Special Sessions
Call for Special Sessions
The organizing committee of RWC-2024 invites proposals for Special Sessions on emerging topics in the water sector. Please read the submission guidelines outlined before submitting your proposal through the conference submission platform that will open soon. The proposals should be prepared using this template. Send it on info.rwc@iitr.ac.in
Proposal Submission
Each session proposal should include an Abstract (limited to 2,000 characters) along with a Background-and-Justification paragraph (limited to 3,000 characters) in which the session organizers elaborate on
i) the motivation behind the special session, and
ii) the collective quality and potential impact of the committed papers in the proposed session.
Each proposal should also include a title, list of authors, and Abstracts of the committed papers. The proposal shall be appreciated for at least Ten (10) committed papers per proposed session on a proposed special session theme with geographic diversity to the maximum extent possible. All papers will be rigorously reviewed, and every effort will be made for the accepted ones to be presented in oral sessions.
No author can appear as a co-author in more than one paper of a single special session.
RWC-2024 will be the third edition of the IITR-NIH Roorkee flagship conference in physical mode, and the special sessions shall foster the return to an in-person experience. Accordingly, there must be an author of each accepted paper presenting it in-person.
Proposal Selection
Special session proposals will be evaluated based on i) the proposed topic; ii) the expected impact and quality of the contributed papers; and, iii) the session organizer(s) and contributing authors. A special session should preferably address an emerging topic in the water sector which is not fully aligned with any of the sub-theme of the conclave.
Selection of a special session proposal does not guarantee final acceptance of the special session. Papers submitted to special sessions will undergo rigorous review, similar to that for regular submissions. The acceptance of a special session to the RWC-2024 technical program depends upon the quality of the papers submitted to the special session.
Important Dates
| Special Session Proposal Deadline | 30 May 2023 |
| Special Session Acceptance Notification | 15 June 2023 |
| Special Session Paper Submission Deadline | 30 June 2023 |
Please email your inquiry related to special sessions to info.rwc@iitr.ac.in
Special Sessions 1
Title: Introduction to UAV Imagery Processing for Water Management in Agriculture
The goal of this workshop is to introduce participants to the principles and procedures involved in using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)/drones for remote sensing projects related to agricultural water management. The course will cover the fundamentals of UAV flying and assembly, sensor understanding and application, mosaicking and orthorectification of UAV images, and vegetation index computation. Example case studies for various sorts of agricultural areas will be shown.
The goal of this workshop is to introduce participants to the principles and procedures involved in using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)/drones for remote sensing projects related to agricultural water management. The course will cover the fundamentals of UAV flying and assembly, sensor understanding and application, mosaicking and orthorectification of UAV images, and vegetation index computation. Example case studies for various sorts of agricultural areas will be shown.
Expert: Dr. Siddhartha Khare, Assistant Professor, Geomatics Engineering group of Civil Engineering Department, IIT Roorkee.
- Required qualification of participants: M.Tech/MSc/PhD students working in geospatial/geomatics/agriculture/water management domains
- Max. number of attendees: 20
Special Sessions 2
Title: International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) HELPING Decade: Science for Solutions
Session Organisers :
Archana Sarkar, Berit Arheimer, Jean-Marie Kileshye Onema, Ankit Agarwal, Jew Das
Abstract
The increasing demand for water due to population growth and globalization, coupled with the impact of climate change, has made water security a global issue that affects the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of many regions and communities. In order to ensure safe water supply for human and environment, and protecting them from water hazards in the present circumstances, hydrological knowledge is needed more than ever. However, scientific knowledge on resilience and water security is fragmented in discipline, people, and place. There is a substantial lack of synthesis and easily digestible scientific messages among hydrologists, across disciplines and from scientists to practitioners, decision-makers and the general public. Hence, there is a need for the hydrological research community to take the lead and better link local hydrological research with global patterns of the water cycle, and further, to provide science-based water-centric decision support for local sustainable water management.
Therefore, the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) is dedicating the next scientific decade to science for solutions. The short name is HELPING, and stands for Hydrology Engaging Local People IN one Global world. It aims to identify local water problems in holistic/system analyses, search for solutions, be bold and push boundaries to make an impact. The vision is to solve fundamental water-related environmental and societal problems by engaging with other disciplines and local stakeholders.
This special session will focus on the three major themes of HELPING, which all aim to understand hydrological diversity and integrate knowledge across scales and regions to achieve sustainable water management in coherence with the local context:
Therefore, the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) is dedicating the next scientific decade to science for solutions. The short name is HELPING, and stands for Hydrology Engaging Local People IN one Global world. It aims to identify local water problems in holistic/system analyses, search for solutions, be bold and push boundaries to make an impact. The vision is to solve fundamental water-related environmental and societal problems by engaging with other disciplines and local stakeholders.
This special session will focus on the three major themes of HELPING, which all aim to understand hydrological diversity and integrate knowledge across scales and regions to achieve sustainable water management in coherence with the local context:
-
Global and local interactions using systems analysis, to develop enhanced understanding of the global water crisis but from a local lens.
- Holistic solutions to the water crisis, embracing nature-based measures, participatory management and nexus analysis including other disciplines and multiple stakeholders.
- Exploring cross-cutting approaches to facilitate the above goals, including science communication, integrating new technologies, and fostering local co-creation processes.
