Water Resources Expert to Present at Meetings in Italy

A water resources expert of the provincial government has been invited to share his knowledge and expertise of monitoring the ice conditions of the Badger River at an international conference being held in Frascati, Italy. Dr. Amir Ali Kahn, manager of hydrologic modeling with the Department of Environment and Conservation, will present at the 5th Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) meeting sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA). The focus of his presentation will be the Badger River ice monitoring service that has been developed in collaboration with C-CORE.

�The invitation to present at the GMES meeting in Italy reflects positively on the work of this department and illustrates government�s success using innovative technologies to address our mandate,� said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Environment and Conservation. �Dr. Khan was also a recipient of the 2005 Public Service Award of Excellence, and I am confident that he will provide valuable information, share his experiences and will certainly represent our department and province well.� Dr. Khan will be accompanied by Dr. Charles Randell, C-CORE president and chief executive officer, and Thomas Puestow, C-CORE senior manager, earth observation.

The minister noted that the water resources management division has carried out river flow monitoring and flood forecasting for Badger since the flood in 1977. �Each year, from December until spring, the division simulates flow conditions and the progression of ice in the Exploits River using an ice progression model,� said Minister Jackman. �If the model indicates an unusually high build up of ice that could cause flooding at Badger, the Emergency Measures Office and the Town of Badger are informed immediately to take appropriate action.�

The river ice monitoring service has been provided by C-CORE through its international polar view network which is funded by the ESA Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program. �We are very proud that C-Core�s expertise has put us, a Newfoundland and Labrador corporation, in the lead of this international initiative,� said Dr. Randell. The use of satellite RADAR imagery for river ice forecasting was pioneered by the department�s water resources management division in conjunction with C-CORE and is being adopted by a variety of provinces in Canada and internationally in Russia.

The meeting will be held March 6 and 7. On March 8, a GMES information day will be held consisting of presentations by the ESA and individual projects to an audience comprising ESA national delegates, European commission representatives and other national and international stakeholders.

For more information or to view the satellite imagery visit online at
www.env.gov.nl.ca/wrmd/Badger/Radar_Images.asp

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Media contact:
Diane Hart
Director of Communications
Department of Environment and Conservation
709-729-2575, 685-4401
dianehart@gov.nl.ca

2007 03 05                                 11:20 a.m.