 The delegates of the Yellow River Authority with Professor Brebbia in front of the Institute |
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Professor Carlos Brebbia, Director of WIT, welcomed them to Ashurst Lodge and explained the different initiatives at the Institute which relate closely to Water Resources studies. He emphasised WIT’s commitment to supporting industry and the ever expanding consultancy work of the Institute’s Industrial Research Division.
WIT’s activities in the field of Water Resources are internationally well known, not only because of the conferences organised by the Institute and the many publications produced by WIT Press, but also due to its research projects. These projects, supported by a variety of organisations involve many partners and concern environmental and ecological problems as well as hydraulics matters.
The Institute has become increasingly concerned with environmental and ecological problems including those in water resources, and the launch of the Prigogine Medal has been a major step in emphasising these commitments. The award given in conjunction with the University of Siena usually involves ecological system modelling related to water resources.
Professor Brebbia explained that the Institute can provide advanced training in a variety of water resources related topics from very technical ones to those dealing with economic and social issues.
Professor Brebbia then introduced the Head of the Environmental Fluid Mechanics Division at WIT, Professor Viktor Popov, who deals with a variety of water related problems. Professor Popov explained the current work in chemical dispersion through fractured rocks, remediation studies of a polluted aquifer, effects of pharmaceuticals in water and how contamination can occur in the food chain. A particularly interesting problem now being studied by WIT in association with colleagues in three other countries concerns the water balance between three different lakes. The variation in water levels is a major cause of concern in the region and understanding of the reasons for this behaviour is becoming urgent.
Professor Popov ended his presentation by referring to other projects in which his Division has been involved in the past.
A general discussion followed the presentations and then Professor Zhou congratulated Professor Brebbia on the excellence of the research carried out at WIT. The discussion centred on ways in which WIT could help with the training of Yellow River Basin personnel and the type of short courses it could offer. At the same time, WIT would be happy to undertake research in collaboration with the Basin authorities in a wide variety of environmental and ecological issues affecting the region.
At the end of the meeting, Professor Zhou presented Professor Brebbia with a framed picture depicting a marionette used for shadow theatrical shows. They are typical of the region of Xi’an where the River Basin authority is based.
Professor Carlos Brebbia receiving a gift from Professor Zhou
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