ИСТИНА

The International Commission on Continental Erosion (ICCE) of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) organized its first symposium on erosion and sediment transport in 1981, in Italy. Since then, an ICCE symposium dealing with this and similar subjects has been held about every two years in various locations around the world. The New Orleans symposium on Sediment Dynamics from the Summit to the Sea continues this highly successful, ongoing series of ICCE symposia but is unique for two reasons: it is the first time that an ICCE symposium is being held on a large river delta; and additionally, this symposium intends to highlight the beneficial sides of erosion and sedimentation in connection with coastal and delta building processes. We received a gratifying response to our call for papers: over 170 abstracts were submitted by nearly 400 researchers and practitioners from 35 countries. The 61 papers selected for this volume represent the latest progress on research covering such topics from hillslope and channel erosion to riverine sediment transport, sediment-associated contamination and pollution, catchment and river basin sediment yield, integrated erosion-sediment modelling, and sediment dynamics in coastal systems. Home to the Mississippi River Delta, New Orleans is built on thousands of years of sediment deposits, lending itself to a conducive environment for scientific discussions on erosion, sediment, and their influences on physical, chemical, and biological processes across land and waterscapes. New Orleans also is one of the oldest cities in the New World, with a proud heritage emerging from a distinct blend of Spanish, French, Acadian, and Creole cultures. We sincerely hope that the symposium participants will thoroughly enjoy the meeting, the venue, and the long-lasting, productive, personal, and professional interrelationships that develop as a result of this unique event