When Hurricane Sandy ravaged the north-eastern coast of the United States you could hear climatologists all over the world saying: “Global warming, we told you so”. You could also hear dredging professionals saying: “We’re ready to help. We’ve got the solutions. Just ask us”.
When you witness the ravages of Hurricane Sandy that recently hit the north-eastern coast of the United States, first you have to think: the future has arrived. And second, dredging is the future. Coastal defence. Sea-level rise. Sustainability. Dredging is an industry of new beginnings, of innovations, of long-term planning and progress. That goes for equipment, for research and for investments in training people for the industry.
Priorities for improving infrastructure through better dredging in this issue include:
– A focus on Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) and how to use it within the limits of the legal and contractual requirements of EU policy;
– Protecting employees with increased attention to on-the-job safety;
– Environmental monitoring before, during and after dredging projects, and
– The importance of appropriate hydraulic fill for land reclamation infrastructure projects as explained in the newly released Hydraulic Fill Manual reviewed in this issue of Terra.
These subjects are of primary importance to the international dredging community, be they operating abroad or in their home markets, and are addressed in Terra’s articles with a sharp eye toward improvement, innovation and cost-effective solutions.
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Press Release, December 18, 2012