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Andrea

Accelerating Change: World Water Day 2023 and the UN 2023 Water Conference

The world is not on track to achieve the ambitious targets of SDG 6 to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Meeting drinking water, sanitation and hygiene targets by 2030 requires four times increase in the pace of progress. This year’s World Water Day1 is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis.

Today, on World Water Day, the United Nations launched the 2nd UN Water Conference2, which will focus on the critical role of water in ensuring sustainable water management and addressing global water challenges. The Conference will take place at UN Headquarters in New York from 22 to 24 March and is co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands.

Water is a dealmaker for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and for the health and prosperity of people and the planet. Water is thus central to addressing the triple planetary crisis (climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution). Yet progress on water-related SDGs and targets remains alarmingly off track, putting the entire sustainable development agenda at risk.

The conference, which brings together water experts, policymakers and representatives from different sectors, aims to find inclusive, action-oriented and cross-sectoral voluntary commitments by governments and stakeholders to get back on track with regard to the SDG process and SDG6 and other water-related goals and targets, in particular with a new Water Action Agenda as a mandated outcome of the UN Water Conference in 2023.

In his invitation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised the need for greater engagement by governments, industry and other stakeholders, calling it a crucial step towards achieving the water-related Sustainable Development Goals.

“The UN Water Conference in March 2023 must result in a bold water action agenda that gives our world’s lifeblood the commitment it deserves,” he said.

The ICWRGC will contribute to the conference as part of the German delegation and to support the activities of the UN agencies, in particular

  1. Science-Based Global Water Assessment (UNESCO)3
  2. Realizing Early Warning Systems for All (WMO)4
  3. Acceleration for ambient water quality action – A UN Systems Approach (UNEP/WMO/UNESCO, #SDGAction49536)5

The core of our engagement is to highlight the importance of of in-situ water observation data for decision making and to promote evidence-based policies that address water-related issues. By operating global water data centres, the ICWRGC and the Federal Institute of Hydrology primarily aim to improve the global exchange of hydrological observations as a contribution to the SDG6 accelerator “Data and Information”.

Stephan Dietrich (Deputy Director ICWRGC) added that observations are key to decision making, but in particular the in situ water observation network is not often visible to high-level policy makers worldwide. “We cannot manage what we do not measure and understand. It would be important to connect the water agenda with the agendas on climate change and biodiversity loss, also to ensure sustainable funding of observational networks” he said. In addition, observational data have great value beyond national borders, for example to develop or improve early warning systems, so commitments to improved open exchange of observation data would be another key to achieving the SDGs.

The ICWRGC also addresses defragmentation of water observations in the complex UN system. UNEP and partners have come up with a game-changing idea to reorganise global water quality monitoring. “Bringing together the leading activities of UNEP (Global Environmental Monitoring System for Water Quality), UNESCO’s International Initiative for Water Quality, and WMO’s long-term ambition ‘Water Quality is Known’ would have great potential to accelerate the implementation of SDG6.3 on ambient water quality,” says Philipp Saile, head of the GEMS/Water Data Centre.

In this role, the ICWRGC also strongly supports the #OpenWaterData campaign for governments and organizations led by our partner centre IGRAC, which also has the support of WMO and UNESCO. Join the commitment that IGRAC will submit to the Water Action Agenda (by 31 March). Read the pledge here6 and join by filling out this form.7

The UN Water Conference 2023 comes at a critical time as the world faces increasing challenges of water scarcity and pollution. The conference aims to provide a platform for sharing knowledge and best practices, and accelerate change towards a more sustainable water future.

1https://www.worldwaterday.org/

2https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023

3https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-proposing-global-assessment-could-be-game-changer-reaching-worlds-water-goals

4https://public.wmo.int/en/earlywarningsforall

5https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/acceleration-ambient-water-quality-action-un-systems-approach

6https://un-igrac.org/news/join-openwaterdata-commitment-and-campaign

7https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7rfnbXUKULHLcZaCPmOdf2YGHRfShFqn_u5HOQi5TKS1vyQ/viewform

New EURO-FRIEND workshop/training series from 03/2023 until 12/2023

For a second time, Dr. Bastien Dieppois, Assistant Professor in Water and Climate Change at Coventry University, Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, and Coordinator of UNESCO EURO FRIEND-Water Project-3 on Large Scale Variations in Hydrological Characteristics, has announced a EURO-FRIEND workshop/training series to be held between March and December 2023.

