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Saturday, May 20, 2006

International Conference on Karst Hydrogeology and Ecosystems

The International Conference on Karst Hydrogeology and Ecosystems (Karst 2007) will be held August 13-19, 2007 at Western Kentucky University. 

Sponsored by Western Kentucky University, the Patel Center for Global Solutions, the Karst Waters Institute, and the Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning, and hosted by the WKU Hoffman Environmental Research Institute, this conference is a joint meeting of the four major international karst research groups: 

1) the UNESCO International Geoscience Program (IGCP) Project 513: Global Study of Karst Aquifers and Water Resources; 

2) The International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) Karst Commission; 

3) the International Geographical Union (IGU) Karst Commission, and 

4) the Union Internationale de Spéléologie Commission on Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis. 

This follows two successful similar meetings held at WKU in 1998 and 2003. We expect a more diverse turnout due to the increased international participation in these projects over the last few years--IGCP Project 513 alone now has over 300 members representing 56 countries. 

The conference website can be found at http://hoffman.wku.edu/karst2007/k2007.html, or easily accessed from the Hoffman Institute site. 

During the conference, in collaboration with the Patel Center for Global Solutions, the National Cave & Karst Research Institute, the University of South Florida Libraries, the University of New Mexico Libraries, and the University of South Florida Karst Research Group, there will be a plenary session to facilitate international evolution of the emerging Karst Information Portal Initiative.
Please note that limited funding will be made available from IGCP513 for financial conference support (i.e. registration costs, visa application fees, etc.), focusing on scientists from countries where travel funds are more difficult to obtain. We will also provide partial scholarships for students, in return for assisting conference organizers during the meeting. 
 
For additional information, or to be added to the conference email list, please contact IGCP513 Secretary Beth Medley at karst2007@gmail.com.