Advances in computer technology, in the technology of communication and in mathematical modelling of processes in the hydrological cycle have recently improved our potential to protect ourselves against damage through floods and droughts and to control quantities and qualities in our water systems. This development was demonstrated in a 1983 post-experience course at Wageningen University where an international group of experts reviewed successful modelling techniques and described the design and operation of a number of forecasting and control systems in drainage basins and river reaches of various sizes and under various geographical and climat ological conditions. A special effort was made to bridge the gap between theory and practice; case studies showed that each forecasting system was designed to meet a set of specific requirements and they illustrated that the forecasting system can only be expected to operate reliably if, on the one hand, it is based on sound theoretical concepts and methods and if, on the other hand, it is robust so that, also under adverse conditions, it will continue to collect and process the necessary input data and produce correct and timely signals. We were pleased to meet with encouragement for preserving the course material and making it available to a wider public. This was effected by the team of authorf who elaborated, updated and harmonized the materia in two stages; first into an issue of our university department and finally into the manuscript of this book.

Flooding accounts for one-third of natural disasters worldwide and for over half the deaths which occur as a result of natural disasters. As the frequency and volume of flooding increases, as a result of climate change, there is a new urgency amongst researchers and professionals working in flood risk management. River Basin Modelling for Flood Risk Mitigation brings together thirty edited papers by leading experts who gathered for the European Union’s Advanced Study Course at the University of Birmingham, UK. The scope of the course ranged from issues concerning the protection of life, to river restoration and wetland management. A variety of topics is covered in the book including climate change, hydro-informatics, hydro-meterology, river flow forecasting systems and dam-break modelling. The approach is broad, but integrated, providing an attractive and informative package that will satisfy researchers and professionals, while offering a sound introduction to students in Engineering and Geography.

Modeling of the rainfall-runoff process is of both scientific and practical significance. Many of the currently used mathematical models of hydrologic systems were developed a genera tion ago. Much of the effort since then has focused on refining these models rather than on developing new models based on improved scientific understanding. In the past few years, however, a renewed effort has been made to improve both our fundamental understanding of hydrologic processes and to exploit technological advances in computing and remote sensing. It is against this background that the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Recent Advances in the Modeling of Hydrologic Systems was organized. The idea for holding a NATO ASI on this topic grew out of an informal discussion between one of the co-directors and Professor Francisco Nunes-Correia at a previous NATO ASI held at Tucson, Arizona in 1985. The Special Program Panel on Global Transport Mechanisms in the Geo-Sciences of the NATO Scientific Affairs Division agreed to sponsor the ASI and an organizing committee was formed. The committee comprised the co directors, Professor David S. Bowles (U.S.A.) and Professor P. Enda O'Connell (U.K.), and Professor Francisco Nunes-Correia (Portugal), Dr. Donn G. DeCoursey (U.S.A.), and Professor Ezio Todini (Italy).

Understanding and being able to predict fluvial processes is one of the biggest challenges for hydraulics and environmental engineers, hydrologists and other scientists interested in preserving and restoring the diverse functions of rivers. The interactions among flow, turbulence, vegetation, macroinvertebrates and other organisms, as well as the transport and retention of particulate matter, have important consequences on the ecological health of rivers. Managing rivers in an ecologically friendly way is a major component of sustainable engineering design, maintenance and restoration of ecological habitats. To address these challenges, a major focus of River Flow 2016 was to highlight the latest advances in experimental, computational and theoretical approaches that can be used to deepen our understanding and capacity to predict flow and the associated fluid-driven ecological processes, anthropogenic influences, sediment transport and morphodynamic processes. River Flow 2016 was organized under the auspices of the Committee for Fluvial Hydraulics of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR). Since its first edition in 2002, the River Flow conference series has become the main international event focusing on river hydrodynamics, sediment transport, river engineering and restoration. Some of the highlights of the 8th International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics were to focus on inter-disciplinary research involving, among others, ecological and biological aspects relevant to river flows and processes and to emphasize broader themes dealing with river sustainability. River Flow 2016 contains the contributions presented during the regular sessions covering the main conference themes and the special sessions focusing on specific hot topics of river flow research, and will be of interest to academics interested in hydraulics, hydrology and environmental engineering.