Andrea

Bruno Bezerra Bluhm studies Environmental Engineering at TUM. In May 2019, he started working at the ICWRGC to write his Master Thesis on “Uncertainty Quantification of Nutrient Load Estimations in Brazil”, and will stay there until November. He is a member of the GEMStat team, where he is doing his research, intended to provide a better understanding of uncertainty drivers and assessments for different data availability scenarios, using Brazil – a major partner – as the case study. Bruno’s thesis is supervised by Dr. Claudia Färber (ICWRGC) and Prof. Dr. Markus Disse (TUM). Bruno is a civil-engineer whose experiences focus on the field of sustainable infrastructure projects (renewable energies and water resources).

‘Leaving no one behind’

Improved water resources management and access to safe water and sanitation for all is essential for eradicating poverty, building peaceful and prosperous societies, and ensuring that ‘no one is left behind’ on the path towards sustainable development.

Access to safe, affordable and reliable drinking water and sanitation services are basic human rights. Billions still lack safe water and sanitation facilities while rapid urbanization is on the rise with a growing number of slums, and hence more people without access to water and sanitation networks.

Equitable access to water for agricultural production can make the difference between farming as a mere means of survival and farming as a reliable source of livelihoods. Three-quarters of people living in extreme poverty live in rural areas. The vast majority of the rural poor are smallholder family farmers. While they constitute the backbone of national food supplies – contributing to more than half of the agricultural production in many countries – they themselves often suffer from food insecurity and malnutrition.

Refugees and internally displaced people often face barriers in accessing water supply and sanitation services. Overcoming exclusion and inequality are still major challenges on the way to achieving access to clean water for all. Increasing investments in water supply and sanitation is vital. When resources are limited, it makes sense to target areas where populations have the least access to water-related services.

The report was published in Geneva, Palais des Nations, on 19 March 2019.

For more information and to download the report, please visit:

United Nations World Water Development Report

Mihir Rambhia from TUM stayed at the ICWRGC from 07.11.2018–06.05.2019 to write his master thesis dealing with the “Observed Impact on Water Resources in the Mediterranean Region: A Meta-Analysis”. He successfully completed this thesis in May 2019.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recognized the Mediterranean region as the major ’hot-spot of climate change’. This, along with other anthropogenic drivers such as land use change and the change in water demand, is expected to significantly alter the average availability of freshwater resources in the region. This study uses a meta-analysis approach to identify the impact of these drivers on the observed quantitative change and trends in the water resources of the 22 countries bordering on the Mediterranean. In total, 125 studies were included in the meta-analysis covering climatic parameters (temperature), hydrological parameters (precipitation, evapotranspiration, and streamflow), and event parameters (droughts). For all the parameters except temperature, a highly heterogeneous spatial and temporal pattern has been observed within the countries. A decreasing precipitation trend in the Mediterranean is also in contradiction with globally increasing wetter conditions. Overall, it has been observed that with an increase in mean temperature and evaporation, and a decrease in precipitation and runoff, the climate in the Mediterranean region has become drier and warmer over the study period. However, the attribution of the observed changes could not be entirely implemented based on the selected drivers, due to a lack of such reporting in the primary studies.

If you are interested in reading the entire pdf of the master thesis, you may contact Mihir at:

Date: 13–14 May 2019
Venue: UNESCO Headquarters, Paris
“Leveraging the trans-sectoral management of water resources for sustainable water security and peace” was the title of the first UNESCO International Water Conference opened by UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, and mainly prepared by the IHP department. It was attended by 34 ministers and 1,200 experts from 126 countries to mobilize the expertise and foster the cooperation needed to meet this challenge. It is worth mentioning that hardly any high-ranking European politicians were present. As part of the German contribution to the Conference, Mr. Harald Köthe, the ICWRGC’s Director, presented the Centre during the “UNESCO Water Family” side event.Although satellite imagery shows the abundant masses of water characterizing the Earth, less than 1% account for usable freshwater. The Conference offered a multitude of sessions reflecting the significance of freshwater for mankind in a wide variety of sectors (i.a. energy, education, security, diplomacy, data for decision-making, global change, climate change, disasters) while underscoring the need for action. In view of the ongoing alarming developments, Africa has been placed centre stage as a regional focal point. The scarcity of potable freshwater resources is further aggravated due to widespread poor water quality and climate change. Therefore, the upcoming IHP IX is to be aligned accordingly. The recently founded “Megacities Alliance for Water and Climate” was presented, including the prevailing problems in such cities, i.a. water scarcity, rising sea levels, and lowering due to excessive groundwater extraction. This alliance requires improved networking.

