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Cooperation
The idea behind the cooperation with
others is to join forces and capabilities in order to
assist each other in achieving common goals/objectives.
However, this will only work if there is no conflicting
mission, vision and ambition. Under that condition,
cooperation on a ‘case-by-case’ basis can also be
considered.
Cooperating networks or
organizations
CEDA
Website:
www.dredging.org
The Central Dredging Association, CEDA,
is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental,
professional society. It provides a forum for all those
involved in activities related to dredging and who live
or work in Europe, Africa or the Middle-East. CEDA
encompasses a wide range of disciplines and activities
and does not represent the interests of any particular
industry sector. CEDA is a member of the World
Organisation of Dredging Associations, WODA (www.woda.org).
Common Forum
Website: www.commonforum.eu
The general objectives of Common Forum are to develop
strategies for the management and treatment of
contaminated sites and for land recycling with respect
to “sustainable resource protection” for contaminated
land and groundwater. Common Forum holds regular
meetings to discuss important and current issues in
these fields. When possible, common views are developed
and expertise is offered to the European Commission,
relevant stakeholder networks and European Union
research projects. Many Common Forum members participate
in stakeholder groups in European Union research
projects or participate in discussions at workshops
where results of European Union projects are presented.
The publication of the European Union thematic strategy
for the protection of soil by the European Commission in
2002 marked the transition towards a more formal
European Union policy. As most Common Forum members need
to advise their Ministers in the European Union Soil
policy discussion, an exchange of technical arguments
and information on political positions is very
informative even if they lead to different national
conclusions.
| Common Forum intends to continue to provide this “mutual
professional support” by: |
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being a platform for exchange of knowledge and
experiences, |
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establishing a discussion platform on policy,
research, technical and managerial concepts of
contaminated land, |
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being a platform for initiating and following-up of
international projects among members, |
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offering an exchange of expertise to the European
Commission and to European networks. |
DGE
DGE started as an informal bilateral platform between
Germany and The Netherlands at administration level (Dutch-German
Exchange). The main objective is the exchange of
knowledge, information and experience in the field of
dredged material management. Since its beginnings in
1999, several meetings have been organized, in which
subjects such as legislation, risk assessment and
dredged material treatment were discussed. The results
of these discussions have been put down in thematic
reports which can be downloaded from the SedNet website.
Since 2005 DGE has been extended to DGE+ with new member
countries UK, France, Belgium, and Denmark.
ECSA
Website:
www.ecsa-news.org
The Estuarine & Coastal Sciences Association is an
international organisation dedicated to the study of all
aspects of estuarine and coastal marine science, and
also the application of science for conservation and
environmental management. Although the traditional focus
of ECSA lies in Europe, activities, interests and
membership now extend to many other global regions. ECSA
has been involved in the organization of nearly 50
conferences to date, averaging one or more major events
each year. Conferences have been held worldwide with
future events planned for South Africa, China and
various locations across Europe. ECSA has also supported
many local meetings concerning individual estuaries or
coastal areas, and occasionally arranges scientific
workshops. ECSA has an associated international journal
Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science and also supports
the production of a variety of other scientific
publications including a Bulletin for members, with two
issues each year. ESCA is the successor to the Estuarine
and Brackish-Water Sciences Association which was
founded in 1971. ECSA is a registered charity.
ESPO
Website: www.espo.be
The mission of the European Sea Ports Organisation, ESPO,
is to influence public policy in the EU to achieve a
safe, efficient and environmentally sustainable European
port sector, operating as a key element of a transport
industry where free and undistorted market conditions
prevail, as far as practicable.
EurAqua
Website:
www.euraqua.org
Euraqua is the European network of Freshwater Research
Organisations. The aim of this network is to contribute
to the development of European freshwater science and
its dissemination on a European scale. Thus it has a
significant input on the development of the scientific
basis of European water management. The EurAqua Partner
institutions are leading, generally governmental,
freshwater research institutions in the Member States of
the European Union plus Norway and Switzerland.
