The ECCE Ethical Commitment to Sustainable Civil Engineering approved at the 37th Meeting, held in Madrid, April 2003

European Council of Civil Engineers (ECCE)

ETHICAL COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE CIVIL ENGINEERING

RECOGNISING

The importance of conserving biodiversity

That Civil Engineering acts on the land

The fragility of natural ecosystems

The high complexity of the ecological systems

That Civil Engineering can cause environmental damage

The importance of efficient use of energy

ADMITTING:

Social differences between all countries

The need to equal their basic infrastructures

The right to achieve high quality of life

Years of human pressure            

The novelty of the term environmental engineering

The interdisciplinary character of these studies

 

ASSUMING:

The Need to take full account of our environmental impact

The existence of environmental conditions which can influence the technical solution

That technical reasons are not infallible

That we are altering the cycles of the biosphere

That we waste non renewable products

That nothing can grow indefinitely

That it is essential to stabilize human activity

 

LET US ACQUIRE THE FOLLOWING

ETHICAL COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE CIVIL ENGINEERING

We will put our professional activity at the disposal of Sustainable Development.

We will claim a scientific method of assessing all factors concerned.

We will make the effort of differentiating technical criteria from political criteria.

We will  increase our awareness when we take decisions that

may affect the conservation of the natural ecosystems.

We will  employ our determination and professional influences for the benefit

of the well being of future generations worldwide.

We will increase our knowledge about land, ecosystems and ecological processes,

as an environmental basis for improving our technical decisions.

We will acknowledge the influence of our profession in

Sustainable Development in Europe.

The present Commitment will determine the public image of

Civil Engineering in the 21st Century.

TASK FORCE MEETING at CACERES and MONFRAGÜE NATURAL PARK - June 2003

The moment Task Force members passed the glass doors of Madrid’s Barajas  airport, they were struck by the stark contrast in temperatures.   Members and partners of ECCE’s Environment Task Force flew to Spain from across Europe for a weekend of discussion combined with an opportunity to consider ‘on the ground’ the diversity of the problems facing civil engineers and the changes in attitude that need to be encouraged.    

The Colegio de Ingenieros kindly laid on an air-conditioned coach to make the four-hour journey to the medieval town of Càceres, which lies at the heart of Spain’s Extremadura region.  It was Friday and many people were leaving behind the heat and humidity of Spain’s capital for the weekend.  As the coach wended its way beyond the modern urban sprawl of Madrid, the ECCE travellers delighted in the convenience offered by air-conditioning and cool boxes for water.  A stop was made for ‘tapas’ to enjoy traditional Spanish ‘jámon ibérico de bellota’ (acorn ham, so-called because of the acorns fed to the pigs in the region) and cheese.  As we neared our destination, we noted the change in our surroundings: towards Càceres there are ‘pseudosteppes’.   The ‘dehesa’ grazing land on these plains is home to oak trees, cork trees and also to birds such as bustards and cranes.  The cranes seemed to be a feature of every village; their untidy nests perched on chimney tops and farm buildings along the route. 

 

This map of Spain illustrates the location of the Extremadura Region abutting the Portuguese border.

It comprises two provinces, Caceres and Badajoz.  Its capital is Merida, which was one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire.  Later the region was the border between Moorish and Christian Spain.

Its climate is continental with hot summers and fairly cold winters.

Our destination, Càceres, is a two-thousand year old town is the capital of Upper Extremadura and the home of Environment Task Force Chairman Santiago Hernandez.  During the Task Force’s working weekend, the temperature soared well over 40 degrees, making members very aware of the differences that climate can make in the natural environment.

A guided walk in the cooler temperatures of the late evening the  allowed Task Force members to appreciate the true Medieval atmosphere of the Monument District of Càceres.  Classified as a World Heritage Site, it is one of the purest and best conserved in all of Europe, enclosing palaces, churchers, towers and mansion houses within the town’s Moorish walls.

As Saturday dawned, members set off again for a guided visit of Monfragüe Natural Park by its Director and staff.  The park, located between the Tajo and Tjetar rivers, covers an area of 17.852 hectares.  It was the first protected areas in Spain’s Extremadura. 

Monfragüe was declared a Natural Park in 1979.  Construction of large dams in the Rivers Tajo and Tjetar resulted in destruction of vegetation of their river thickets and banks.  This, coupled with massive repopulation with eucalyptus in the 1970s, threatened the conservation of endangered species and one of the best conserved areas of Mediterranean conservation.  In 1991 the area was also classified as a Special Protection Area for Birds. 

Our guides advised us that Monfragüe is truly representative of Mediterranean flora and fauna - it has a dense population of rare species of birds of prey - it is possible to see snake eagles, black vultures and tawny vultures within the Park.  The natural park offers the possibility to reflect on the original state of the Mediterranean forest since the mountain hillsides and a part of the Tajo and Tjetar Rivers have dense vegetation which is practically unaltered by man.  The importance of the Monfragüe fauna is to a large extent due to the extraordinary combination of hillside offering dense vegetation, rocks and extensive open areas.  Fauna can find places to take refuge and nest as well as to feed and task members were fortunate to witness one of the nesting sites at the “Gipsy’s Leap” (pictured below).  As recognition of its representative status, the Monfragüe National Park was included in the Community Interest Programme in 1999, Under the Habitats Directive, (43/92/EEC),to be incorporated into the Natura Network 2000.

Task Force members with one of the vehicles which enables staff to monitor activities in the park - the distinctive ‘Life’ logo of the European funding programme for the environment is emblazoned on the side of the vehicle in blue and yellow.

 

In the background of this picture is the Salto de Gitano (Gipsy’s Leap), which provides nesting opportunities for more than one rare species of raptor.

The Task Force meeting was held at the visitor centre of Villareal de San Carlos which offers models of the Monfragüe ecosystems and a water exhibition centre.  Once it had been a military settlement, put there to protect travellers from bandits.  The Cardenal bridge, built during the XVth century, offered the only place through which the water of the River Tajo could be crossed above the Alcantara Roman bridge.

 

Members quickly realised the importance of receiving briefings in the shade.

 

Here a member of the Monfragüe staff outlined the challenges of managing the park, including the inherent risk of forest fires - either accidental or deliberate.  A helicopter regularly patrols the park’s terrain to monitor any risks.

 

 Reaching the top of the tower was a challenge in the mid-day sun but provided a splendid opportunity to view the park. 

The cover of this supplement depicts the landscape - vegetation is inevitably more abundant in the immediate vicinity of the rivers Tajo and Tjetar.

 A wide range of information in the Spanish language can be obtained from the following web-site: http://www.monfrague.com/

Task Force discussions at the Villareal San Carlos focused on the priorities set out in the Task Force Business Plan for the year ahead.  Promoting awareness of the ECCE Ethical Commitment to Sustainable Engineering, adopted earlier in 2003 at the Madrid meeting, was central to discussions.  Rui Calejo of Portugal illustrated the dramatic effect that had been made by publishing the Ethical Commitment to the Environment in Portugal.  This had been produced in the Portuguese language, following consultation with environmental groups.  Subsequent press interest ensured a very wide dissemination of the material and there had been very strong interest from civil engineers who wished to learn more about the environmental implications of their work.  The importance of ensuring an adequate environmental education for civil engineers was considered to be an important task for the group and for their national institutions and associations.

Diana Maxwell, October 2003

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Next Page

ECCE Contact Details | ECCE Homepage