In his closing speech, the Deputy Director General of UNESCO, Mr. Xing Qu, gave an excellent account of the overall situation. The Conference referred to the next World Water Forum in 2021, to be held for the first time in Africa, or more precisely in Dakar, Senegal. The Senegalese Minister of Water gave a speech on this subject and invited for participation.

https://en.unesco.org/waterconference Our Water for Our World Agenda (PDF, 2 p., 40KB)Closing speech Xing Qu (PDF, 6 p., 70KB)

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The Special Issue in the journal “Advances of Geosciences” has been produced as a follow-up to the 17th Biennial Conference ERB 2018. It contains contributions summarising conference presentations, edited by B. Schmalz (TU Darmstadt), S. Dietrich (ICWRGC), and J. L. M. P. de Lima (University of Coimbra).

The ERB 2018 international conference on “Innovative monitoring techniques and modelling approaches for analysing hydrological processes in small basins” was held in Darmstadt, Germany, 11–14 September 2018. It was attended by scientists from 19 different countries.

ERB is the Euromediterranean Network of Experimental and Representative Basins (https://erb-network.simdif.com/index.html).

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Date: 28–31 May 2019
Venue: Lisbon, Portugal

The 4th European Climate Change Adaptation Conference (ECCA, www.ecca2019.eu) will be held from28–31 May 2019 in Lisbon. At this biennial conference, results from projects receivingfunding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme will be presented. This year, Dr. Carina Zang (ICWRGC) will present first results from the ongoing project CO-MICC (www.co-micc.eu) in form of a poster together with colleagues from Goethe University, Frankfurt. The poster shows how the planned knowledge portal on climate change impacts on global water availability is co-developed with stakeholders and implemented.

www.co-micc.eu www.ecca2019.eu

Date: 6 February 2019
Venue: Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz

After several years’ break, the ICWRGC has reactivated its so-called University Day. Due to the current and multifarious developments of UN water programmes, requiring stronger linkage with national research activities, this initiative by the ICWRGC was welcomed by the Hydrological Chairs in Germany.

The event, prepared in cooperation with the ICWRGC’s scientific advisory board, focussed on two key topics: on the one hand on presenting first ideas on relevant themes for Phase IX (2022-2029) of UNESCO IHP, on the other hand on coordinating cooperation between ICWRGC and Hydrology Chairs in teaching and research.

Harald Köthe, Director of the ICWRGC, presented the current and trailblazing developments within WMO (Governance Body Reform, Seamless Global Data-Processing and Forecasting System – GDPFS, Hydrological Status and Outlook System – HydroSOS), UNESCO (planning of IHP IX) and UNEP (GEMI 2, GEMS/Water, World Water Quality Assessment), currently requiring Germany’s active participation. In a round table discussion, the universities reported on the technical foci of the chairs and their linkages with the ICWRGC’s activities, thus showing the Chairs‘ specific orientation. In small groups, ideas on relevant themes for the upcoming UNESCO IHP IX were developed, the results of the scientific advisory board presented by its Chairwoman, Prof. Dr. Evers (Bonn), and the ongoing Phase VIII classified. Another issue was cooperation in teaching and research, and specifically the question what the German universities can contribute to the UN programmes and vice versa. In the concluding session, the following topics were recorded:

Regularly holding the University Day
Establishing exchange opportunities (common working platform, newsletter, etc.)
Providing more information on IHP activities
Request for closer networking, especially between scientists working abroad, and with German Water Partnership, Water Science Alliance, DHG, i.a.
Idea of setting up a “network of networks” (decentralized data availability to strengthen national data centres)
Creating incentives enabling scientists to contribute

Date: 07 March 2019
Venue: Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz

Upon the acknowledgement of the ICWRGC as a UNESCO Category 2 Water Centre in 2014, a Governing Board with international members was established, which convenes annually to take note of and actively shape both activities and focus of the ICWRGC. In addition to representatives from federal ministries, the Chairwoman of the Scientific Advisory Board, the German UNESCO Commission, the Director of the BfG, heads of other international UNESCO Water Centres from Iran, Japan, Poland, Sweden and USA as well as of the IHP-Secretariat in Paris come together.

