site.btaBulgarian Academy of Sciences Marks Days of Glaciers, Water, Meteorology

The Climate, Atmosphere and Water Research Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (CAWRI-BAS) is organizing a conference and celebratory event on the occasion of World Day for Glaciers (March 21), World Water Day (March 22) and World Meteorological Day (March 23), the organizers said.

The event will be held on Friday in the Great Hall of BAS. It is dedicated to water as an invaluable natural resource, an indispensable component of all organisms and the living environment, but also as a generator of extreme events such as storms, hailstorms and floods. 

The forum also includes an official event under the auspices of UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which will be broadcast live online. Director of CAWRI-BAS Prof. Ekaterina Batchvarova and Prof. Boyan Kulov will present innovative ideas for wetland restoration along the Danube under the European DaWetRest project. 

Prof. Emil Bournaski will speak about the water resources of Bulgaria and the current water crisis. Prof. Emil Gachev will present a film about his research on the disappearing small glaciers in the mountains of Southeast Europe.

Presentations will also be made by scientists from the Space Research and Technology Institute at BAS (SRTI –BAS). Physicist Eng. Tsvetan Parov, who was part of the 33rd Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition, will share his Impressions and photographs from his research on Antarctic glaciers. Kamelia Radeva will introduce the audience to wetland research using satellites.

Current water-related topics will be presented by scientists and experts. A quiz will also be organized for visitors with fun questions on water. The event is free to attend and there will be prizes for those who excel in the quiz, organizers said.