Press release
The international SedNet Conference to be held in Venice on 6-9 April 2011
13 January 2011 – The international SedNet conference entitled “Sediments and Biodiversity: bridging the gap between science and policy”, which will be held on 6-9 April 2011 at the prestigious Thetis headquarters in the Venice Arsenal, presents a unique opportunity for Italian companies and institutions involved in the issue of sediment management.
Every year, the maintenance of European ports requires the dredging and management of approximately 200 million m3 of sediment containing varying levels of contamination. Today more than ever it is necessary to adopt sustainable approaches and solutions that aim to improve the balance between environmental and socio-economic factors and that view, whenever possible, sediment as a resource rather than a waste material. This will foster the implementation of integrated projects that favour both the reuse of dredged materials and the regional improvement of the areas in which dredging is performed.
Established in 2002, SedNet is an international network that aims to promote the diffusion of technical-scientific knowledge for proper sediment management at the drainage basin scale and in coastal marine environments, and make policy-makers aware of all aspects of the sediment management issue.
The upcoming conference in Venice shares these same objectives. The conference’s title highlights sediment’s crucial importance for ecosystem biodiversity and draws attention to the need to develop and adopt appropriate management strategies and solutions that emphasize the systemic aspects of interventions. Also evident in the title, and reflecting another of the network’s objectives, is the need for a suitable and continuous method for converting scientific knowledge into actions by regional governments, thereby promoting sustainable and environmentally effective solutions.
The conference is divided into two parts. The first part will feature Special Sessions (open to the public, with a set list of speakers), in which different themes and topics will be addressed and discussed. The second part is a more traditional conference open to speakers who submit abstracts.
The topics for the four Special Sessions are:
- Sustainable dredging of Mediterranean ports: the future of sediment management;
- Sediments and climate change;
- Evaluation criteria for dredged materials: the current situation and future prospects;
- The importance of sediments for biodiversity.
The first session, organized by ISPRA and Thetis S.p.A. (the only two Italian members of the SedNet network), will focus on the management of dredged sediment in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner – an issue that is extremely important for Italian ports.
Representatives from numerous national and international authorities, governments, agencies and organizations are expected to participate, including several port authorities. The session will end with a round table discussion.
The objectives of the session can be summarized as follows:
- Provide a general overview of the situation and the needs of individual countries as well as the Mediterranean basin as a whole;
- Present and discuss the role and importance of dredging (for maintenance and development purposes) in the sustainable development of ports and the implementation of the Integrated Maritime Policy [COM(2007) 575 final and SEC(2007) 1278];
- Examine current regulations in the EU and various countries to assess differences and identify areas that require harmonization;
- Examine and compare approaches and solutions adopted in different countries and discuss methods to promote the diffusion of Best Management Practices;
- Identify the most important open issues and formulate recommendations for the future.
In the session on sediments and climate change, short talks by invited speakers and work groups focusing on various aspects of the topic will explore the influences climate change may have on sediment mobility and transport, as well as the bioavailability and toxicity of contaminants associated with sediments.
The session on evaluation criteria for dredged materials, promoted by the multi-lateral forum DGEplus, will further develop the topics broached in the session on Mediterranean ports. The focus will be on technical and scientific aspects that have proven to be important in making appropriate management decisions, based on the experiences and current management practices of principal European countries.
Finally, the session on sediments and biodiversity is expected to spark debate on the conference's main topic. There will be several invited speakers, as well as a discussion and review.
Based on the registration requests received thus far, the turnout is expected to be high with numerous experts in attendance, including representatives from every continent.
There will also be a small exhibition where representatives from various bodies (ports, governments, agencies, corporations, consultants) can meet and exchange ideas.
Every year, the maintenance of European ports requires the dredging and management of approximately 200 million m3 of sediment containing varying levels of contamination. Today more than ever it is necessary to adopt sustainable approaches and solutions that aim to improve the balance between environmental and socio-economic factors and that view, whenever possible, sediment as a resource rather than a waste material. This will foster the implementation of integrated projects that favour both the reuse of dredged materials and the regional improvement of the areas in which dredging is performed.
Established in 2002, SedNet is an international network that aims to promote the diffusion of technical-scientific knowledge for proper sediment management at the drainage basin scale and in coastal marine environments, and make policy-makers aware of all aspects of the sediment management issue.
The upcoming conference in Venice shares these same objectives. The conference’s title highlights sediment’s crucial importance for ecosystem biodiversity and draws attention to the need to develop and adopt appropriate management strategies and solutions that emphasize the systemic aspects of interventions. Also evident in the title, and reflecting another of the network’s objectives, is the need for a suitable and continuous method for converting scientific knowledge into actions by regional governments, thereby promoting sustainable and environmentally effective solutions.
The conference is divided into two parts. The first part will feature Special Sessions (open to the public, with a set list of speakers), in which different themes and topics will be addressed and discussed. The second part is a more traditional conference open to speakers who submit abstracts.
The topics for the four Special Sessions are:
- Sustainable dredging of Mediterranean ports: the future of sediment management;
- Sediments and climate change;
- Evaluation criteria for dredged materials: the current situation and future prospects;
- The importance of sediments for biodiversity.
The first session, organized by ISPRA and Thetis S.p.A. (the only two Italian members of the SedNet network), will focus on the management of dredged sediment in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner – an issue that is extremely important for Italian ports.
Representatives from numerous national and international authorities, governments, agencies and organizations are expected to participate, including several port authorities. The session will end with a round table discussion.
The objectives of the session can be summarized as follows:
- Provide a general overview of the situation and the needs of individual countries as well as the Mediterranean basin as a whole;
- Present and discuss the role and importance of dredging (for maintenance and development purposes) in the sustainable development of ports and the implementation of the Integrated Maritime Policy [COM(2007) 575 final and SEC(2007) 1278];
- Examine current regulations in the EU and various countries to assess differences and identify areas that require harmonization;
- Examine and compare approaches and solutions adopted in different countries and discuss methods to promote the diffusion of Best Management Practices;
- Identify the most important open issues and formulate recommendations for the future.
In the session on sediments and climate change, short talks by invited speakers and work groups focusing on various aspects of the topic will explore the influences climate change may have on sediment mobility and transport, as well as the bioavailability and toxicity of contaminants associated with sediments.
The session on evaluation criteria for dredged materials, promoted by the multi-lateral forum DGEplus, will further develop the topics broached in the session on Mediterranean ports. The focus will be on technical and scientific aspects that have proven to be important in making appropriate management decisions, based on the experiences and current management practices of principal European countries.
Finally, the session on sediments and biodiversity is expected to spark debate on the conference's main topic. There will be several invited speakers, as well as a discussion and review.
Based on the registration requests received thus far, the turnout is expected to be high with numerous experts in attendance, including representatives from every continent.
There will also be a small exhibition where representatives from various bodies (ports, governments, agencies, corporations, consultants) can meet and exchange ideas.
Press Office
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Ufficio Gestione della conoscenza
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Responsabile Giannandrea Mencini
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Roberta Lazzarini