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Welcome from IAH’s Regional Groundwater Flow Commission (RGFC). We hope you find the information useful and that it encourages you to participate. Do feel free to get in touch with questions or comments.
The RGFC Board Members in Davos, Switzerland (2024)
About RGFC
IAH’s Regional Groundwater Flow Commission (RGFC) internationally fosters regional groundwater flow research and practical application. It motivates new research, including mathematical analyses of flow systems’ properties and field- and GIS-based methods to study the geological agency of regional groundwater flow. It also aims to enhance the relevance of basin-scale gravitational groundwater flow systems to disciplines such as:
- regional water resources;
- geotechnics;
- geothermal energy;
- mineral exploration;
- petroleum exploration;
- landscape architecture;
- environment protection;
- soil and groundwater salinization and amelioration;
- forestry and agriculture;
- land use planning and management.
Our mission
Since its establishment in 2011, the Regional Groundwater Flow Commission (RGFC) has worked to promote and advance the understanding of regional groundwater flow systems—an essential yet often underrepresented concept in hydrogeology. Over the past decade, the Commission has grown into a vibrant international community, with active contributions from colleagues in Canada, China, Mexico, Colombia, Australia, and Hungary. Through this collaboration, RGFC has facilitated productive knowledge exchange and organized symposia and workshops that have strengthened our collective understanding of groundwater systems on a regional scale.
Looking ahead, our most important goal is to broaden the global reach of the Commission. We are committed to engaging researchers from all continents and encouraging more diverse national representation. We envision board members not only representing their regions, but actively fostering participation and understanding of regional groundwater flow within their countries and scientific communities.
The RGFC strongly supports both theoretical and applied research. We emphasize the importance of exploring the combined effects of various driving forces in different basin types, enhancing our understanding through advanced 2D and 3D modeling, and linking theoretical insights with practical applications. In addition, we seek to highlight the role of groundwater flow as a geologic agent, contributing to processes such as hydrocarbon migration, ore deposition, geothermal activity, and even tectonics.
To make a lasting impact, we prioritize collaboration—through joint research, co-supervised PhD projects, and the development of freely accessible online educational materials for students at all levels. We also aim to build stronger ties with other IAH commissions and international organizations, as we believe the regional groundwater flow concept is fundamental not only to hydrogeology, but also to geology, ecology, agriculture, and environmental management.
József Tóth library
RGFC intends to preserve the library of József Tóth, who laid the basis of Flow System Theory at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary, for the benefit of others in the future.
Join us
We aim for RGFC to gather a powerful, effective, and truly international group of actively engaged participants. It is also the firm intention of the Board to strengthen the contribution of women and young scientists in the Commission.
You do not have to be an IAH member to participate in RFGC’s efforts. In fact, we encourage broad involvement from the groundwater community, as this will help RGFC to thrive and give greater authority to its work.
Find out more
- Read our Mission Statement
- Join our LinkedIn group
- Email regionalgwflow.iah@gmail.com