Once a month, either a seminar or training course on the use of new datasets, methodologies, or new results in the field will be organized. These seminars/training workshops will be open to everyone and free of charge.

This initiative is intended to encourage more early-career scientists to join the EURO-FRIEND initiative and enhance collaboration between the FRIEND-water community across the world.

More information on the workshop series and registration is available here:

www.researchgate.net

The sessions will be available at the EURO-FRIEND YouTube channel:

YouTube

Dr. Renee van Dongen-Köster

Project coordinator of the TG02-Project URSACHEN

Contact:
Federal Institute of Hydrology
P.O. Box 200253
56002 Koblenz, Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 261 1306 5881
Email:

Research

  • Fluvial geomorphology
  • Sediment transport in rivers
  • River incision modelling
  • Quantifying erosion rates using Cosmogenic Nuclides.

Tasks

  • Project coordination of the URSACHEN-project: Uncertainties in the quantification of spatially and temporally varying particulate matter transport in rivers.
  • Quantification of global matter transport based on the GEMstat database.
  • Development of data products and analysis tools for the calculation of particulate matter transport.

Community contributions

  • 2019 – 2021: Board member of the German Young Geomorphologists
  • 2019 & current: Co-convening a session at the EGU in Wien titled “Crowd-solving Problems in Earth Sciences”
  • 2019 & 2020: Co-convening a session at the EGU in Wien titled “Novel Approaches in Geochronology: Quantifying Geomorphological Processes and Landscape Dynamics”

Research Experience

2016-2021: Doctoral student at the German Research Centre for Geosciences, Department of Earth Surface Geochemistry – Potsdam, Germany

2015: Research Intern at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy – Potsdam, Germany

Teaching Experience

2016-2018: Student Assistant “Isotopic quantification of dates and rates in geomorphology” – Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Education

2009-2013 Master of Science, Soil Geography and Earth Surface Dynamics – Wageningen University, The Netherlands

2013-2015 Bachelor of Science, Soil, Water and Atmosphere – Wageningen University, The Netherlands

Publications in scientific journals

Van Dongen, R. Discharge variability and river incision along a climate gradient in central Chile. PhD thesis, http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-32011, 2021.

van Dongen, R., Scherler, D., Wittmann, H. and von Blanckenburg, F.: Cosmogenic 10Be in river sediment: where grain size matters and why, Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 393–410, doi:10.5194/esurf-7-393-2019, 2019

Germer, S., van Dongen, R. and Kern, J.: Decomposition of cherry tree prunings and their short-term impact on soil quality, Appl. Soil Ecol., 117–118(January), 156–164, doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.05.003, 2017.

 

 

Conference contributions

van Dongen, R., Scherler, D., Wendi, D., Deal, E., Meier, C., Marwan, N., Mao, L. El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) controls on mean streamflow and streamflow variability in Central Chile. EGU 2022 (PICO).

van Dongen, R., Scherler, D., Deal, E., Meier, C., Mao, L., Lisac, I.  Discharge variability along a climate gradient in Chile: seasonality and (eco-)hydrological modulation by catchment attributes. EGU 2019 (PICO).

van Dongen, R., Scherler, D., Deal, E., Meier, C., Mao, L., Lisac, I.  Which catchment characteristics control the magnitude-frequency distribution of river discharge? AGU 2018 (poster).

van Dongen, R., Scherler, D., Wittmann, H., von Blanckenburg, F. Grain size-dependent 10Be concentrations in river sediment: Why they matter in high mountain landscapes. Central European Conference on Geomorphology and Quaternary Sciences, 2018 (talk).

van Dongen, R., Scherler, D., Wittmann, H., von Blanckenburg, F. Where do 10Be-derived denudation rates depend on grain size? EGU 2018 (poster).

van Dongen, R., Germer, S., Kern, J., Stoorvogel, J. Visual versus chemical evaluation: Effects of pruning wood decomposition on soil quality in a cherry orchard (Northeast Germany). EGU 2016 (PICO).

