12th International SedNet Conference (online) : Sediment Challenges and Opportunities due to Climate Change and Sustainable Development

“Sediment Challenges and Opportunities due to Climate Change and Sustainable Development” 

in partnership with BRGM and the Hauts de France Region

Simultaneous event with I2SM 7th International Symposium on Sediment Management

It was planned to organise the conference in Lille, France. But due to sanitary and travel restrictions related to COVID19, we have changed to an online version. 

Background
Sediments found in upland streams, industrialised waterways, busy coastal zones and offshore waters are characterized by a wide variety of sediment properties in dynamic and less dynamic areas. These areas are inherently interlinked as sediment is transported from catchment to the open sea. The natural flow of sediment from mountainous regions to the ocean is strongly impacted by anthropogenic activities along this journey in terms of both the quantity that is transported and the quality of transporting waters. Sediment distribution is not only impacted by direct human influence but also indirectly as a result of changing weather and climate patterns. A change in sediment dynamics leading to sediment starvation or sediment accumulation is often the concern of river basin and coastal managers who constantly need to adapt to these environmental variations.

Often overlooked, there may be direct and indirect effects of climate change on sediment quality, too. More frequent flash floods may erode deeper and older, more contaminated sediment layers and spread it onto flood plains. Increased UV radiation may change degradation of contaminants. Increased water temperatures will have an effect of contaminant transfer in the food chain. Little information is currently available to predict whether sediment managers will have to cope with greater or different quality problems in future due to the climatic changes.

Conference Programme
At the SedNet 2021 conference a series of sessions aiming to explore these challenges and proposed solutions have been scheduled. This includes how policies and plans are developed for the range of often interlinked issues experienced along the journey from upland areas to the deeper waters.  Questions related to how sediment quality should be assessed, sediment as an ecosystem service and how excess sediment can be used beneficially shall be addressed. The challenges posed as a result of anthropogenic influences, resource exploitation and climate change shall also be explored as well as examination of emerging contaminants from waste and waste water.

The thematic sessions are:

• Climate change and sediments: direct and indirect consequences and opportunities
• Sediment habitats, biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Circular economy – sediment as a resource
  Remediation and uses / Building with dredged materials and/or sediments
• Sediment assessment and management – concepts and policies
  Sediment quality assessment, analytical methods, quality guidance / Policy for sediment management / Transboundary sediments & innovative maintenance of river delta sea systems
• How to deal with emerging substances / PFAS / Microplastics 
• Impacts of disturbed sediment continua and mitigation measures?
  Sediment balance / Understanding sediment fluxes and budgets on a river basin scale / HORIZON Europe / Land use impact of sustainable sediment management
• Sediments in coastal-marine management and EU strategies
  Horizon Europe / Blue Growth

The conference programme is expected to become available in the course of May or early June. You will find here an overview of the conference structure and confirmed platform presentations and poster presentations per today.

Registration
Please complete and submit the registration form if you wish to participate to the event.
Conference fee:
– regular fee: 250 euro excl. 21% VAT
– students: 100 euro excl. 21% VAT
The SedNet Secretariat (Deltares) will send you within a couple of days after registration an invoice by email, which you can pay via banktransfer or by credit card.

People who have registered for the I2SM conference have free access to the SedNet conference and don’t need to register for the SedNet conference.

Documents
Conference structure and confirmed presentations
Call for Abstracts (incl. description of thematic sessions)