Activities Undertaken by ICIWaRM in the Framework of IHP in the Period June 2008 — May 2010

Educational activities (i.e., those with accreditation) that directly contributed to the IHP-VII (Appendix-1) and WWAP

Training of 11 Iraqi hydrologists and water managers at IHE. A series of activities, held in July 2008, for Iraqi hydrologists, including capacity building in reservoir simulation modeling, a water data management workshop, and a UNESCO-IHE Short Course (July 2008).

Research activities that directly contributed to the IHP-VII and activities by WWAP.

  • Author of Chapter 10 “The Earth’s natural water cycles”, The United Nations World Water Development Report 3: Water in a Changing World (2009).
  • Contributor to Chapter 11 “Changes in the global water cycle”, The United Nations World Water Development Report 3: Water in a Changing World (2009).
  • Contributor to Chapter 15 “Water Resources and Climate Change”, The United Nations World Water Development Report 3: Water in a Changing World (2009).
  • Member, Expert Group on “Indicators, monitoring and databases”, The United Nations World Water Development Report 3: Water in a Changing World (2009).
  • Co-Chair (and additional support), World Water Assessment Programme Expert Group on Policy Relevance (2008-present). Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for 2009 UNESCO IHP/WWAP/NARBO publications Integrated Water Resources Management at River Basin Scale (Part 1: Principles, Part 2.1: Guidelines for IWRM, Part 2.2: Flood Management, and Part 2.3: Invitation to IWRM for Irrigation Practitioners) (2008-present).
  • Development of open-source software and analytical tool for flood and drought frequency analysis based on analysis of “L-moments” statistical methods applied to areas with short and/or sparsely located databases (ongoing).
  • Presented paper on Ecohydrologic Valuation Methods at UNESCO Category 2 Centre in Lodz, Poland (2008).
  • Translation to Spanish of UNESCO IHP/WWAP/NARBO publication Integrated Water Resources Management at River Basin Scale in collaboration with UNESCO (LAC) and the Inter-American Development Bank (ongoing, 2010).
  • Hydrologic Modeling of the Ogaden Basin, Ethiopia (Hydrologic Engineering Center, 2009-present). Near real-time streamflow forecasting system using satellite precipitation measurements in the International Senegal River Basin (2008-present).

Training activities that directly contributed to the IHP-VII and WWAP Objectives

  • Workshop on integrated participatory water resources planning tools for Peru’s National Water Authority (ANA) (August 2009, Lima, Peru).
  • Collaboration with ANA staff to develop shared vision planning guidelines for Peru, in coordination with the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (2009-present).
  • Rainfall-runoff modeling and model building, Kenya Water Ministry and University of Nairobi (Hydrologic Engineering Center, September-October 2008).
  • Groundwater training and model building, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (July 2008).
  • Training seminars on conflict management techniques for the Mekong River Commission (MRC) (2008 and 2009).
  • Arranged for UNESCO IHP staff member to participate in three-week program in the US through the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (December 2009).

Collaboration and linkages

  • Participation in major international networks, programmes, partnerships with other UN or other International Agencies, media and professional bodies
    • Member, Steering Committee, Global Water Partnership.
    • Member, Steering Committee, International Flood Initiative.
    • Member, UN Secretary’s General Advisory Board (UNSGAB); implementing Initiative 27 on new methods for climate change adaptation.
    • Learning Session on Environmental Flows. 5th World Water Forum (co-sponsored and co-presented).
    • Learning Session on Improving Water Information Systems to Support Water Management and Environmental Restoration: A Case Study of Capacity Development in Iraq. 5th World Water Forum (cosponsored and co-presented).
    • Participation and presentation in G-WADI Workshop: Water — Science, Policy and Capacity Development (Dakar, Senegal, May 2010).
    • Participation in US government-led effort to create a network of Middle East Centers of Excellence on Water (2009-present).
    • Participation in and presentation at WMO World Climate Conference (September 2009).
    • Cosponsored the First Inter-Academic US-Ukrainian Meeting on Scientific Approaches to Adaptation to Climate Change in the Water Sector, in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership and the National Academies of Science of the US and Ukraine (December 2009).
    • Participated in 181st and 182nd UNESCO Executive Committee meetings (2009).
    • Participated in 35th UNESCO General Conference meeting (2009).
      Observers to 18th IHP-Intergovernmental Council (2008).
    • Co-Sponsored (along with UNESCO and others) the International Conference on Water Scarcity, Global Changes, and Groundwater Management Responses, University of California, Irvine, USA December 2008).
    • Sponsored North American HELP Basin Organizations Workshop on Lessons Learned (May 2010).
  • Collaboration and networking with other UNESCO category 1 or 2 institutes/centres
    • Cross-appointment of directors of the category 1 or 2 institutes or
      centres on the governing board

