NRB 23

Objectives of the Northern Research Basins Working Group:

The overall objective of the NRB Working Group is to encourage research in hydrological basins in cold regions where snow, ice and frozen ground have a dominant role in the
hydrological cycle. The Over the years, the objectives of the NRB Working Group have evolved to include the following:

• Gain a better understanding of hydrological processes, particularly those in which snow, ice, and frozen ground have a major influence on the hydrological regime, and to determine the relative importance of each component of the water balance.
• Provide data for the development and testing of transposable models which may be applied to regional, national, and international water and land resource programmes.
• Relate hydrological processes to the chemical and biological evolution of northern basins.
• Assess and predict the effect of human activities on the hydrological regime in northern environments.
• Encourage the exchange of personnel (technicians, scientists, research officers, students, and others) among participating countries.
• Provide information for the improvement and standardisation of measurement techniques and network design in northern regions.
• Encourage exchange of information on a regular basis, and
• Set up task forces to promote research initiatives on topics of special interest to northern research basins.