Introduction

Abstract

The explosive economic growth, which was initiated in the early 60’s, has left its mark on the hydraulic engineering design, evaluation, and advise in a wide spectrum of environmental problems. Especially, the Scandinavian countries with their many island, fjords, and lakes offer a great challenge to the hydraulic engineering of lakes, reservoirs, coastal and estuary hydraulics with respect to

• Pollution — (domestic and industrial waste water, cooling water, oil spill, agricultural manuring etc.)

• Water management — (drinking water, industrial water, irrigation, hydropower etc.)

• Navigation — (currents, ice formation, shoaling, erosion-involving dredging, protection works etc.)

• Floods — (forecasting, dikes, regulation of discharges)

• Traffic — (tunnels, bridges, harbours etc.)

• Offshore activities — (coastal currents and eddies, ice drift, blow-outs etc.)

• Fishing — (currents, salinity/ temperature, oxygen content, formation of fronts).