SMIRES: Science and Management of Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams
SMIRES is a COST Action addressing the Science and Management of Intermittent Rivers & Ephemeral Streams More than half of the global river network is composed of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES), which are expanding in response to climate change and increasing water demands. After years of obscurity, the science of IRES has bloomed recently and it is being recognised IRES support a unique high-diversity, provide essential ecosystems services and are functionally part of river networks and groundwater systems. However, they still lack protective and adequate management, jeopardizing hereby the water resource at the global scale. SMIRES brings together more than 350 hydrologists, biogeochemists, ecologists, modellers, environmental economists, social researchers and stakeholders from 33 different countries to develop a research network for synthesising the fragmented, recent knowledge on IRES, improving our understanding of IRES and translating this into a science-based, sustainable management of river networks.
SMIRES aims to develop a multidisciplinary network of scientists and stakeholders experts on IRES from 32 countries to consolidate and expand the current understanding of IRES and translate it into science-based, sustainable management of IRES resources and biodiversity.
- To create an extensive research network across river researchers from multiple disciplines to promote the sharing of data and experience and the setup of common experiments;
- To associate researchers and stakeholders to translate current knowledge about IRES into robust, tangible tools and guidelines for improved management and conservation practices and rules;
- To link current on-going research efforts on IRES at the European scale and create synergies for further research;
- To raise social awareness about the values of IRES and train a new generation of researchers.
Prof. Phoebe Koundouri is a Management committee member
Duration: 2016-2020
Project Coordinator: IRSTEA (Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l’environnement et l’agriculture)