Working Groups (currently deferred)

Based on the results of the 'Inventory on Guidelines and Protocols' and the 'Questionnaire on Monitoring' (see menu bar, left hand side), IGRAC proposes to create new guidelines on four themes considered to be of world-wide importance for groundwater data collection and interpretation. The proposed themes for new guides are:

1. Baseline groundwater monitoring (started Sept. 2004) (now available, see News & Info);
2. Evaluating groundwater-monitoring programmes (postponed);
3. Assessing the exploitable groundwater resources of an aquifer or area (started Sept. 2004);
4. Quality-assurance in groundwater data collection (postponed).

For the development of new guidelines international working groups are being established. Working group members are invited on the basis of shown interest and experience. Activities of the working groups will be co-ordinated by IGRAC.
Tentative information about the set-up and programme of the working groups is listed below.

• Working groups will be composed of experts from different countries with knowledge, experience and interest in the working group theme;
• An important part of the activities of the working groups, such as exchange of ideas, views and comments will happen through IGRAC's Digital Working Project (DPW) on internet. Contacts between group members will be maintained via e-mail or internet;
• Two meetings are foreseen for a core group of invited authors: a first meeting to present and discuss the set-up of the guideline, the ideas and written contributions and to divide further tasks; a second meeting to discuss the draft of the final guideline;
• Intermediate periods will be used to co-ordinate activities, write contributions and compose and edit versions of the guideline;
• Working groups on subjects 1 and 3 started in September 2004. The groups will be active for a period of 10 months approximately;
• Working groups on subjects 2 and 4 will follow as soon as resources and capacity permit their start;
• IGRAC has no funds for time spent by working group members. However, financial support is being sought for travel expenses, board and lodging of working group-members invited to the meetings.