GLOBAL EFFORTS TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF KARST LANDSCAPE/AQUIFER SYSTEMS: TWENTY-FIVE YEARS WITH IGCP AND PROJECTS 299, 379, 448, 513, AND 598

Karst landscape/aquifer systems are formed within especially soluble bedrock in which large underground rivers flow through caves that have been dissolved by groundwater. They have formed over roughly 15% of the earth’s ice-free land surface and can display spectacular landforms, though serious environmental problems occur. As much as 25% of the world’s population has been estimated to obtain water either directly or indirectly from karst aquifers, yet there are often problems with water quality and water access, and collapse of subsurface voids can cause damage.

Given the beauty, complexity, challenges and global breadth of karst systems, it was natural that scientists from around the world would come together to form projects under the umbrella of IGCP, and in 1990 the first of five serial projects was initiated. This work has greatly enhanced international communication among the world’s karst scientists and synthesized progress in the spirit of IGCP’s original goal, to establish global correlations not just between scientists but between the landscapes and environmental systems themselves.

Four subsequent projects have addressed the interplay of karst hydrogeology, geochemistry, ecology, climate change and human interactions, with eventual more permanent outgrowth for research, training and capacity building following the establishment of the UNESCO Category II International Research Center on Karst in Guilin China in 2008. Scientific progress has been made by karst IGCP scientists in hydrogeology and water resources, paleoclimatic reconstruction, geochemistry and geomorphology. While research results have been discussed at more than 30 related conferences held at iconic karst landscapes around the world, a key outcome has occurred when individual scientists have met on field trips, at meals and even coffee breaks. This collaboration is what IGCP does best--many new ideas or promising opportunities have emerged during such informal discussions.