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Since 1971, the Universities of Franche-Comté (Besançon) and Neuchâtel alternately organize international conferences whose main purpose is to promote communication between researchers and engineers in the area of water in karst and fissured media.

Conferences took place in Besançon in 1971, 1976, 1986 and 2001, and in 1982, 1992 and 2006, in Neuchâtel. In 1997, the conference venue was la Chaux-de -Fonds (Switzerland), where it was organized jointly with the International Congress of Speleology.

The 2006 conference has focused on problems of prospecting, exploitation and vulnerability of water of the karst, like with the concepts of management and sustainable development. Topics were :

1. Flow and transport in the saturated zone and the unsaturated zone.

Both the unsaturated and the saturated zone of karst hydrogeological systems are highly heterogeneous: they are characterised by a duality of open shafts and conduits on one hand, and less karstified rock volumes on the other hand, which results in a duality of recharge, flow and transport processes. The soil and epikarst zone seem to play a crucial role for contaminant attenuation. Session 1 presents new approaches to characterise flow and transport and includes experimental works as well as new concepts and modelling approaches.

2. Modern investigations and measurement methods.

Models and theories are only as good as the data they are based on. Karst aquifer systems are often characterised by rapid and strong variations of hydrologic, physico-chemical, isotopic and microbiological parameters. This temporal variability and the spatial heterogeneity of karst aquifers require special experimental techniques and measurement methods. Session 2 will focus on new methods for the continuous online measurement of such parameters and will also include presentations on improved tracer and geophysical techniques.

3. Contamination and microbiology of karst aquifers.

Due to their special hydrogeological characteristics, karst aquifers are highly vulnerable to contamination; microbial pathogens are among the most problematic contaminants. On the other hand, microorganisms are crucial for a variety of hydrogeochemical processes that contribute to contaminant attenuation. Session 3 thus aims on presenting the current knowledge on contamination problems in karst aquifers and focuses on the role of microorganisms. New approaches to protect groundwater resources will also be discussed.

4. Water resources and climatic changes.

Climate change is likely to impact groundwater resources, either directly, e.g. via changing precipitation patterns, or indirectly, e.g. via changing land-use practices and water demand. However, dealing with climate change means dealing with uncertainty. These changes may concern both groundwater quantity and quality. To date, only few studies deal with the implications of climate change for karst aquifer systems. Session 4 aims on bringing together scientists from different disciplines working on this problematic.