International Association of Geomorphologists Newsletter no. 19 (3/2002)

Minutes of IAG Executive Committee Meeting Dornbirn (Austria), 15 July 2002

Members present: M. Panizza, President; D. Lóczy, Secretary; A. Ozer, Treasurer; A. Pérez-González and M. Soldati, Members.
Apologies for absence: A. Goudie, E. Latrubesse, J. Lugo-Hubp, Z. Zwolinski.

1. News from the President
Minutes of the Administrative Meeting held in Brussels on 10 November 2001 are delivered and discussed. An annual report on IAG activities is required by IUGS. D. Lóczy will prepare it. Correspondence with Anne Buttimer, IGU President, concerning collaboration between IGU and IAG is delivered. A collaboration between IAG and IGU in the framework of the "Year of the Water 2003" is hoped. A. Pérez-González is asked by the President to contact WGs 1, 5 and 6 in order to promote joint initiatives.

2. IAG Constitution
The new Constitution was ratified at the IAG Tokyo Conference. A. Ozer is asked to prepare a French version and send it to the Secretary. M. Panizza will send the new Constitution to IGU and IUGS Presidents for approval and to be forwarded to ICSU.

3. Working Groups
A. Pérez-González delivers a report about the activity of WGs. A report of the "Geomorphological sites" WG is delivered together with a Proceedings volume of the IAG Workshop held in Modena (Italy) in June 2002: the EC expresses its appreciation for the work carried out. New Chairman for the "Geoarchaeology" WG is Prof. E. Fouache, Université de Paris 4. It is decided an exceptional support to the "Volcanology" WG for USD 200. A. Ozer is to send letters to all Working Group chairmen to inform them on what conditions they can receive the initial grant of USD 500. A. Pérez-González will send a letter to WG chairmen to encourage presentations at the Mexico Regional Conference (2003) and to ask them to organise a Symposium at the Zaragoza International Conference (2005) and participate in the IGU Glasgow and IUGS Florence International Congresses (2004).

4. Publication activity
J. Lugo-Hubp will be requested to prepare a report on the publication activity with particular reference to the Newsletters. M. Panizza delivers a letter of A. Goudie concerning the Jan de Ploey Library and the Project of the Encyclopedia of Geomorphology: The EC expresses its appreciation for this Project. A. Ozer distributes copies of Applied Geomorphology (edited by R. Allison, published by Wiley) among E.C. members. Further copies are donated to the De Ploey Library: the EC appreciates the publication of this volume. D. Lóczy is to send an e-mail to Z. Zwolinski in order to report on the web site about 3 new IAG publications: Applied Geomorphology by R. Allison; Proceedings of the Modena Workshop (copies are available from coratza.paola@unimore.it); Proceedings of the IAG Symposium in Dornbirn (copies are available from borgatti.lisa@unimore.it). M. Soldati is invited to send a copy of the Proceedings of the Modena Workshop and Dornbirn Symposium to each of of the WGs Coordinators, enclosing a letter of A. Pérez-González inviting the same Coordinators to possibly follow the same style for eventual IAG publications deriving from similar initiatives. Jan De Ploey Library: M. Soldati delivers to A. Ozer 20 copies of the Dornbirn Proceedings and will send by post 20 copies of the Proceedings of the Modena Workshop.

5. National Delegates
New national associations were formed in Croatia and Egypt. The EC accepted their application to be National Scientific Members of IAG. D. Lóczy will send e-mails to all National Delegates for approval. If there is no reply within 2 months, it means no objection. Future members (organisation of national association is underway): Madagascar, Cameroon, Georgia, Macedonia, Mongolia.

6. Financial situation
The Executive Committee discusses the membership fees each country has to pay. It is decided that some countries in unfavourable economic situation should not pay membership fees but send an Annual Report of their activities to the IAG Secretary instead.

7. Training and grants
Four grants for young geomorphologists from developing countries have been awarded to enable participation in training courses held under the aegis of IAG: UNESCO Summer School in Dornbirn, Austria (July 2002): 2 grants awarded; CERG Intensive Course in Dornbirn, Austria (July 2002): 2 grants awarded. Two grants are available for young geomorphologists from Africa presenting papers or posters at the IAG Symposium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (December 2002) (total EUR 2000). Two grants for young geomorphologists from Eastern Europe will be awarded in order to enable participation in the Research design short course to be held in Windsor, UK (December 2002) (total EUR 1000). Two grants will be offered to young geomorphologist from Latin America for participation in an Intensive course to be held in Mexico in occasion of the Regional Conference of 2003 (total EUR 2000). IAG intensive course on natural risks, Orvieto, spring 2003 - request of funding has been presented to ICSU through IUGS. The proposal has been accepted for evaluation by ICSU.

8. Newsletter
J. Lugo-Hubp is to put the IAG account number into the next Newsletter.

9. Jan de Ploey Library
Issues to be discussed and approved in a future administrative meeting.

10. Next EC Meeting
The next EC Meeting will be held in Mexico City at the end of October 2003 in occasion of the Mexico Regional Conference. An intermediate meeting or/and an administrative meeting may be planned, if necessary.

11. Mexico Regional Conference
M. Panizza delivers a preliminary programme of the Conference (27 October - 1 November 2003) agreed with Irasema Alcantara-Ayala. The Conference will be precedeed by an Intensive Course for young geomorphologists and followed by Field-trips.

