental management and flood forecasting.

The first River Basin Management conference took place in Cardiff, UK in 2001, followed by a meeting in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (2003) and another in Bologna, Italy (2005); the fourth in Kos, Greece (2007); the fifth in Malta (2009) and the sixth in Riverside, California (2011).