In accordance with the data prepared by the Experts of the United Nations Organization (UNO), more than half of the planet’s damage caused by natural disasters annually was developed as a result of negative water impacts, floods and inflows.

Between the natural disasters, which cause considerable economical, social and ecological damages on our planet, the most significant place belongs to floods and inflows.In Georgia during the last 5 years the damage caused by flooded rivers and gullies has reached 2 milliard GEL (1.2 milliard US dollars) per annum and caused human victims.

In spite of the fact that all mankind during its long history of existence fought against this disasters, the safe ways to resolve such problems were not found until today. The above-mentioned can be confirmed by a lot of floods and their tragic results on different continents in the 21^st century, nothing to say about the samples of developing countries of the World. At the present stage science and engineering can not fight against the reasons causing these disasters, which are associated with current global climatic processes, and is constrained by search for different ways to fight against possible results. Among the existing measures we have to note flow control (removal of peak discharges using reservoirs), arrangement of bypassing (discharging) spillway routes, damming of protected areas, settlements and objects for different purposes, decrease in flow discharge by means of different agricultural and irrigation measures etc. But all of the above-mentioned methods and the efficiency of environmental protection depend on normal functioning of natural channels (riverbeds), which will provide accumulation of excessive water in the catchment basins and its following transportation directly to the intakes (reservoirs, seas, oceans).

Taking into account the mentioned above, the main requirements for channels is to provide the passage and permissible depths for the determined period of time to diminish any possible risk. The mentioned above can be reached by taking into account difficult hydrodynamic and morphologic processes taking place at any section of the river channels from headwaters to mouth. There will be taken into account hydrological properties of the rivers and physical-mechanical properties of soils in channels as well. Also, there will be taken into account ecological and social-economical aspects. The mentioned stochastic indices can not be controlled, and the passability of channels depends on different random parameters. But we can not assess them because of lack of complete and reliable information (lack of observations).

On September 23 – 28, the International Symposium “Floods and Modern Methods of their Control” dedicated to the eightieth anniversary of the Institute will be held under the aegis of UNESCO in the Institute of Water Management (Tbilisi). We will organize this symposium to provide exchange of information and cooperation with famous scientists and researchers to diminish the above-mentioned problems taking into account modern achievements. The International Organizing Committee of the Symposium will try to provide normal cooperation for scientists.

We expect for your participation in the symposium to be held on September 23-28, 2009. We want you not only to see the working conditions of the Institute, but also to discover the beauties of Georgia.  

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