ICID INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE ERWG EUROPEAN REGIONAL WORKING GROUP UKCID UKRAINIAN COMMITTEE OF IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE ICID: International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage The International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage was established in 1950 as a non-profit, non-governmental international organization with headquarters in New Delhi India. The Commission is dedicated to enhancing worldwide supply of food and fiber for all people by improving water and land management and the productivity of irrigated and drained lands through appropriate management of water, environment and application of irrigation, drainage and flood management techniques. UKCID: Ukrainian Committee on Irrigation and Drainage: Ukraine is a member of ICID since 1996 and has been regularly contributing towards its activities. All the activities of ICID are coordinated and managed by the Ukrainian National Committee of International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage (UKCID), with its secretariat located in Ukrainian institute of hydraulic engineering and land- reclamation, Kyiv. Director of the institute acts as Chairman UKCID and a head of a department as Secretary UKCID. Members of UKCID regularly attend the annual meetings held at various venues around the world. Dear colleagues and friends, The Organizing Committee of the Conference and the Ukrainian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage have the honour to invite all of the National committees of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) to participate in the 23 rd European Regional Conference on “ Progress in Managing Water for Food and Rural Development”. The event will take place in Lviv, Ukraine, from 17 till 24 May 2009. The Conference is devoted to the issues of current importance on water and land resources management, especially it will focus on progressive methods and technologies developed and applied in the European countries. I hope for an active participation of known scientists, researchers, experts and young professionals who just begin the activity in this sphere. Holding this important international event will promote exchange of experience and practical application of progressive methods for water resources management, and also it will be useful for an expansion of business and scientific connections of Ukrainian experts with their foreign colleagues. Our native land Ukraine is a very hospitable country, and we will try to do our best your participation in the Conference and stay in Ukraine will be useful and pleasant. Welcome to Ukraine! Sincerely yours, Peter Kovalenko Vice President of ICID Head of the Ukrainian National Committee of ICID Director of Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Land Reclamation of Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences Ukraine: Ukraine, the largest state in Europe, appeared on the map of the world in 1991. It was recognized by the international community and more than 100 countries established diplomatic relations with it. Ukrainian independence is seventeen years old, but it has an ancient history. The ancestors of Ukrainians chose this land to live during the Trypilska period several thousand years ago. In ancient times today's Ukrainian lands were inhabited by Antes and Rosses, the ancestors of Eastern Slavs. And it was here, that in the 9th century one of the most powerful states of medieval Europe was founded. This was Kyivska Rus, which included Kyiv, Novgorod, Chernihiv, Galich, Polotsk, Smolensk, Rostov, Suzdal and later Moscow, which was founded by the Kievites, a large territory from Baltica to the Black Sea and Kuban and from Zakarpatya to the Volga. The famous Dnipro route «from the Varagians to the Greeks» ran through Kyiv and the Zalizny route to the Azov Sea as well. This was a period of power and glory. In 988 Prince Volodymyr introduced Christianity as the offi- cial state religion. The christening of Kyivska Rus took place in Kyiv on the Dnipro river. Two monks settled in the caves under Kyiv hills in the 11th century. Soon a cave monastery sprang up there. Now it is known in the whole world as Kyevo-Pechcrska Lavra. At the lime of Kyivska Rus Kyiv was one of the richest and most developed cities of Europe. The high level of skills of Kyiv craftsmen can be proved by the number of buried treasures found on the territory of the ancient city and by its monuments of architecture and monumental art. e.g. St. Sophia Cathedral, the Golden Gate of Kyiv, Kyevo-Pecherska Lavra (Kyiv Cave Monastery). However, in 1240, the Tatar-Mongols captured Kyiv. Thousands of people were killed and much of the city was razed. Kyiv fell into a prolonged period of decline. The Tatar-Mongols ruled for almost three centuries thereafter. The Kyivska Rus state disintegrated and some of its territory came under the rule of Moscovia and Belorussia. The world heard about Ukraine again during times of the Cossack Republic - Zaporizka Sich - at the end of the 15th century. The long road to independence