SUITMA 2005 Cairo Content

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Home Introduction Administration Sponsor Conference Themes Abstracts Scientific Presentations Excursions and Tours Accommodations Registration & Fees Full Papers Proceedings Egypt & Cairo PhotoGallary Contacts Sponsors of the event : International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) EL-Zagazig University Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [ Egyptian Geological Survey and Mining Authority] (EGSMA) [ Egyptian Geological Survey and Minerals Company] (EMISAL) [ Egyptian Society of Crystallography] (EMISAL)

Scientists in the soil and related disciplines have often focused their work on agricultural and forest land, overlooking soils of urban, industrial, traffic, mining, and military areas that were left to appear as white areas on maps. It is most likely that the evolution of these soils is a function of the usual formation factors just like any soil category, yet the anthropogenic factor is more intense. In the process, it triggers rapid and irregular transformation cycles comprising addition of exogenous materials and subsequent mixing. These unconventional soils are characterized by extreme spatial heterogeneity. Furthermore, soils in localities may incorporate pollutants inducing environmental degradation and posing potential hazard to human health. Such problems were recognized by the Working Group on SUITMA of the International Union of Soil Sciences. An objective was to define appropriate procedures to survey, analyze, manage, and utilize soils of the urban, industrial, traffic, mining, and military areas. Additional work is needed to modify/devise procedures seeking compatibility with unconventional soils. A new research frontier was recognized by the soil scientists who met twice in the past few years, SUITMA 2000 in Essen Germany and SUITMA 2003 in Nancy France. In Cairo 2005, we promise to create the enabling environment to generate more knowledge and facilitate information exchange. In this context, we need your participation to enrich our collective ability to learn new aspects of soil science. Furthermore, we need your participation to prove that we soil scientists can extend mutual understanding between cultures and enhance human tolerance.