      • Member, Governing Board of UNESCO IHE.
      • Chair, Advisory Board of ICHARM.
    • Exchange of information on activities such as training/educational
      materials, and funding opportunities

      • Participated in and provided financial support to International Floodplain Ecohydrology Conference, Lodz UNESCO Center, Poland (2008).
      • Participated in US-hosted informal meeting of UNESCO Group 1 National IHP Committees (2009).
      • Attended, as an observer, a Coordination meeting of UNESCO group 2 National IHP committees and contacts, (Asuncion, Paraguay, 2009)
      • Attended, as an observer, two Coordination meetings of programs, projects and work groups, IHP Latin America and the Caribbean, Montevideo (September 2008 and January 2010).
      • Participated in the Caribbean Workshop on Networking and Cooperation for Research in Water Resources, hosted by the Centre for the Sustainable Management of Water Resources for the Caribbean Island States (CEHICA), Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (December 2008).
      • Participated as part of a group of experts to analyze and improve CAZALAC’s formal proposal for a third, three-year funding cycle from the Flanders government through UNESCO (August 2009).
    • Exchange of staff, most notably professionals and students
      • None.
    • Implementation of joint activities, such as workshops, conferences, training programmes, joint projects, field visits, software and data sharing, knowledge exchange and publications
      • Support of work on the development of a Drought Atlas for selected pilot areas of Latin America in partnership with the Water Center for Arid and Semi-Arid Zones in Latin America and the Caribbean (CAZALAC) and The University of Ghent (2008-present).
      • Planning meeting in Nassau and North Andros Island, The Bahamas, in support of UNESCO IHP’s “Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Change” (GRAPHIC) pilot project on Andros Aquifer, Bahamas (March 2009).
  • Relationships with the UNESCO field and regional office whose jurisdiction covers the country of location
    • Primarily related to UNESCO Regional Office for Science and Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean, Montevideo.
  • Relationship with the UNESCO National Commission and the IHP National Committee in the country of location and with other organizations of other countries
    • One of six permanent Federal agency members of the US-IHPCommittee. Attended and presented updates at the semi-annual meetings, and are involved in strategic planning and in drafting recommendations of the committee to the US National Commission for UNESCO.
    • Attended and presented updates at the bi-annual US National Commission for UNESCO. Active in drafting recommendations of the Commission for the Natural Sciences.

Communication

  • Communication and knowledge dissemination activities undertaken in the framework of IHP
    • Sponsored Global Water News Watch, which is associated with G-WADI website hosted by University of Arizona/SAHRA (August 2009-present). Website: http://www.iciwarm.org.
  • Policy documents and advice
    • Editor-in-Chief for Water Policy, a peer-reviewed international journal that is published six times per year.
    • Co-funded and co-organized International Workshop on Non-Stationarity, Hydrologic Frequency Analysis & Water Management, Boulder, CO 13-15 Jan 2010, on alternatives to the assumption of stationarity in hydrologic frequency analysis and water management, and alternative technical and policy and paths ahead. Proceedings available at www.cwi.colostate.edu/NonstationarityWorkshop/proceedings.shtml.
    • Advised the World Bank in Peru on institutional issues related to conflict resolution in Peruvian water management (2010).

Update on Centre Operations

  • Membership of the Board of Governors between designated period
    • Advisory Board to be established July 2010.

Evidence of the Centre’s Impacts

  • Science Impacts (Major contributions to the science, technology, education, and regional and/or international cooperation in the field of water)
    • Contributed significantly to the four-part UNESCO publication Integrated Water Resources Management at River Basin Scale.
  • Knowledge Transfer Impacts (Major achievements in the dissemination of knowledge and technology transfer)
    • Functioning hydrologic models were left with the participating agencies of the training courses on modeling in Kenya and Ethiopia.
  • Policy Impacts (advice sought by government and other bodies and evidence of inputs into policy arena)
    • Work done for UNESCO is supporting policy development with other US agencies formulating new methods for climate adaptation.
    • Influence on International Joint Commission studies on the Great Lakes of the US and Canada.

Annexes

  • List of training courses conducted
    • Integrated participatory water resources planning tools, National Water Authority (ANA) of Peru, August 2009, Lima.
    • Rainfall runoff modeling and model building, Kenya Water Ministry and University of Nairobi, September-October 2008.
    • Groundwater training and model building, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, July 2008.
    • Conflict management techniques, Mekong River Commission (MRC), 2008 and 2009.
    • Learning Session on Environmental Flows. 5th World Water Forum (co-sponsored and co-presented).
    • Learning Session on Improving Water Information Systems to Support Water Management and Environmental Restoration: A Case Study of Capacity Development in Iraq. 5th World Water Forum (cosponsored and co-presented).

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