Introduction to the Congress Themes
3-7 June 2013, Square Meeting Centre, Brussels, Belgium
New: View / download the full programme below.
Dredging is vital to social and economic development. In particular, it is crucial to the construction and maintenance of much of the infrastructure upon which our economic prosperity and social well-being depend. It is also an important tool to restore and enhance the natural environment. In a close future, the dredging world will face additional challenges and will be presented with exciting new opportunities with the expected effects of climate change and the increasing demand for energy and minerals. At the same time, dredging activities must be carried out with considering carefully the effects on the environment - natural and social, economic. In many cases, nowadays, both promoters and executers of dredging projects increasingly look for opportunities to improve the natural environment while meeting the project objectives.
As a result, the dredging industry and its tools in the broadest sense change with an unprecedented speed. Innovation and new approaches are a "must" from design to implementation in many large, complex projects where dredging increasingly becomes an integral component.
The venue of WODCON XX is located in an area of Brussels called "Mount of Art". Perfect location to address dredging as indeed, dredging is an art, from its all Latin signification of skill, craft, experience brought to concrete achievement. The famous artist Leonardo da Vinci used to design dredging equipment. Nowadays the dredging skills are carried by scientific / technical knowledge of the complicated physical, chemical and biological processes that take place in and around the dredging equipment and in the dredging project's environment. More and more, social and economic processes become part of the knowledge base. Experience, creativity and passion give its full meaning to the word "Art" when talking about dredging.
Last update: 15 May 2013