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ICWRGC to co-organize “Science for Sustainable Livelihoods” Forum

ICWRGC, together with Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, and the African Climate Competence Centres SASSCAL and WASCAL, is co-organizing a conference titled “Science for Sustainable Livelihoods”. It is going to be held at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, Germany, from 12 to 16 June 2023. The conference constitutes an interdisciplinary forum   on  research-based  approaches for climate  resilience. ICWRGC’s Dr Luna Bharati is in the organizing committee and will coordinate input on behalf of the Centre.

Please submit your abstract before 31 March, 2023. Any further information on the conference, calls for abstracts etc., can be found on the University’s website.

HS Mittweida - Climate Forum 2023

ICWRGC Outlook 2023

After a successful and active year 2022, ICWRGC is preparing for 2023. This year promises to be very busy as well, as a number of important events are scheduled.

ICWRGC aims at finalizing its strategy 2030 in 2023, sharpening its profile and being well positioned to manage its resources in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 on improving water quality and sanitation and the UN Agenda 2030.

The UN 2023 Water Conference1 in New York, scheduled for 22-24 March, will certainly be this year’s highlight in the water sector. It is the 2nd UN assembly for water in the history of the UN and will bring politicians from the highest level and different stakeholders together. The main purpose of the conference is to assess the current status of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028), analyze the previous accomplishments and plan the future strategy to better accelerate implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 “clean water and sanitation for all”. As ICWRGC is advising the German government on foreign policy related to water topics, we are already in deep discussion with different ministries regarding Germany’s position on water related global initiatives and decisions. Two staff members of ICWRGC will also attend the conference as a part of the German delegation.

In connection with the conference, the GEMS/Water Data Centre (GWDC) at ICWRGC, together with its partners from the Global Programme Coordination Unit in Kenya and the GEMS/Water Capacity Development Centre in Ireland, have been coordinating the efforts associated with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, target 6.3, since 2014. After development of the 6.3.2 Indicator to assess the proportion of a country’s water bodies with good ambient water quality, two global data runs were carried out in 2017 and 20202. 2023 will now see the third implementation. The GWDC and its partners are already working heavily on the preparations, the official kick-off for the exercise being planned for April.

In December 2022, the technical transfer of the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) from the University of Vienna to ICWRGC/BfG was completed, the database launched and data served from Koblenz since 12.12.20223. It is planned to organize an official kick-off event with high-level representatives later this year to highlight this milestone. Meanwhile, the ISMN team is working on strengthening the system, acquiring and integrating new data (at least four additional networks will be integrated).

To further promote international data activities, ICWRGC will co-organize a workshop for the Western- and Central Asian region in Oman mid-May. The event is part of the workshop series on “Essential Quality-Assured Data and Information for Integrated Urban Water Management” in cooperation with the Regional UNESCO Centre on Urban Water Management (RCUWM). In order to discuss the entire value chain from necessary observation to forecasting and warning systems, the Oman workshop will be linked to the new OUTLAST-project4, in which ICWRGC is a partner. The project aims to develop an operational, seasonal, multisectoral, global drought hazard forecasting system as a component of the Global Hydrological Status and Outlook System (HydroSOS) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Also in May, the Federal Institute for Hydrology (BfG), together with ICWRGC, will be evaluated by the German Science and Humanities Council. This is a voluntary process to promote quality assurance and development of Public Research and Development Institutions in Germany. BfG was previously evaluated through the council in 20085, ICWRGC through UNESCO in 20196.

The beginning of June will see the 9th International FRIEND-Water Conference in Dakar, Senegal7. FRIEND-Water is an international network of experts working in the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, aiming at converting scientific findings into practical applications towards global water security. ICWRGC is the chair of the regional group EURO-FRIEND and also part of the scientific committee preparing the conference.

Later on, in September or October (date still to be finalized), a Panel Meeting of the Global Terrestrial Network for Hydrology (GTN-H)8 will take place. GTN-H is a joint programme of the World Meteorological Organization and the Global Climate Observing System. It constitutes a network of databases related to the global hydrological cycle. ICWRGC has been hosting GTN-H since 2017, while the two databases (GEMStat and ISMN) hosted at the Centre are part of the network.

