Estuary and Coast have distinguished geographical advantage in rich shipping and soil resources, which provide strong support to local economic and cultural development. Estuarine and coastal areas are commonly the most developed and populous regions. With the economic development, how to get along with natural environment and maintain the sustainable development of economical society has gained more and more attention from all social parties.
At present, many estuarine areas are suffering from wastewater made by industrial, agricultural and daily-life. Red tides frequently emerged. The environment of estuary and coast is enouncing serious problems. The increasing demands in freshwater, along with seawater intrusion often causing serious situations, appeal to utilize water resource in a more rational and reasonable way. An efficient and effective warning and protection system is to be designed to prevent the estuary area from the typhoon-caused disasters. The evolution of estuary and coast is a colligation result of water, sediment and environment factors. However, irrational exploitation will accelerate the degradation of estuary environment that human beings rely on. The research in estuary, coast and environment is urgent to be deepened.
ICEC provides opportunities to exchange latest research results in this field for worldwide academicians, scholars, engineers and decision makers. ICEC-2003 was successfully held in Hangzhou, China, there were more than 100 attendees from 33 countries and regions.
ICEC-2006 will be held in Guangzhou, the central city of Pearl River Delta, China, 28-30 Nov. 2006. The Pearl River is a great river flowing through south China. As one of the most complicated deltas, Pearl River Delta has unique hydrological characteristic as "three rivers inflow, eight outlets to sea". The attendees of ICEC -2006 will experience the complication and diversity of estuary and coast in the Pearl River Delta.
ICEC-2006 is organized by the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES) and Pearl River Water Resource Commission, P. R. China and sponsored by Pearl River Hydraulic Research Institute.