Dredging for Development

World trade would grind to a halt if the natural siltation of ports, harbours and navigation fairways was not counteracted, while the creation of new land for legitimate human activity and the protection of coastal areas by remedial measures are all ways in which the dredging industry delivers crucial services which are little known, underappreciated and often misunderstood.

It is not just the general public but officialdom also which is unaware of the true value of dredging’s contribution and the extent to which the industry has for years addressed all aspects of its operations with a primary concern for environmental implications and impacts. Those familiar with the activities of the World Dredging Association (WODA) and its regional constituencies, including the Netherlands based Central Dredging Association (CEDA) here in Europe, will be aware of the vast body of research and dissemination of best practice guidelines emanating from these distinguished learned organisations. The wider world still requires more information with which to be convinced.

It is in this context that Dredging for Development , edited by renowned dredging consultant and CEDA activist Nick Bray, should receive the widest possible distribution. This is the fifth in a series of such Guides dating to 1983, when the IAPH sought to provide public officials of developing nations with an introduction to the complex field of dredging, written in non-technical language and covering the main elements of which such officials should be aware. As subsequent volumes have evolved, it has been recognised that the environment is not a separate issue but central to all aspects of dredging activity.

Such ecological aspects and new tools relating to them are addressed throughout this latest edition.

While there are many publications and sources of information available to those who specialise in dredging, there are few documents designed especially for the managers, planners and decision makers who must have some basis of general information with which to appreciate the issues as they ponder the feasibility of dredging projects. This publication attempts to provide that key single document for those officials and managers. It succeeds in achieving its intentions to be a readable, available, and balanced source of information for navigation and port managers, officials and the general public.

It would be especially valuable if it could be widely read by the objectors, as they consider how that next bottle of Australian Chardonnay is going to make it to their dinner table.

Dredging for Development
Edited by Nick Bray.
Published jointly by the International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH)
ISBN 90 75254 15 6 A5
Paperback, 84 pages
Email: info@iadc-dredging. Com