Towards the end of the year, on November 9 and 10, the International Conference on Mountain Hydrology and Cryosphere9 will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal. The conference is organized by the Nepal committee for the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), with ICWRGC being part of the scientific and the advisory committee.

In addition to these events with a fixed timeframe, there are a number of projects that will keep us busy throughout the year.

In collaboration with the Namibian University of Science and Technology, ICWRGC is managing the SASSCAL Graduate Studies Programme on Integrated Water Resources Management10. 13 Students from Southern Africa were awarded a scholarship last year, ICWRGC has been involved in developing the curriculum as well as the science plan for the programme. ICWRGC also identified German professors and academic institutions to co-supervise and host these PhD students during their stay in Germany. The mobility plan for their 3-month visit is currently being finalized and could be implemented in the second half of this year.

Other topics that ICWRGC is focusing on include water security in Africa (WASA11), estimating spatiotemporal uncertainties in river substance loads (URSACHEN12), the pilot operation of a climate service with multi-model-based estimation of climate change effects on freshwater systems (CO-MICC13) and supporting activities of the World Water Quality Alliance14.

Supporting links

1 https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023

2 https://communities.unep.org/display/sdg632/SDG+6.3.2+Home

3 https://ismn.earth/

4 https://bmbf-grow.de/en/outlast

5 https://www.bafg.de/DE/07_Nachrichten/Archiv/2009/wr_evaluation_2008.html

6 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374479?posInSet=2&queryId=4bc6489a-034c-45af-8314-46f27e14391c

7 https://en.unesco-montpellier.org/9th-friend-water-global-conference-1

8 https://www.gtn-h.info/

9 https://www.iahs-nepal.org/icmhc-2023

10 https://www.sasscal.org/mission/

11 https://www.fona.de/en/measures/funding-measures/water-security-in-africa-wasa.php

12 https://www.waterandchange.org/en/ursachen-project/

13 https://www.co-micc.eu/

14 https://wwqa.info/

ICWRGC: New Head of Research and Education Division

Dr. Luna Bharati is the new Head of Research and Education at ICWRGC. She has 20 years of experience as a senior scientist and research programme manager with extensive international expertise. The key areas of her interests and expertise are in integrated water resources assessment and management. Ms. Bharati has also worked extensively in assessing climate change risks and impacts in large river basins to small mountain watersheds and farming systems. Furthermore, Dr. Bharati teaches Masters and Doctoral courses and supervises students at the University of Bonn. She has authored over 120 publications including editing a book and 50 articles in peer reviewed scientific journals.  She joined ICWRGC in November 2021 and for the time being holds the position of German coordinator for the SASSCAL Graduate Studies Programme.

WMO State of Global Water Resources 2021

Geneva, 29 November 2022

The World Meteorological Organization has published its first State of Global Water Resources report. It provides insights into the availability of freshwater in different parts of the world and highlights major flood and drought events. In its first edition, the assessment is limited to streamflow, terrestrial water storage and the cryosphere. However, it is intended to include groundwater, soil moisture and water quality in the future. The preparation of the 2021 report was largely based on simulated data from hydrological models and remote sensing information from satellite missions. These were compared and validated against observational data. Despite good correlation, the validation between modelled and observed results would benefit substantially from more hydrological information, as WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas pointed out. He called on Member States to share more hydrological information in line with the WMO Unified Data Policy. Thereby he acknowledged the importance and contribution of the Global Data Centres. The report provides world leaders, decision-makers and citizens with information on the state of water resources for the first time and is an important step towards accurate water data and early warning systems in preparation for the United Nations 2023 Water Conference, COP28 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The classification of hydrological basins for the global streamflow analysis of the assessment was based on the WMO Basins and Sub-Basins dataset of GRDC. In addition, observational river discharge data from GRDC were used for the validation of simulated river discharge data from Global Hydrological Modelling Systems. Data of the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) have also been utilised for the assessment report. The head of GRDC, Ulrich Looser, was also involved in the preparation and review of the assessment report. Petteri Taalas states that WMO is committed to extending the variables in future editions of the report to include groundwater, soil moisture and water quality. Here, UNEP’s GEMS/Water Data Centre, operated by ICWRGC and BfG, will also contribute in the future. Most of the global water data centres are part of the Global Terrestrial Network – Hydrology (GTN-H), a joined initiative of WMO and the Global Climate Observing System, coordinated by ICWRGC. In this context it is gratifying that the gaps in water and climate observation systems are also emphasized in the COP27 Cover Decision. Closing Gaps in water data and observations are also discussed as Game Changers for the Water Action Agenda and will support the discussions in the proposed five interactive dialogues of the 2023 UN Water Conference.