EuroGeoSurveys
Website:
www.eurogeosurveys.org
EuroGeoSurveys is an organisation of 32 European
Geological Surveys. Their statutory aims are to address
European issues, to promote contribution of geosciences
to EU affairs, to assist EU to obtain technical advice
and to provide a network between the geological surveys.
EuroGeoSurveys aims at providing the European
Institutions with expert, neutral, balanced and
practical pan-European advice and information as an aid
to problem-solving, policy, regulatory and programme
formulation in areas such as: |
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the use and the management of on- and off-shore
natural resources related to the subsurface of the Earth,
(energy, including the renewable geothermal energy;
minerals and water, soils, underground space and land); |
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the identification of natural hazards of geological
origin, their monitoring and the mitigation of their
impacts (deficit or excess of trace elements in soils
and waters, earthquakes, natural emissions of hazardous
gases, landslides and rockfalls, land heave and
subsidence, shrinking and swelling clays; |
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environmental management, waste management and
disposal; land-use planning; |
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sustainable urban development and safe construction; |
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e- government and the access to geoscientific metadata
and data; |
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the development of interoperable and harmonised
geoscientific data at the European scale. |
The portal of EuroGeoSurveys provides an access to
geoscientific metadata, information and knowledge at
European and national scales, following the links in the
thematic pages. It also presents information on
EuroGeoSurveys its activities and the Member
Organizations.
LOICZ
Website: www.loicz.org
Land-Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone, LOICZ, seeks
to inform the scientific community, policymakers,
managers and stakeholders on the relevance of global
environmental change in the coastal zone. The LOICZ
Project Office is based at the Royal Netherlands
Institute for Sea Research in the Netherlands. LOICZ is
a core project of the International Geosphere Biosphere
Programme (IGBP) and the International Human Dimensions
Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP). The
International Council for Science (ICSU) is the
scientific sponsor of the four international global
environmental change programmes IGBP, IHDP, World
Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and DIVERSITAS (An
international programme of biodiversity science). The
LOICZ Project has run for more than 13 years (1992-2005)
and is scheduled to run until 2012. The new Science Plan
and Implementation Strategy for LOICZ have been ratified
by IGBP and IHDP and are available through the LOICZ
website.
NORMAN
Website:
www.norman-network.net
The Network of reference laboratories for monitoring of
emerging environmental pollutants NORMAN started its
activities in September 2005 with the financial support
of the European Commission and it is now established as
a permanent self-sustaining network, of reference
laboratories, research centres and related organisations
for the monitoring and bio-monitoring of emerging
environmental substances.
| The NORMAN mission is to: |
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enhance the exchange of information and collection of
data on emerging environmental substances; |
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encourage the validation and harmonisation of common
measurement methods and monitoring tools so that the
demands of risk assessors can be better met; |
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ensure that knowledge on emerging pollutants is
maintained and developed by stimulating coordinated,
interdisciplinary projects on collaborative,
problem-oriented research and knowledge transfer to
address identified needs. |
NORMAN operates via the organisation of a number of
activities, including expert group meetings, workshops,
databases and methods validation exercises.
PIANC
Website: http://pianc.org/
PIANC, the world association for waterborne transport
infrastructure, is a worldwide non-political and
non-profit making technical and scientific organization
of private individuals, corporations and national
governments. PIANC's objective is to promote the
maintenance and operation of both inland and maritime
navigation by fostering progress in the planning,
design, construction, improvement, maintenance and
operation of inland and maritime waterways and ports and
of coastal areas for general use in industrialized and
industrializing countries. Facilities for fisheries,
sport and recreational navigation are included in
PIANC's activities. PIANC was founded in 1885 and is the
oldest international association concerned with these
technical aspects of navigation. It has made - and
continues to make - a vital contribution to technical
development in this field.
River Basin Commissions
Website: several
The catchment areas of several important European rivers
fall within the territories of more than one country.
