June 2026 - Thessaloniki, Greece

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is organizing an International Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Conference and Workshops in collaboration with the USDA-ARS and Texas A&M AgriLife Research. The conference has become the most important scientific gathering for international experts and institutions in the field of river basin management.

Call for Papers

Presenters are required to register for the conference and there are no additional funds set aside to grant to participants. Please only submit an abstract if you are able to support your registration fee and travel.

We are not accepting remote presentations at this conference. 

Submit an Abstract (IN-PERSON ONLY)

Deadline: 1 April 2026

Conference in-person: 
EARLY BIRD by 1 April 2026: $300 USD, or $250 for students
AFTER 1 April 2026: $350 USD, or $300 for students

The in-person conference registration fee includes coffee breaks, lunch, and the dinner gala for the participant.

Conference online participation:
FREE.

Workshop both in-person and online:
$200 USD, or $150 USD for students

Registration opening soon.

Local Organizing Committee

• Yiannis Panagopoulos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• Lamprini Kokkinaki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• Sofia Kavalieratou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• Charalampos Georgoussis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

International Organizing Committee

• Raghavan Srinivasan, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
• Jeff Arnold, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
• Arun Bawa, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
• Jaclyn Tech, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA

Scientific Committee

Large Scale Applications

Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Prasad Daggupati	University of Guelph, Canada
Venkatesh Merwade	Purdue University, USA
Yiannis Panagopoulos	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Mikołaj Piniewski	Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland
Raghavan Srinivasan	Texas A&M University, USA

Climate Change Applications

Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Tássia Brighenti	Aarhus University, Denmark
Natalja Čerkasova	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Monireh Faramarzi	University of Alberta, Canada
Mikołaj Piniewski	Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland
Xuesong Zhang	USDA-ARS, USA

Sensitivity, Calibration, and Uncertainty

Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Ann van Griensven	University of Brussels, Belgium

Biofuel and Plant Growth

Jeff Arnold	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Tássia Brighenti	Aarhus University, Denmark
Philip Gassman	Iowa State University, USA
Yiannis Panagopoulos	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Environmental Applications

Chehrazade Aboukinane	College of Northern Canada, Canada
Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Katrin Bieger	Aarhus University, Denmark
Nicola Fohrer	Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
Philip Gassman	Iowa State University, USA
José Miguel Sánchez-Pérez	CNRS, France
Sabine Sauvage	CNRS, France
Martin Volk	Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Germany

BMPs

Chehrazade Aboukinane	College of Northern Canada, Canada
Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Prasad Daggupati	University of Guelph, Canada
Monireh Faramarzi	University of Alberta, Canada
Philip Gassman	Iowa State University, USA
Yiannis Panagopoulos	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Mike White	USDA-ARS, USA

Hydrology

Chehrazade Aboukinane	College of Northern Canada, Canada
Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Katrin Bieger	Aarhus University, Denmark
Natalja Čerkasova	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Monireh Faramarzi	University of Alberta, Canada
Jaehak Jeong	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Yiannis Panagopoulos	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Sediment, Nutrients, and Carbon

Chehrazade Aboukinane	College of Northern Canada, Canada
Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Monireh Faramarzi	University of Alberta, Canada
Nicola Fohrer	Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
Yiannis Panagopoulos	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Ann van Griensven	University of Brussels, Belgium

Pesticides, Bacteria, Metals, and Pharmaceuticals

Chehrazade Aboukinane	College of Northern Canada, Canada
Jeff Arnold	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Raghavan Srinivasan	Texas A&M University, USA

Model Development

Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Katrin Bieger	Aarhus University, Denmark
Monireh Faramarzi	University of Alberta, Canada
Jaehak Jeong	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Balaji Narasimhan	Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, India
Ann van Griensven	University of Brussels, Belgium
Mike White	USDA-ARS, USA
Xuesong Zhang	USDA-ARS, USA