WMO Press Release (en)Report plus Annex (en)COP27 Cover Decision (PDF, 10 pp, en)

Job advertisement: Research scientist (m/f/d) (PhD)

Freshwater is a vital resource. This is the main priority of the International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change (ICWRGC), hosted by the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG). Being the scientific institute of the federal government for research, evaluation and consultation in the fields of hydrology, utilisation of water bodies, water quality, ecology and water protection, BfG advises the Federal Ministry for digital and transport (BMDV), further federal ministries, the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) as well as any third parties. BfG supports ICWRGC by providing its infrastructure, administration and technical expertise. ICWRGC and BfG employ committed people from a wide range of disciplines in a modern working environment.

The Federal Institute of Hydrology on behalf of the International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change (ICWRGC) is seeking to appoint a full time research scientist to start as early as possible in the BMBF GROW joint project “OUTLAST: Development of an operational, multi-sectoral, global forecasting system for drought hazards”. The position is limited until 31.08.2025.

Research Scientist (m/w/d) (University degree/Master)

Majoring in geosciences with emphasis on hydrology, meteorology, geophysics, or Hydro-informatics, mathematics, or engineering

Application deadline: 23 December 2022
Reference-Code: 20222565_9346

See the following link for the complete task description (in German only).

www.bav.bund.de

World Soil Day – 5th December 2022

Today, at the 5th of December, we celebrate the annual World Soil Day (WSD) and its campaign “Soils: Where food begins” as a mean to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources. An essential variable characterizing soil health is soil moisture. Soil moisture is essential for plant growth by enabling photosynthesis and acting as the solvent and carrier of nutrients. The International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN, https://ismn.earth) at the ICWRGC/BfG in Koblenz (Germany) helps with these goals by providing freely available and harmonized in situ soil moisture measurements for the environmental and climate change assessments and the validation of satellite products and environmental models.

9th FRIEND-Water Global conference 2023

5 – 1 0  June 2023, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal

Addressing unsolved problems in hydrology for a water secure world in a changing environment

FRIEND-Water (Flow Regime from International Experimental and Network Data) is an international collaborative network of experts of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP).
Established in 1985, it aims to generate new understanding about regional hydrology and multi-scale water cycle processes. FRIEND-Water is investigating long-term variations and changes in hydrological regimes to better understand the climate and river basin controls, as well as influence of humans on the spatial and temporal distribution of water. As a flagship initiative of IHP IX (2022-2029) FRIEND-Water aims to
put science to action for a Water Secure World. FRIEND-Water research is critical for: water resources management, socio-economic development, secure livelihoods, safeguard the environment, and assessing the impact of global change. The FRIEND-Water initiative is currently structured in 8 regional groups: West and Central Africa, Europe, Mediterranean, Latin America and Caribbean, Southern Africa, Asia Pacific, Nile, Congo.

The FRIEND-Water programme complements and interacts with many national and international projects and initiatives: Ecohydrology-IHP, International Sediment Initiative (IDI), the International Drought Initiative (IDI), the International Floods Initiative (IFI), the International Sediment Initiative (ISI), the Global Network on Water and Development Information for Arid Lands (GWADI), the WMO/GWP Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP), World’s Large Rivers Initiative (WLRI), among others. The Global FRIEND conference takes place every 4 years with previous editions in Norway, Germany, Slovenia, South Africa, Cuba, Morocco, France and China.

Conference Flyer (PDF, 255 KB)Abstract submissionEUROFRIEND Workshop & training YouTube channel