On December 9, the Meeting of the Joint UNESCO/WMO Liaison Committee for Hydrological Activities was successfully held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. The meeting was attended by the Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Council for International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO (UNESCO IHP), the Secretariat, and representatives of the WMO HydroConference and other governing bodies. Mr. Abou Amani, Director of the Division of Water Sciences of UNESCO, presided over the opening ceremony, and Professor Yu Zhongbo, Chairman of UNESCO IHP and Professor at Hohai University, delivered a welcome speech.
The meeting introduced the new management structure of the Joint UNESCO/WMO Liaison Committee for Hydrological Activities, the UNESCO IHP ninth phase strategic plan, as well as the vision, strategies, and objectives of the WMO Hydrology Action Plan. The meeting also explored the immediate possibilities for enhanced collaboration through the following up of the UN Groundwater Summit, the development of the international glossary of hydrology, the co-organization of the UN 2023 Water Conference, the assessment and report of the global water resources, the Water and Climate Coalition, the International Sediment Initiative (ISI), the Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA), and other approaches. In addition, the meeting also deliberated potential areas and activities for cooperation in basic science, monitoring, data access and application, flood and drought forecasting, water forums and meetings, as well as education and training.
Prior to the meeting, Professor Yu also attended the UN Groundwater Summit and its side meeting, which aimed to raise awareness of groundwater in the international community and encourage sustainable utilization of groundwater resources on the basis of the United Nations World Water Development Report 2022 and the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework.
The committee was established in 1973 by the Intergovernmental Council for UNESCO IHP and the WMO HydroConference. The Intergovernmental Council for UNESCO IHP is working on an overall science and education program to support member states in carrying out research and training activities in the field of freshwater. The WMO HydroConference will continue to develop and implement a series of plans regarding water resources and hydrological activities to meet the needs of member states. The two organizations will work closely together to promote a resilient water security system.