Database and GIS Application and Development

Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Venkatesh Merwade	Purdue University, USA
Raghavan Srinivasan	Texas A&M University, USA
Ann van Griensven	University of Brussels, Belgium

Urban Processes and Management

Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Tássia Brighenti	Aarhus University, Denmark
Pedro Chambel Leitão	IST-MARETEC, Portugal
Jaehak Jeong	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA

Landscape Processes and Landscape / River Continuum

Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Katrin Bieger	Aarhus University, Denmark
Sabine Sauvage	CNRS, France
Martin Volk	Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Germany

InStream Sediment and Pollutant Transport

Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Pedro Chambel Leitão	IST-MARETEC, Portugal
Prasad Daggupati	University of Guelph, Canada
Monireh Faramarzi	University of Alberta, Canada
Jaehak Jeong	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Balaji Narasimhan	Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, India
José Miguel Sánchez-Pérez	CNRS, France

Groundwater Hydrology

Ryan Bailey	Colorado State University, USA
Arun Bawa	Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA

Workshops will be offered concurrently (you may only attend one), both in-person and online 15-16 June 2026, approximately 09:00-17:00. Coffee breaks and lunch provided. Please bring your own laptop. We will contact you the week before the workshop to make sure you have the required software. 

Travel

The conference will take place at the Aristotle University Research Dissemination Center (KEDEA). View on Google Maps.

The “Makedonia International Airport” in Thessaloniki is the second largest airport in Greece, serving over 5 million passengers per year and served by 27 international airlines on a regular basis, in addition to other airlines that operate during the summer using charter flights. Thus, it connects the city to many European capitals and several other European cities by direct flights. It also offers direct flights to other major cities of Greece and many Greek islands. Among the air-companies that fly to Thessaloniki’s airport are: Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Turkish Airlines and many low-cost carriers such as EasyJet, Ryanair, and Wizz Air. The airport is located 16 km from the city center.

Two public bus services connect the airport with the center of the city at 20- minute intervals throughout the day, providing transportation to the center in almost 30 minutes at a cost of 2 euros. (Bus Route No. 01X “01X AIRPORT - INTERCITY BUS TERMINAL (VIA CITY CENTRE)” and Bus Route No. 02X “02X STATHMOS METRO N. ELVETIA-AERODROMIO MAKEDONIA)". Bus 02X connects the airport with the metro station ‘NEA ELVETIA’ where passengers can take the metro to the city center. Airport bus details are provided here. Alternatively, the taxi fare from the airport to the city center is around 20-30€. As a rough guide a taxi within the city will cost approximately 5 Euros.

Recommended Hotels

There are numerous hotels around the city at various costs. Some of them are listed below but there are hundreds of choices.

Visas

Greece is a full European Union member. Therefore, foreign visitors entering Greece must have a valid passport, or ID if they reside within the E.U. You can find more information regarding visa regulations at the website of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs by clicking here.

Reminder: if you need a visa invitation letter, we are only authorized to issue one if you have an approved abstract or an approved scientific justification for attending the conference. Please contact us before registering if you are unsure.

About Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is Greece’s second major economic, industrial, commercial and political center. It is located on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea and has a population of around 1.100.000 inhabitants. The city was founded in 315 BC by King Cassander of Macedon. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general, and is considered to be Greece’s cultural capital.

Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually. Museums and monuments, architectural landmarks and modern art installations, open-air archeological sites, old warehouses in the Thessaloniki Port Pier, create a charming blend of history and culture. More information on attractions, museums, and tour suggestions can be found on the official Thessaloniki travel guide website, here.

Weather - Climate

Typical Mediterranean with warm summers, mild winters and an annual average of 300 days of sunshine, the climate is yet another one of the advantages the city offers to the visitors. The bright Mediterranean sun and the gentle Aegean Sea breeze attract locals and visitors to the long waterfront all year round and invite them to enjoy the nearby beaches from late spring till late fall.

For registration and invoicing question, please first read our Tips and FAQs page. For all other questions contact the international organizers at eco.web@tamu.edu.

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