Environment and Conservation
March 5, 2007
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. |