The 26th session of the Council of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme of UNESCO (UNESCO-IHP) was held from June 4th to 7th, 2024 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. Water Family members of the United Nations from around the world, including representatives from IHP national committees, water-related Category 2 centres and faculty chairs, attended the Session. LIU Zhiyu, Deputy Director-General and First-Level Counsel, Department of Hydrology, Ministry of Water Resources, China, led the Chinese delegation to attend the Session.
The 26th Session of the UNESCO-IHP Council
The resolutions and decisions approved by the 25th Session of the IHP Council, the implementation progress of the Strategic Plan for the Ninth Phase of the IHP (IHP-IX) over the past two years, flagship initiatives and their coordination with new framework, contributions to the 2023 United Nations Water Conference and follow-up actions, cooperation with other UNESCO programs, celebration of the 50th anniversary of IHP and the 60th anniversary of UNESCO Water Science, the status and operation of UNESCO Water Family, and the preparation of UNESCO World Water Science Report were reported and reviewed at the Session.
NHRI sent WANG Zongzhi, Deputy Director of Hydrology and Water Resources Department and Deputy Secretary-General of the IHP China National Committee, to attend the Session, and held a side event themed "Hydrological Science Progress Over the Last 50 Years and Prospects of Advancing Sustainable Development" at UNESCO headquarters on June 4th. Helmut Habersack, Chairman of IHP, Abou Amani, Director of UNESCO Hydrological Bureau and Secretary-General of IHP, and WANG Ying, Permanent Representative of the Chinese Mission to UNESCO (Deputy Ambassador) were invited to the event. More than 50 representatives from nearly 20 IHP member states, including the United States, Austria, the Republic of Korea, and representatives of the Permanent Mission of China to UNESCO, attended the event. WANG Zongzhi presided over the side event and Professor YU Zhongbo from Hohai University presided over the discussion session. LIU Zhiyu delivered a welcome speech firstly.
Subsequently, Helmut Habersack delivered a keynote report on the achievements and future prospects of the IHP-IX Strategic Plan, pointing out the hotspots and difficulties in hydrological research. LIU Zhiyu gave a keynote report titled "Current Status and Prospects of Hydrological Development in China", sharing the achievements and future prospects of hydrology in China in recent years. Abou Amani gave a keynote report on "50 Years of Evolution in Hydrological Science: From Science to Applications and Future Directions". Bai Ying, Senior Engineer, NHRI and the Secretariat of the IHP China National Committee shared the progress of hydrological science in China, as well as the plan to host the IHP 50th anniversary celebration event in 2025. The side event received high praise from the IHP Secretariat, the Chinese Mission to UNESCO and attending representatives, which increased China's trust and voice in the IHP member states. At the same time, it laid the foundation for NHRI to host the IHP 50th anniversary celebration event.
Since 2021, the office of the Secretariat of the IHP China National Committee has been moved to NHRI. NHRI has attached great importance to the role of the IHP platform, and actively arranged full-time staff and fund to support Department of Hydrology and Department of International Cooperation, Science and Technology, MWR in carrying out various activities related to the IHP. In 2023, the IHP-IX Strategic Plan was first published in both Chinese and English, titled "Science for a Water Secure World in a Changing Environment". At the XVIII World Water Congress, NHRI hosted a side event on "Water Security and Sustainable Development: UNESCO-IHP IX", which played an important role in helping more water science and management professionals understand the United Nations' water concerns and the forefront of international hydrological technology, and actively aligning with the world.
LIU Zhiyu delivers a welcome speech at the side event
NHRI profile and the IHP-IX Strategic Plan translated and published are presented during the Session
Group photo of the Chinese delegation and Deputy Ambassador to UNSECO
(The 5th from the left)
