Fifty years of history of the Karst Commission of the International Association of Hydrogeologists

Abstract

The Commission on Karst Hydrogeology, also known as the Karst Commission (KC), was founded in 1970 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and it is an important part of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH). The general idea was to organise a group of hydrogeologists from different countries, with relevant experience in karst hydrogeology, to promote cooperation among scientists interested in karst topics, exchange experiences and, particularly, create an optimal strategy for groundwater resources development. From foundation until today, more than 40 formal meetings and many informal KC gatherings (including field trips) have been convened in different karst regions, and a number of papers and books have been published by KC members. The first publication in the IAH book series International Contributions to Hydrogeology (the “blue books”) was on the subject of karst, presenting the experiences gleaned from a number of development projects from various karst regions, as well as bibliographic data on karst research of the time. Today, the KC is one of the most active IAH groups, with 70 permanent members from 6 continents and many young researchers, whose work is supported by funding and regular awards. The KC members have led or have been involved in many projects run with international cooperation. The two largest, completed in the course of the past decade, are the World Karst Aquifer Map (WOKAM) and the Dinaric Karst Transboundary Aquifer System (DIKTAS) projects. This paper summarizes the history of the KC to date.