Managing precious water resources
A workshop on the sustainable use and protection of groundwater resources and transboundary water management between Ukraine, Poland and Belarus took place in Lviv, Ukraine, on 22 and 23 May.
22-23 May 2007
The event was organised in the framework of the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme.
Groundwater resources will become increasingly significant for domestic economies in future. This is because surface waters – the main water source used by humans for ages – are becoming progressively contaminated. Some 60 per cent of water used by man eventually forms groundwater resources. It is important to study the factors that affect the formation of these resources in order to develop and implement systems for their protection.
This project aims to develop international cooperation for the implementation of water quality assessment and monitoring as a key aspect of sustainable land management. Key objectives are to strengthen common understanding of relevant technical and scientific issues; to provide guidelines and advice, which could promote more informed decision-making by policy makers and stakeholder groups; and to exchange knowledge and national experiences of protecting groundwater, particularly in urban and industrial areas, that could support future research.
Some 26 participants from six NATO countries, four Partner countries and two Mediterranean Dialogue countries attended the workshop, which was held in the Lviv Centre of Scientific, Technical and Economic Information.
