Euromediterranean Network of Experimental and Representative Basins  (ERB) Small hydrological research basins – clickable map and inventory of basic metadata

The Euromediterranean Network of Experimental and Representative Basins (ERB) is an open association of 20 European countries operating and managing well instrumented experimental and representative basins for hydrological and environmental research on a long term basis. The ERB network promotes the exchange of basin information and the cooperation in international programs as FRIEND, HELP and PUB. Information is disseminated through Newsletters. The Steering Committee of ERB consists of National Correspondents nominated by the UNESCO-IHP National Committees. ERB was established in 1986 and has organised eleven biennial conferences since its beginning.

The main objectives are :

• To increase relationships between members, research teams, universities and basin managers, through exchanges of hydrological information, data, research methods, models and to organise visits and biennial conferences;
• To enable joint studies of common interest 
• To make available and exchange data between research groups.
• To harmonize methods of data collection and processing.
  

Scientific topics and conferences:

Despite the large diversity of hydrological problems in our countries there appears always a convergence of hydrological topics of common interest in small basin research to formulate themes of our conferences to which scientists of all member countries can contribute. Examples are: hydrological monitoring, runoff generation, hydrological and environmental modelling, biogeochemical processes, extremes, uncertainties in data and model concepts, effects of natural and man-made changes, erosion, sedimentation, hillslope processes, etc. The organizing country may also select topics of more national or regional interest.

The biennial conferences are very important occasions to present and discuss research and to exchange experiences. Especially young scientists can benefit from these meetings by presenting their (PhD) research, discussing their ideas and exchange data to test their hypotheses and model concepts.

Scince 1986 scientific topics of common interest were discussed during ERB conferences:

In September 2008 there were twenty ERB member countries with an ERB National Correspondent ratified by the appropriate IHP National Committee:

The ERB network is in close contact with other European countries to exchange basin information and cooperate in international programs such as FRIEND, namely Northern European FRIEND Project 5 „Catchment hydrological and biogeochemical processes in changing environment“. Both the ERB and NE FRIEND Project 5 groups recognise the benefits of close co-operation. Therefore, joint meetings and information exchange are organized.

The conditions to become a member country are :

• a new member country should have the capacity to operate and manage ERB. studies and should be represented by an organization rather than by an individual.
• an university trained group should back each ERB 
• an ERB should be operated on a long term basis. 
• high quality data are desired and the water balance is regarded as the minimum to be available. 
• research in an ERB. should be active and ongoing. 
• new member countries are welcome under the condition of providing input and of nominating 1 or 2 correspondents to the Steering Committee. 
• new member countries should share the responsability, contribute to and distribute the Newsletters to scientists involved in ERB research. 
• the correspondents should be nominated through the National Committees for the International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO (IHP). 
• all member countries are expected to up to date the ERB
• inventory regularly (at least once per year) with recent information on their national ERBs.

Former coordinators:

1986-1990    Pierre Dubreuille, France

1991-1993    Hans Keller, Switzerland

1993            Herbert Lang, Switzerland

1994            Manfred Spreafico, Switzerland

1994-1998    Andreas Herrmann, Germany

1998-2002    Vaclav Elias, Czech Republic

2002-2008    Piet Warmerdam, Netherlands

For further details contact the ERB International Co-ordinator:

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Updated: 12.03.2010