Against the background of the preparations for Phase IX (2022-2029) of the International Hydrological Progamme (IHP) of UNESCO, this year’s sixth session proved particularly interesting. Mr. Abou Amani, Head of section „Hydrological Systems and Water Scarcity“ (HSS) of the IHP-Secretariat of UNESCO, Paris, therefore gave a keynote address on the IHP Phase IX “UNESCO looking ahead within the context of global water-related agendas”. Mr. Amani underlined the vital role of Water Centres within UNESCO and presented a historical review of the various phases of IHP and an outlook of the process leading to the development of Phase IX.

As regards the ICWRGC, Mr. Köthe, Dr. Fader, Mr. Saile and Dr. Dietrich presented various developments and highlights of the ICWRGC in the field of international water programmes. The governing board appreciated these achievements and claimed that the ICWRGC was the only one of currently 36 UNESCO Water Centres worldwide that does not only hold mandates of various UN organisations (UNESCO, WMO, UNEP), but also hosts an operational data centre (running global data centres in cooperation with BfG and DWD). Along with the coordination of the Global Terrestrial Network – Hydrology (GTN-H), this data centre is to be extended by the parameters soil moisture and sediment on a medium to long-term basis. The highly productive and appreciative exchange resulted i.a. in a unanimous understanding of the fact that efforts must be increased to join all forces in the field of water supply at the UN level, to tackle complex future questions regarding services of general interest for human beings and the environment. Likewise about the fact that research and development need to have a stronger focus on applied questions with a proven record of practical success. The tour of the new fish ladder at the Koblenz barrage on the Moselle river and the Mosellum visitor centre has also been placed in this context. Moreover, it was underscored that the technical work implemented within the scope of the international community’s politics needs to focus further efforts on highlighting the role of freshwater.

Date: 21-22 March 2019
Venue: Thessaloniki, Greece

Harald Köthe, Director of the ICWRGC located at Koblenz, Germany, attended the International Forum for SDG 6, held by the UNESCO Cat 2 Centre for Integrated and Interdisciplinary Water Resources Management (CIIWRM) at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh). Mr. Köthe gave a lecture on “Striving for water bodies with good ambient water quality (SDG 6.3.2)”. The Forum provided an opportunity for cooperating with the Greek Cat. 2 Center.

Frankfurt/Main, 20–21 February 2019

Under the topic “Global analyses and local solutions for sustainable water resources management ” the GRoW Mid-Term Conference will be held in Frankfurt/Main (Germany), from 20–21 February 2019. The initiative “Water as a Global Resource (GRoW)” is part of the Sustainable Water Management (NaWaM) funding priority within the Research for Sustainable Development (FONA) framework of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The conference will be rich in variety: 90 research institutions cooperating in 12 GRoW projects will present their latest results, and discuss them with more than 200 expected participants from research, business and practice within 4 thematic clusters – global surface water resources, global groundwater and water supply, water footprint, global analysis and governance.

The ICWRGC supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals within the scope of several projects (SDG 2, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15). As an invited keynote speaker, Harald Köthe, Director of the ICWRGC, will give a keynote lecture in the session “Water quality as a challenge for achieving SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)”.

The keynote will focus on two broader questions:

Where is the biggest need for innovation in order to achieve water quality related SDG targets? What is necessary to ensure that innovations are taken up and thus contribute to achieving SDG 6?
How can research results feed into the UN process in support of monitoring and implementing the SDGs?

Conference homepage Further information on the SDGs

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ICWRGC supports Master thesis on “Uncertainty Quantification of Nutrient Load Estimations in Brazil”

United Nations World Water Development Report 2019

Observed Impact on Water Resources in the Mediterranean Region: A Meta-Analysis

UNESCO International Water Conference

Special Issue on ERB 2018 International Conference in Publication

4th European Climate Change Adaptation Conference (ECCA)

Hydrologischer Hochschultag des ICWRGC

6th Governing Board Meeting of the ICWRGC

International Forum for SDG6 “Sustainable Urban Water and Sanitation: Public Goods in the Service of Society”

Keynote at the GRoW Mid-Term Conference