Background: IAHS has proudly and successfully coordinated two out of three subsequent Scientific Decades, which, amongst other things, set the research agenda worldwide through collaborative forces. The overall aim with a scientific decade is to accumulate knowledge and streamline the efforts so that coherent engagement, sharing and focus accelerate scientific knowledge and understanding of a specific hydrological problem or phenomena. It stimulates vivid discussions between young and senior scientists globally. The topic and vision of the third new IAHS Scientific decade (2023-2032) was an outcome of several on-line interactions and workshops during 2023 using a strategic planning approach, as summarised and documented at https://iahs.info/.
Contributors:
Contributors include the conveners (also Bureau members of IAHS in different positions) and the rest would be announced later.
Date and Duration:
03 March 2024 (~3 hrs max)
Target Audience:
Students, Researchers, NGOs, Scientists, Academicians, Policy Makers, Working Professionals.
Special Sessions 3
Title: Riverbank filtration, constructed wetlands and coupled engineered solutions for water management
Bank filtration/ riverbank filtration (BF/RBF) is an element of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and has been used by riverside communities for many decades as a natural water treatment process and forms part of a multi-barrier approach to drinking water supply at numerous site. India has the highest MAR capacity worldwide. And more than two decades of research and development has evidenced a large potential for RBF in India. Moreover, the treatment of raw water and wastewater are intertwined and consequently engineered natural treatment systems including constructed wetlands (CW) will continue to dominate the platform of favored technologies for treatment and recycling of wastewater in warmer climates such as in India.
The special session will highlight the purification capacity of RBF and CW at sites influenced by different environmental conditions that were developed from 2020–2024 across India; present the state of science on RBF and new concepts for CW for decentralized wastewater treatment and mitigation of diffuse pollution in India; demonstrate innovative, stand-alone and off-grid disinfection technologies for decentralized/rural water supply schemes in India and other parts of the world; present the application and development of new water-demand prediction and management tools; and offer a platform for an open discussion on the future direction of worldwide R&D on RBF and CW in India.
The special session is organized by National Institute of Hydrology Roorkee, Hydrological Investigations Division, and University of Applied Sciences Dresden (HTW Dresden, Germany), Division of Water Sciences, within the project CCRBF “Expansion of the Indo-German Competence Centre for Riverbank Filtration” with contributions from the Indian and German partners of the CCRBF project. CCRBF is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within its program “CONNECT – Education, Research, Innovation”.
Duration: To be announced
| S.No. | Experts | Institution / Organisation, place, country |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Grischek | University of Applied Sciences Dresden / HTW Dresden, Dresden, Germany |
| 2. | Dr.-Ing. Cornelius Sandhu | University of Applied Sciences Dresden / HTW Dresden, Dresden, Germany |
| 3. | Dr. Hilmar Börnick | Technische Universität Dresden / TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany |
| 4. | Dr. Martin Wagner | DVGW-Water Technology Center, Branch Office Dresden, Germany |
| 5. | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Nowak | University of Applied Sciences Potsdam / FH Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany |
| 6. | Dipl.-Ing. Heribert Rustige | AKUT Umweltschutz Ingenieure Burkard und Partner mbB, Berlin, Germany |
| 7. | Dr.-Ing. Philipp Otter | AUTARCON GmbH, Kassel, Germany |
| 8. | Dr. Gopal Krishan | National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, India |
| 9. | Ms. Kavita Patil | The Energy and Resources Institute – Southern Regional Center, Goa, India |
| 10. | Dr. Medalson Ronghang | Bineswar Brahma Engineering College, Kokrajhar, India |
| 11. | Prof. Dr. Virendra Mishra | Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India |
| 12. | Dr. Lakshmi C. Narasimhan | Anna University, Chennai, India |
| 13. | Prof. Dr. Ligy Philip | Indo-German Centre for Sustainability at Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India |
| 14. | Dr. Priyabrata Banerjee | CSIR – Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur, India |
Special Sessions 4
Title: Water Resilience at Local Level Specific context to Mountains
In the face of escalating climate change impacts, ensuring water resilience at the local level is paramount, especially in mountainous regions that are particularly vulnerable to environmental shifts. This session aims to delve into the specific challenges and opportunities associated with water resilience in mountainous contexts. The session will bring together experts, practitioners, and community representatives to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and develop strategies tailored to the unique needs of mountain communities.
Key Objectives:
By the end of the session, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricate water resilience dynamics specific to mountainous contexts. The knowledge exchanged and collaborations formed during the event will contribute to the development of actionable strategies, ensuring sustainable water management practices and fostering resilience in the face of evolving environmental conditions.
Duration
The total time duration of the session will be 1 hour 30 minutes.
Date and Venue
The session is proposed for 4th March 2024 the duration of the session is 90 minutes. The Event will be held IIT Roorkee, Uttarakhand.
Participation
50 participants from Government and allied Departments.
Tentative schedule
| Day | Time | Panelists |
|---|---|---|
| Day 2 04 March 2024 |
11:30 am- 01:00 pm Technical Session 1 NIDM | Shri. Rajendra Ratnoo IAS, ED, NIDM |
| Prof. Surinder Kumar Mehta, VC , University of Ladakh | ||
| Prof. Anil K Gupta, Head, ECDRM, NIDM | ||
| Dr. Ranjan K Panda, Water Initiatives & Co-founder | ||
| Session Coordinator | Ms. Fatima Amin, YP, ECDRM, NIDM | |