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This course is proudly presented by Hohai University and IAHR-Hohai Co-Committee on Higher Education and E-learning, with 2 senior professors lecturing on Catchment Systems.

This course aims to provide an accessible introduction to the subject of Catchment Systems for junior undergraduate students of environmental science and related disciplines. Since catchment systems is a rapidly expanding, multi-disciplinary area, the course will also be of interest to those who require a broad overview of the subject, such as ecologists, geologists and engineers.

Catchment Systems provides an accessible introduction to the study of river landforms and the processes that shape them. Rivers are significant geomorphological agents which show an amazing diversity of form and behaviour, reflecting the wide range of environments in which they are found. Highly dynamic in nature, river channels adjust and evolve over timescales that range from seconds to tens of thousands of years. This course examines how river systems operate and respond to change and why this understanding is needed for successful river management.

The course provides a coherent overview of the main concepts in catchment systems, together with recent developments in river channel management, clearly illustrating why an understanding of fluvial geomorphology is vital in channel preservation, environmentally sensitive design and the restoration of degraded river channels.

Starting with an introduction to the catchment system, the course moves on to cover:

• Lecture 1 – Introductory principles

• Lecture 2 – Hillslope processes (network development)

• Lecture 3 – Channel processes (fluid flow)

• Lecture 4 – Channel processes (sediment transport)

• Lecture 5 – River bank erosion

• Lecture 6 – Hydraulic geometry

• Lecture 7 – River channel patterns

• Lecture 8 – River channel management

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