GEORGE KOVACS
It is a privilege and a pleasure to open this George Kovacs Colloquium convened jointly by UNESCO/IHP and IAHS.
UNESCO and IAHS have named this series of Colloquia after George (Gyorgy) Kovacs, a renowned international hydrologist, and President of IAHS from 1983 to 1987, who passed away in 1988. This first IHP/IAHS George Kovacs Colloquium is devoted to Space and Time Scale Variability and Interdependencies in Various Hydrological Processes.
George Kovacs was a talented and energetic innovator in the fields of groundwater, hydrology and hydrogeology, and a researcher of broad perspective. His vision and leadership brought him to the pinnacle of the scientific community in Hungary and beyond. He had a leading role in the international hydrologic community, and it is most appropriate that we dedicate this Colloquium to his memory.
COOPERATION BETWEEN UNESCO AND IAHS
UNESCO and IAHS have enjoyed a long standing cooperation. IAHS serves in the capacity of science advisor to UNESCO's Division of Water Sciences, provides input to UNESCO and its International Hydrological Programme (IHP) through ideas and proposal of experts to serve on UNESCO water project committees and task forces. IAHS has helped UNESCO in setting up the group of experts who are presently considering IHP-V, the next phase of IHP, to be titled: ‘Hydrology and water development in a vulnerable environment’.
SPACE AND TIME SCALES AND VARIABILITY
Space and time scales and variability are fundamental issues in scientific and operational hydrology.