12. International 2004 Congresses: IGU (Glasgow) and IUGS (Florence)
M. Panizza informs that during August 2004 the IGU Congress in Glasgow (UK) and the IUGS Congress in Florence (Italy) will be held, with no overlapping among each other. M. Panizza expresses his strong wish that as many geomorphologists as possible take part in the geomorphological initiatives planned in both Congresses.

13. Other IAG Conferences
M. Panizza reminds the IAG International Symposium on "Climate changes, active tectonics and related geomorphic effects in high mountain belts and plateaux", Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (December 2002), in the frame of the International Year of the Mountains.

14. International Conference on Geomorphology 2005, Zaragoza (Spain)
M. Panizza refers about the contacts had with Prof. M. Gutiérrez Elorza about the organisation of the Conference.

15. Administrative Meeting
The EC feels the need for an EC Administrative Meeting in Bruxelles (11 October 2002).

16. Other matters
M. Panizza suggests that an IAG badge as well as an IAG medal should be designed and produced.

IAG Workshop on Geomorphological sites: research, assessment and improvement Modena (Italy), 19-22 June 2002

The International Workshop Geomorphological sites: research, assessment and improvement was the first official meeting opportunity for two research groups working on the topic of geomorphological sites (geomorphosites): the IAG Working Group Geomorphological sites (Co-ordinator Emmanuel Reynard) and the Italian Research Project COFIN 2001 "Geosites in the Italian landscape" (Co-ordinator: Sandra Piacente).

This meeting was joined by several Italian and foreign researchers interested in this topic and willing to co-operate to the research on geomorphosites. This Workshop was the first occasion to discuss several aspects that could be of interest for the IAG Working Group:

• a first discussion on the activity already in progress between the components of the two research groups;
• defining the state-of-the-art of the investigations on geosites, with particular attention to those with a geomorphological character;
• comparing, connecting and tracing the course of the respective research activities;
• outlining future perspectives and activities connected to the IUGS International Geological Congress which will take place in Florence in August 2004.

During the Workshop a proposition for a general meeting in October 2003 in Sardinia was made. A second administrative meeting should also be organised in Lausanne in spring 2003.

IAG Symposium on the Relationships between man and the mountain environment in terms of geomorphological hazards and human impact in Europe Dornbirn (Austria), 14 July 2002

The IAG Symposium was held in Dornbirn (Vorarlberg, Austria), on Sunday 14 July 2002, within the framework of the International Year of Mountains - 2002.

The interest and the participation in the Symposium was relevant: more than one hundred people joined the Symposium. The scientific value was extremely high and the contributions dealt with different aspects of the mountain environment in terms of geomorphological hazards and human impact. After six invited lectures given by Antonio Cendrero (University of Cantabria, Spain), Berthold Bauer (University of Vienna, Austria), Jean-Claude Flageollet (CERG, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France), Angelique Prick (University Courses on Svalbard, Norway), Fabio Luino (National Research Council, Turin, Italy) and Thomas Glade (University of Bonn, Germany). The presentation of four selected papers was given and in the poster session more than 30 posters were presented.

The audience has been international and scientists as well as many young geomorphologists came from 13 European countries and from India, Colombia, Argentina and New Zealand.

The output of the Symposium are going to be published as a Special Issue of Geomorphology.

This Symposium took place between two important events devoted to young researchers:

• a one-week Summer School, held between July 7th and 14th under the aegis of UNESCO on An introduction into alpine and subalpine environments in a key sector of the northern Alps and
• a one-week Intensive Course, held between July 14th and 21st under the aegis of CERG (European Centre for Geomorphological Hazards, Council of Europe, Strasbourg) on An introduction into alpine and subalpine environments in a key sector of the northern Alps with emphasis on natural hazards and risks.

IAG, following its policy of sustaining young geomorphologists, with particular attention to those coming from developing countries, has offered four grants (two for each course) which have been assigned to: Nimalanathan Angusamy (India), Stella Maris Moreiras (Argentina), Deb Jyoti Pal (India) and Jorge Villamarin (Colombia).

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Editor's Note

This Newsletter, together with No. 19 (4/2002), is published late owing to the sudden resignation of the IAG Publication Officer José Lugo-Hubp, due to health problems. Both Newsletters have been prepared by IAG EC Members D. Lóczy and M. Soldati. We apologise for the delay and wish to reassure you that Newsletter No. 20 (1/2003) will be issued regularly, and will be prepared by an EC Member with the specific assignment of Publication Officer.

The success of the IAG-Newsletter depends upon the contributions that we receive. Please assist by sending commentaries, reviews of regional or national meetings and field trips, summaries of issues pertinent to geomorphology, and announcements of future meetings and workshops. Temporarily, your contributions should be forwarded to the IAG President, Mario Panizza (see address below).

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INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GEOMORPHOLOGISTS
President Mario PANIZZA Dip. Scienze Terra Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia Largo S. Eufemia, 19 I-41100 Modena, ITALY Ph.: +39 059 2055840 Fax: +39 059 2055887 E-mail	Vice President Andrew GOUDIE School Geography & Environ. University of Oxford Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TB, UNITED KINGDOM Ph.: +44 1865 271921 Fax: +44 1865 271940 E-mail	Secretary Dénes LOCZY Dep. Physical Geography University of Pécs Ifúság útja 6 H-7624 Pécs, HUNGARY Ph.: +36 72 327 622 e4482 Fax: +36 72 327 622 e4480 E-mail
IAG Account number: 068-2376668-01 IAG - DEXIA Banque Av. Centenaire, 42 - B-4102 Ougree, Belgium Account IBAN: BE 43-0682-3766-6801 SWIFT: GKCCBEBB
Visit the IAG Web Site at: www.geomorph.org

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