Hidrológiai Közlöny 1965 (45. évfolyam)

9. szám - Dr. Vitális Sándor: A Kísérleti és tájjellemző területek szimpozionja elé

Hidrológiai Közlöny 1965. 8. sz. 386 Before the Symposium on Experimentál and Representative Areas In the name of the Hungárián Hydrologieal Society I welcome in the territory of Hungary all the participants of the Symposium on Experimentál and Representative Areas, organized by the International Assoeiation of Scientific HydrologyOwing to its geographical situation and Continental climate, Hungary has fought a bittér and perpetual struggle against water. ' 44 per cent of the cultivated lands in the country, conquested gradually since the beginning of the 19th century, should artificially be protected against damages caused by flood. At the time of a great flood or a wet spring the country turns into a veritable theatre of war, where operations are executed according an ever-ready plan of mobilization. It was just not long ago, that one of the most difficult struggles against the forces of Nature rising over and over again was fought with success, when in the course of the flood, which exceeded all floods of the Danube recorded so far, on certain days a légion of 40,000 men, 200 machines and 1500 vehicles of transport were mobilized to work on the dikes. 1 n addition to the fight against water a more and more harder struggle is to be fought even for water. For serving water supply purposes, 40,000 artesian wells had to be drilled so far in the Great Hungárián Plain. In order to provide water for irrigation, water must be storecl in river beds and between dikes in the plain, pumping stations and extensive canal networks are to be established. The centuries-old struggle against and for water has had naturally a stimulating effect on the development of hydrologic sciences. It is understandable that besides the Fac-ulty of Arts of the Buda University the Institutum GeometricoHydrotechnicum was founded as early as 1782, issuing the first diplomás of engineering (on a university level) all over the world, and that one of the oldest of the world's similar services, the Hungárián Hydrographic Service, was organized in Hungary in 1886. It was nearly half a century ago, that the Hungárián Hydrologieal Society was founded by the Hungárián hydrologists who were convinced of the necessity and importance of an intensive co-operation. The Society, uniting hydraulic engineers, geologists, water chemists, geophysicists etc., displays its activity in six special divisions (hydraulics, hydrogeology, water treátment, water chemistry, limnology and balneology) and with round 1,800 members from the capital and the country. The scope of activity of the Society embraces to full degree the field of work of the International Assoeiation of Scientific Hydrology, and the Hungárián National Committee of the IASH is active within its frame. It is a great pleasure to us, that in the first year of the International Hydrologieal Decade, it is in Hungárián territory that the most illustrious hydrologists of the world are meeting to exchange their experiences on experimentál areas, which is a subject most frequently raised at the meetings of the Society during the last 10 years. I hope that this Symposium will strengthen the international connections of the Society and of its members in the service of the grand aims set in the interest of the whole mankind, for which the International Hydrologieal Decade was initiated by the UNESCO and for which likewise this Symposium was organized by the International Assoeiation of Scientific Hydrology. I wish every success to the work of the Symposium! S. Vitális Professor of Applied Geology President of the Hungárián Hydrologieal Society