by the Ukrainian people began with Cossack military campaigns. In 1648-1654 Cossack armies, headed by Hetman (military leader) Bohdan Khmclnytstky waged wars to liberate Ukraine. Faced with ravaging attacks by the armies of Polish and Lithuanian feudists, Bohdan Khmelnytsky sought the protection of the Russian Tzar, formalizing the union of Ukraine and Russia by the Treaty of Pereyaslav. Unfortunately, after this Ukraine plunged into a long period of domination by the Russian Empire. Despite such repression and severe Tzarist autocratic rule, Ukraine in the 17th and 18th centuries managed to preserve some riches of political, economic, cultural, and religious development. Kyiv Mohyliyanska Academy, founded by the Metropolitan Petro Mohyla in the 17th century, became the first East European University. In that period the Ukrainian people were one of the most educated in the world and almost totally literate. Books were printed, philosophy was studied, music, literature and painting flourished. The first Constitution appeared in Ukraine at the time of the Cossacks (1711). In January 1918 when the Russian Empire fell, the independence of Ukraine was proclaimed and the Ukrainian People's Republic was created. Mykhaylo Hrushcvsky became the first President of Ukraine. But at that time Ukrainian statehood was not defended. It is only recently that this became possible. Ukraine is a very large country. Its territory is 603,7 thousand sq km, stretching from the west to the east for 1316 km and from the north to the south for 893 km. The geographic centre of Europe is located near the little Ukrainian town of Rakhiv. Neighbouring Ukraine are the countries of Belarus, Russia, Moldova, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Rumania. The population of our country is about 46 million people, consisting of a variety of nationalities. Ukrainians, Russians, Belarussians, Jews, Moldovans, Tatars, Poles, Hungarians, Rumanians and Greeks are the groups that are predominantly represented. The urban population comprises 66% of the total population. There are 71 thousand rivers and streams in Ukraine, their total length being 248 thousand km. The most important of them are the Dnipro, the Dnister, the Southern Bug, the Prypyat, the Desna. The Dnipro river is the major river in the country and the third longest in Europe. Its total length is 2285 km. 1205 km over the territory of Ukraine. The Dunav river connects Ukraine with 7 European countries. The capital of Ukraine Kyiv, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Kherson are situated on the banks of this river. The waters of the Black and Azov Seas wash Ukraine's coastline. Ukraine is a land of gorgeous nature, which is much the same as it was during ancient times. Fields, meadows, hills dotted with green forests, mountains and valleys full of beautiful flowers create the unique landscape of our country. The real Ukraine is a land of natural beauty, still untouched by the modern world. The climate in Ukraine is pleasant. It is continental apart from the Crimea were it is subtropical and Medi- terranean. Spring comes early. Summer is sunny and green. Autumn is ablaze with colours. Winter is mild and white. The Carpathian and the Crimean mountains are very picturesque. Dozens of tourist routes pass through them. Hoverla (2061 m) is the highest peak of the Ukrainian Carpathian mountains and to travel there is extremely interesting. Anyone who loves hiking dreams of a trip in the Carpathians to admire its dense forests and to listen to the sound of waterfalls. Fauna of Ukrainian forests is extremely diverse, you can meet deer, roe deer, elks, and pheasants. It is not only nature that Ukraine can be proud of. Magic voices of Ukrainian singers, ballet performances, works of our painters and sculptors are known everywhere in the world. Ukraine is extremely rich in natural resources and has an enormous scientific potential. But, perhaps, the greatest value of Ukraine is its people who are benevolent, merry, hospitable and generous. We invite you to discover the wonders of Ukraine. Welcome to Lviv: Now Lviv is one of Ukraine’s largest cities, with the population of over 800 thousand, the important cultural, political, scientifical and economical center of the western region of Ukraine. There are over 2000 monuments of architecture and culture in Lviv. The central part of the city was declared a historical and cultural preserve and was included on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Every stone here is a living legend and living history that has survived the passage of lime. Lviv is the ancient capital of Galychyna, one of the oldest and most unique cities of Europe. Lviv, «lion's city», was named by its founder, the Galycian- Volynian king, Danylo Galytsky, in honour of his son Lev. The city was first mentioned in the Galycian-Volynian Chronicle in 1256. In the centre of the city there is a hill where a fortress, which protected Lviv from enemy attacks, stood. The fortress no longer remains, but from its hill, which is called The High Castle, you can see a wonderful panorama of the old city.