Rivers and their catchments are characterized and influenced by a range of physical, chemical and biological processes. These processes are in a constant state of flux, varying across both temporal and spatial scales, and are regulated or enhanced by anthropogenic activities, including but not limited to water abstraction, weir creation/removal, dredging and agriculture. Understanding of the hydromorphological and ecohydrological impacts of these activities/ approaches and so, wider socio-economic implications, remains largely rudimentary. As a result, there is a need to develop understanding around i) the magnitude and temporal persistence of anthropogenic stressors and their effects, ii) ecosystem resilience to anthropogenic stressors (including critical transitions in ecosystem state), and iii) new sustainable approaches to catchment and/or river management, such as utilization of ecosystem engineers for habitat improvements. These three fields represent important challenges for scientists, practitioners, and decision makers alike. This session aims to evaluate the current knowledge on the two-way interactions between ecological and physical processes in rivers, how these are influenced by anthropogenic activities across a range of spatial and temporal scales, and how this understanding can be used to inform sustainable catchment and river management. We particularly welcome contributions on novel modelling, analysis and measurement techniques and studies where the magnitude and temporal persistence of effects are monitored through time and space, using robust experimental designs. Potential paper topics include but are not limited to: (i) impacts of river and catchment management (e.g. land use and farming practices) on fluvial ecosystems and hydro-geomorphology; (ii) biogeomorphological processes in river management and their wider socio-economic implications (e.g. flood risks); (iii) evidence-informed governance and policy change; (iv) plant-soil-water interactions in a changing climate and policy landscape.

The session includes an invited keynote talk by Prof. Hervé Piégay who is Research Director at the National Centre for Scientific Research, working at Université de Lyon (France).