MEDALUS III: EPHEMERAL CHANNELS AND RIVERS PROJECT

Co-ordinator: Prof. J. B. Thornes (King's College London)

Major project objectives

The overall objectives of the Ephemeral Channels and Rivers Project were a) to improve the understanding of the impact of desertification on headwater channels and rivers, where desertification is understood to include the effects of both human activities and climatic changes; and b) to extend these findings to the development of advice to those responsible for managing the environment and environmental change in Mediterranean Europe.

In addition this project included the overall administration of the overall MEDALUS III programme. Here the primary objective was to provide co-ordination, help and advice as well as organisation of meetings, reports and publications and the preparation of reports and publications for the project.

To achieve these objectives the project was divided into three modules, the first dealing with headwater channels, rills and gully systems that serve the main channels, the second with the main channels themselves and the third with the project coordination.

Module 12: Gully and headwater channels

• The general objective of Module 12 was to investigate the controls on gully development and expansion and to model these effects using computer simulation to predict the impact through space and time of climatic and socio-economic factors on runoff and sediment yields from headwater channels.

Further details of Module 12.

Module 13: Ephemeral flow in river channels: desertification implications

• The general objectives of Module 13 were a) to investigate changes in ephemeral rivers in dry Mediterranean environments; b) to develop a model to predict changes in the channel morphology, sediment and water yield and surface cover use potential of the channels; and c) to use this information in the management of ephemeral channels.

Further details of Module 13.

Module 14: Administration of the MEDALUS III programme

• This module provided a co-ordination service for the whole MEDALUS III programme. It also developed and ran the plenary sessions and group meetings, providing the agenda and minutes for them. It covered the preparation of working papers and reports of the project and provides editorial assistance in the publication of the major results of the programme.

Further details of Module 14

All MEDALUS reports from this and other modules are listed in the document and data archive. Reports relating to this module will be found in the MEDALUS III: Ephemeral Channels and Rivers Project volumes. Some of the more recent reports can be downloaded from this site.
Older reports are obtainable from the MEDALUS Project Office, free of charge.

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