The Author discusses the present state of Polish geography against the background of the traditional position, and the rapid development taking place after the Second World War. The introduction of new methods and new directions, as well as new organization are considered to have been reflected in the rising international position of Polish geography. Further topics here include the relationship between physical and human geography, the growing de facto separation of these two branches, and the development of several independent sciences rooted in geography but now existing apart from it (like geomorphology, climatology, hydrology, etc. on the physical geography side, with the element of the environment as a subject of study). On the other hand, social economic geography examines the effects of human activity in the environment, thereby synthesizing spatial management and bridging the gap between the earth sciences, the economy and the social sciences. The degradation of environmental resources, explosion of the human population and climate change have all forced geography (and other sciences) to head in the global direction, as well as towards interdisciplinary cooperation, likewise on the level of the world as a whole. If we are to meet the challenges this all entails, we will need to think about creating interdisciplinary problem teams, as well as activating existing organisational structures in science (notably the geographical sciences), with full benefit taken from research centres that run studies on differing spatial scales, in conjunction with international global programmes like the Future Earth. The geography of the future should not be a closed science, but should draw on the knowledge of scholars of various specialisations, seeking environmental solutions that require intervention on both the global and regional scales. Polish geography should participate in this activity, inter alia as part of Future Earth, as a new venture. It can also be regarded as our task to ensure that society is aware of all the above issues.

The term extreme rainfall refers to an event during which the thresholds of various hydrological and geomorphic processes are exceeded. The frequency of extremes varies in different climatic zones and in time. The clustering of extreme events happens when the extremes are repeated every 2–3 years, every year or even several times a year. Such clusterings disturb the equilibrium of slope and river channel systems and are separated by periods of stability and recovery. The occurences of clusters are exemplified by present – day processes, historical records and geological records. On this base a model of phases with frequent and rare clusterings during the Holocene was constructed.

The presented climatostratigraphy of the Holocene on the territory of Poland is based on a range of biotic, sedimentological, geomorphological and isotopic records, but also takes into account fluctuations of temperature and hydrologi- cal regime. The author upholds the traditional division of the Holocene into three thermic phases and discusses in detail distinct fluctuations in the hydrological regime reflected in the alteration of wetter and drier phases. Although their profiles tend to be blurred, the lower boundaries of the wetter phases, which set off the transformation of geoeco- systems (a process reflected in the first clusters of extreme events), may be used to identify regional stratigraphic subdivisions. The superimposed phases of human activity have much smaller spatial extent.

Report from the workshop on "Hydrological changes of the Polish Lowland in the light of palaeolimnological research", Biskupin 16-18 May 2002