1 - Introduction

Summary

We are pleased to offer the reader a volume consisting of contributions of the Third George Kovacs Colloquium held in UNESCO, Paris from September 19 to 21, 1996. It is a continuation of a series of biannual international scientific meetings organized jointly under the auspices of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) of UNESCO and the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) in the challenging fields of water resources research. These meetings commemorate the late Professor George Kovacs, established authority in hydrology, who paid valuable service to both organizations convening this Colloquium. Professor Kovacs was Chairman of the Intergovernmental Council of the IHP of UNESCO and President of the IAHS.

The theme of the Colloquium, “Risk, Reliability, Uncertainty, and Robustness of Water Resources Systems,” denotesan essential recent growth area of research into water resources, with challenges and difficulties galore. The two-and-a-half-day Colloquium included twenty-four oral presentations covering a broad range of scientific issues. It dealt with different facets of uncertainty in hydrology and water resources and with several aspects of risk, reliability, and robustness.

The contributions to the Colloquium concentrated on the state-of-the-art approaches to the inherent problems. They also outline the possible future, identify challenging prospects for further research and applications. Presentations included both theoretical and applied studies, while several papers dealt with regional problems. Methodological contributions focused on underlying concepts and theories.

The presentations at the Colloquium, based on invitation, were delivered in three categories: keynote lectures, invited lectures, and young scientists' communications. Contributions belonging to all three categories are included in this volume.