Summing up and a look to the future

HE title of the conference is * Engineering Hydrology Today'. While there were times when I thought I was not at the right conference this is no criticism of the papers or discussion, but a criticism of myself and many of us in the lack of communication there is between those in pure hydrological research and those of us who want to use it. This is very much related to what Professor Wolf has said about the gap between theory and practice.

Can I refer, therefore, to the remarks made by Dr Dumitrescu, who reminded you that there was to be a tenyear programme from January 1975 onwards. The UK started the IHD six months late, and presumably the same will occur with the IHP. But the IHP is to be orientated to the practical problems to which hydrology can contribute answers, and to the environmental problems. So this is relevant to what hydrologists will do in the future. If their work is to be related to the international scene they will be talking to people who do not know anything about hydrology and have to be talked to in simple words. A jargon may be developed within the laboratory as this is a convenient way of conversing quickly and accurately, but it must not be inflicted on those outside.