International Commissions were established by the
countries along these rivers and by the European
Commission to jointly ensure the sustainable and
equitable use of waters and freshwater resources in the
transboundary river basins. To date SedNet already
co-operates with the International Commissions for the
Protection of the Rhine (www.iksr.org), the Elbe (www.ikse.de),
the Danube (www.icpdr.org), and the Oder (www.mkoo.pl).
SETAC-SEDAG
Website:
www.setac.org
The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry,
SETAC, is a nonprofit, worldwide professional society
comprised of individuals and institutions engaged in:
1)
the study, analysis, and solution of environmental
problems;
2) the management and regulation of natural
resources;
3) environmental education and
4) research
and development.
SETAC's mission is to support the development of
principles and practices for protection, enhancement and
management of sustainable environmental quality and
ecosystem integrity. SETAC promotes the advancement and
application of scientific research related to
contaminants and other stressors in the environment,
education in the environmental sciences, and the use of
science in environmental policy and decision-making.
The scope of SETAC’s Sediment Advisory Group (SEDAG)
comprises environmental aspects of quantity and quality
of sediments, both as deposits and as suspended matter
in freshwater, estuarine and marine environments.
Scientific coverage of SEDAG includes all fields
pertinent to conducting effective environmental risk
assessment and management of sediment, including issues
such as transport, fate, exposure, effect, impact
analysis, guideline values and frameworks (regulations),
and management strategies. Where necessary, the
adjoining compartments like soil, water, groundwater,
air will be considered and contacts with advisory groups
like the established SETAC Soil Advisory Group will be
established. SEDAG, through its broad membership, will
aim for cooperation and exchange with international
sediment-related organizations such as the European
Sediment Network “SedNet”, the Sediment Management Work
Group, the Sediment Remediation Technology Development
Forum, providing a strong link to application.
The mission of the SETAC SEDAG:
SEDAG exists to serve as a scientific resource to all
stakeholders interested in the topic of sediments in the
environment, and fulfills the following mission and
purpose: |
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Serve as a focal point within SETAC as a means of
involving the membership in research and discussions. |
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Stimulate critical assessment in order to establish
the best available science. |
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Encourage the worldwide incorporation of the best
available science and strategic approaches. |
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Advance overall understanding of the fate, effects,
and potential environmental consequences of contaminated,
altered or redistributed sediments. |
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Provide scientific support to facilitate effective
regulatory decision making. |
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Provide a neutral forum and focal point for
collaborative identification, evaluation, and resolution
of scientific issues. |
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Provide a forum for organizing sessions at annual
meetings and organizing workshops to address scientific
issues associated with the assessment and management of
contaminated sediments. |
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Provide a mechanism to publish journal articles and
books associated with the assessment and management of
sediments. |
The steering committee is querying potential members of
the SEDAG to help establish priorities for first
activities of the SEDAG. The SEDAG will likely meet at
the fall meetings of SETAC NA and at the spring meetings
of SETAC Europe.
UNESCO ISI
Website:
www.irtces.org
The International Sediment Initiative (ISI) is expected
to add a new dimension to ongoing efforts aiming at
sustainable sediment management, in the context of
sustainable water resources development at global scale.
Hence, its mission directly relates to the commitments
of the international community expressed in major
documents such as the Millennium Development Goals, the
Rio Declaration of Sustainable Development, the World
Water Assessment Programme, World Water Development
Reports, etc. By its activity, the International
Sediment Initiative aims to uphold the importance of
sustainable sediment management within the context of
the two United Nations decades which have set-up in
2005: the 'Water for Life Decade' and the 'Decade for
Education for Sustainable Development'. With direct
access to stakeholders represented in the IHP National
Committees and the Intergovernmental Council, ISI should
be viewed as a vehicle to advance sediment management at
the global scale.
| Through international cooperation in the area of erosion
and sediment management, ISI aims to: |
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Strengthen, at global level, awareness about the
importance of erosion and sediment processes and their
impacts. |
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Promote exchange of information on relevant data,
monitoring and management methods, including the use of
global environmental observation systems. |
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Foster cooperation in erosion and sediment-related
research and education. |
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