The requirements for Coastal Engineers in Integrated Coastal Zone Management
25 Sep 1995-
TL;DR: In this article, the requirements for an educational program for coastal engineers from developing countries are quite different from those for the training of engineers from the industrialized world, and more attention has to be paid to the development of capabilities to come to practical solutions given the local constraints.
Abstract: Worldwide there is a need for training of engineers to work within the framework of Coastal Zone Management. This has effects on the education of engineers. Moreover, the requirements for an educational program for coastal engineers from developing countries are quite different from the requirements for the training of engineers from the industrialized world. In a university course for engineers from developing countries more attention has to be paid to the development of capabilities to come to practical solutions given the local constraints and to be able to assess the work done by foreign consultants.
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05 Aug 1997
TL;DR: In this paper, the meaning of education for coastal engineers is discussed, and what the meaning is for education of coastal engineers will be worked out in this paper, as well as what the importance of knowledge from five years ago to be applied in the next five to 15 years is discussed.
Abstract: In general the problem in education is that we teach nowadays students the knowledge from five years ago, to be applied in the next 5 to 15 years (I admit, the student of today will have reached his retirement when he will participate in the 50th ICCE, the title is exaggerating reality). When one analyses the developments in the profession, it is clear that teaching present day facts is not very useful. We have to teach approaches, design philosophy, concepts, etc. What the meaning is for education of coastal engineers will be worked out in this paper.
18 citations
07 May 2012
TL;DR: This paper will give an overview of the experience with this course gained over the last 20 years of Integrated Coastal Zone Management.
Abstract: Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is an interdisciplinary process by definition. Individual actors in CZM need to cooperate and communicate to come to an optimum management strategy for the coastal zone. Because engineers focus on finding the “best” solution in engineering terms, they often are quite surprised that in the end of the day their best solution is not considered as the best solution by the other participants in the process. At Delft University and UNESCO-IHE we started in 1990 with a course on ICZM, which evolved into a training course for engineers to make them aware of this point and to train them in communication with other professionals [Verhagen, 1995]. This paper will give an overview of the experience with this course gained over the last 20 years.
2 citations
Cites methods from "The requirements for Coastal Engine..."
...At Delft University and UNESCO-IHE we started in 1990 with a course on ICZM, which evolved into a training course for engineers to make them aware of this point and to train them in communication with other professionals [Verhagen, 1995]....
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01 Jan 1999
TL;DR: In this paper, practical problems in the transfer of knowledge and skills to coastal engineers in training, with focus on the training of coastal engineers from developing countries and other countries in transition.
Abstract: Practical problems in the transfer of knowledge and skills to coastal engineers in training, with focus on the training of coastal engineers from developing countries and other countries in transition. The difference between the training of scientists and engineers.
1 citations
01 Jan 2005
TL;DR: In this article, a sound engineering approach is required, based on practical experience and supported by physical and mathematical models, for the transfer of coastal engineering knowledge is a complex art as well.
Abstract: Coastal engineering is a complex art. At this moment a limited number of phenomena can understood with the help of the laws of physics and fluid mechanics. For the remainder, formulas have been developed with limited accuracy. In addition, input data are also limited available, and form another source of uncertainty. Consequently, a sound engineering approach is required, based on practical experience and supported by physical and mathematical models. Standard solutions do not exist in coastal engineering; solutions depend very much on local circumstances as well as the social and political approach towards the coast. Consequently the transfer of coastal engineering knowledge is a complex art as well. Because of the different circumstances, training of engineers from countries in transition therefore has to be different from training of engineers from a country with a strong coastal engineering tradition.
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TL;DR: The need for building human and institutional capacity has been identified in Agenda 21 of the UNCED conference as well as by a number of international environmental institutions as essential for integrated coastal management and sustainable development in developing coastal states as mentioned in this paper.
26 citations
TL;DR: The distinction between information and knowledge and the most immediate consequences of this distinction are set out in an appendix to this introductory paper as mentioned in this paper, and the new challenges that hydroinformatics presents are outlined and related to the contributions to this special edition of the Journal of Hydraulics Research.
Abstract: Through the rapidly ongoing process of electronic encapsulation of information and knowledge, a new kind of space opens up in hydraulics between the places and ways in which information and knowledge are produced, through research, and the places and ways in which these are applied, through engineering and management practice. It is this space that is now being occupied by hydroinformatics. The special problems of presenting hydroinformatics arc introduced in relation to the types of electronic knowledge encapsulators that are currently being brought together and integrated in real-time-control, alarm-handling, computer-aided design, computer- aided management and other systems. The new challenges that hydroinformatics presents are outlined and related to the contributions to this special edition of the Journal of Hydraulics Research.The distinction between information and knowledge and the most immediate consequences of this distinction are set out in an appendix to this introductory paper.
20 citations
"The requirements for Coastal Engine..." refers methods in this paper
...Because of this development one may distinguish nowadays three types of coastal engineers: •the research-engineers, involved in expanding the understanding of the coastal processes; using advanced data-analysis of field data and sophisticated physical models; •the "toolmakers", engineers involved in translating the newly gained knowledge into mathematical models and encapsulate this knowledge in various knowledge based systems (Hydroinformatics, see ABBOTT [1994]); •the project engineers (the tool-users), contributing in solving the coastal problems in a multi-disciplinary team....
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02 Mar 1992
TL;DR: In the industrialised countries there is a strong tendency to solve problems in such a way that the amount of required labour decreases, thus, a capital-intensive solution is searched for.
Abstract: Copying solutions from the western, industrial countries for application in developing countries is in general not the best solution for solving the problems of developing countries. The main reason for that is that the available resources in the developing world are different from the resources in western countries. In the industrialised countries there is a strong tendency to solve problems in such a way that the amount of required labour decreases. Thus, a capital-intensive solution is searched for. The reason for this is the very costly social system and the high standard of living. This causes a large deference between the hourly income and the hourly costs of labour, which is much less in developing countries. On the other hand it is difficult and expensive to import industrial products from abroad. Also it is difficult to have sufficient financial resources available. For those countries it is more economic and more attractive to search for solutions which require hardly any investments, but are relatively labour-intensive. These solutions generally require often more maintenance. However, increased maintenance costs may even be advisable, provided initial investment is very low. The total cost of the solution, i.e. investment plus maintenance, can be spread over a longer period without financial indebtedness. The above described philosophy is valid in many sectors of society, but is especially true in the coastal zone. Works in the coastal zone are generally of a large scale, requiring a long planning and very often designed using capital intensive methods.
4 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The coastal engineer who works largely full time in the field and on prototype conditions, keeps up to date, by practicing in two domains concurrently, basically continually reading the literature and where possible attending suitable coastal conferences.
Abstract: The coastal engineer who works largely full time in the field and on prototype conditions, keeps up to date, by practicing in two domains concurrently. The first is carried out in the field and consists of observing, collecting data, collating it and researching the results. The second domain consists of his on-going studies, basically continually reading the literature and where possible attending suitable coastal conferences. The first domain has hardly changed at all in the last 30 years, apart from the deployment of much more sophisticated and often much less reliable sensors, but in only the last 10 years, the second (or study) domain has changed nearly beyond recognition.
4 citations
"The requirements for Coastal Engine..." refers background in this paper
...Much research in coastal engineering leads to longer formulas, not to better applicable formulas, as is proclaimed by SMITH [1994]. Especially for Coastal Engineers, working in a CZM-team, it is vital to know the physical processes instead of only knowing the mathematical approximation of these processes....
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