Events

Events and announcements

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

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

Networking between water-relevant German UNESCO sites – joint DUK and ICWRGC Workshop in Bonn on 13 July 2022

For the first time, DUK (German Commission for UNESCO) and ICWRGC held a joint workshop. The topic of the kick-off event was “Water – where do we need and how can we develop expert knowledge?”

The successful workshop marks the beginning of better networking among the German UNESCO sites and stakeholders actively involved in the subject area „changing freshwater resources” and engaged in various UNESCO programmes. The objective is to understand and use the existing expert knowledge in line with an integrated approach to the earth system and its changes due to climate change and socio-economic uses. To this end, various experts met for a colourful and highly interesting programme on the premises of DUK in Bonn (see link to agenda).

It became evident that freshwater plays a major role in many UNESCO sites and that many of the lecturers present have a lot of scientific and/or empirical knowledge. This must also be developed for the UNESCO Water Family, or more precisely for phase 9 (2022-2029) of the UNESCO (IHP) water programme, thus making German knowledge more visible. Points of contact for a common work were identified and a further exchange was agreed. Harald Köthe, the Director of ICWRGC, sees this networking as an opportunity to identify and close practice-oriented gaps in expertise, thus unlocking synergies for the German contributions to achieve the objectives of the UNESCO programmes. The kick-off session for better networking and closer cooperation was interesting and promising.

Further information:

Workshop agenda

Download: PDF, 2 p. – 84 KB (german only)

URSACHEN: Virtual Symposium

30 November – 01 December 2022

Uncertainty in river water monitoring
New insights on spatio-temporal variability of suspended river water components

Rivers transport suspended solids, including multiple substances from geogenic and anthropogenic backgrounds, from hillslopes towards the oceans. The spatial and temporal variability of suspended matter transport hereby strongly affects river and delta morphology, the chemical status of the rivers, aquatic habitats, and the global element cycle.

Passau, © peter knechtges ?/?Adobe Stock

Passau, © peter knechtges / Adobe Stock

Even though suspended solids are currently monitored in many rivers world-wide, the community is facing major challenges. In this symposium, we would like to discuss these challenges and foster the exchange within and between the scientific community and river managers from governmental organizations and various NGOs. The symposium offers an exchange platform for participants who are willing to present and discuss new methods, developments and implications of their work. This symposium is organized as part of the scientific project “URSACHEN” (‘Investigating the uncertainties of spatiotemporal variable substance loads estimations in rivers’) by the Federal Institute of Hydrology and the International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change (UNESCO Cat. 2 Centre).

We welcome contributions. To find out more about the relevant topics and further information on the symposium and how to attend can be found here:

URSACHEN Symposium

Bonn Water Lectures: Corruption in the water sector – how integrity management contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

The Bonn Water Network (BWN) invites you to its webinar “Corruption in the water sector: how integrity management contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”

Date: Tuesday January 18, 2022, 13.00-14.30

Corruption hampers the achievement of SDG 6 for ensuring water and sanitation for all. It is estimated to be responsible for “losses” of 10%, in some countries even between 40% and 50%, of investments into the capital intensive water sector. This in turn entails higher costs for drinking water and sanitation services, degrades the quality and reliability of supply and thus endangers the health of people (SDG 3). In many countries, women and girls are responsible for managing household water supply, sanitation and health. Hence, they are disproportionally affected by corruption compared to men, and can even be victims of sextortion and other forms of exploitation (SDG 5). Strengthening water integrity requires focusing on SDG 16, which aims for accountable institutions. Water and sanitation sector organizations need to operate with integrity to prevent corruption, and enhance credibility to achieve various SDG goals. This proposed webinar will bring together experiences and knowledge from different organizations on the topic of water integrity and discuss how integrity can help in catalysing the achievement of SDGs.

ICWRGC’s Dr. Marienela Fader and Dr. Luna Bharati will be participating in the webinar, with Dr. Bharati moderating and Dr. Fader acting as a panellist.

Details and agendaWebinar Registration

CO-MICC Portal official launch

Date: December 10, 2021
Venue: Web-based seminar

During this web-based seminar, we will present the CO-MICC Knowledge and Data Portal on freshwater-related hazards of climate change. This pilot climate service was developed in the framework of the CO-MICC (CO-development of Methods to utilize uncertain multi-model-based Information on freshwater-related hazards of Climate Change) research project (2017-2021). It gives access to over 80 quantitative indicators of freshwater-related hazards of climate change, which can be visualized in the form of global maps or interactive graphs.

Attendees will be given a live demonstration of this newly developed tool, and then have the opportunity to follow a panel discussion on its added value of for decision making in response to future climate change risks.

Contact:

ISI – Training Workshop “River Basin Sediment Monitoring and Management”

Date: September 6 – 10, 2021
Venue: Online training workshop

The workshop under the umbrella of UNESCO’s International Sediment Initiative (ISI) aims at providing knowledge on:

  • River sediment measurement and monitoring techniques
  • River sediment data analysis methods
  • Transferring river sediment monitoring results to management solutions

Furthermore, we offer participants the opportunity to work on a sediment-related issue from their own region, supported by a senior expert. This workshop will concentrate on monitoring and management of sediment in rivers, and will not include topics such as hillslope erosion and soil conservation. The workshop is organized in collaboration with the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), UNESCO-IHP and the International Research and Training Centre for Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES, Beijing, China).

Contact:

ICWRGC to present at “EGU2020 – Sharing Geoscience Online

Due to the COVID19 crisis, the European Geosciences Union (EGU) has chosen a new format for their General Assembly: the largest-ever Geoscience Virtual Meeting: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/meetingprogramme.

Two scientists of ICWRGC will share their presentations at the online general assembly of the EGU, to present and discuss their scientific advances in the field of hydrology.

Renee van Dongen will present her work on “El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) controls on mean streamflow and streamflow variability in Central Chile” in the session Understanding the links between hydrological variability and internal/natural climate variability (https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/session/35542 on 07 May, 10:45–12:30). Understanding hydrological extremes is becoming increasingly important for future adaptation strategies to global warming. Her presentation shows the effect of ENSO on the mean values of precipitation, temperature and stream flow as well as on streamflow variability in Chile. Large-scale climatic phenomena like ENSO affect catchment hydrology through anomalies in precipitation and temperature.

Renee will also co-convene the session Novel Approaches in Geochronology: Quantifying Geomorphological Processes and Landscape Dynamics (https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/session/37492 on 08 May, 08:30–10:15).

Robert Reinecke will speak about “Changes of groundwater recharge at different global warming levels: A global-scale multi-model ensemble approach” in the session How to assess climate change impacts on groundwater? (https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/session/35618 on 07 May, 08:30–10:15). Billions of people rely on groundwater as an accessible source for drinking water and irrigation, especially in times of drought. Robert will showcase the results of a multi-model ensemble approach incorporating eight global hydrological models and four global circulation models to show the impact of global warming on global groundwater recharge. Also, he is co-author in the presentation “The global freshwater availability and water use model WaterGAP 2.2d” (https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/EGU2020-11434.html on 07 May, 16:15–18:00) by Hannes Müller Schmied et al..

ICWRGC presents recent scientific advance at EGU meeting

Date: 3 – 8 May 2020
Venue: Vienna, Austria


Two scientists of the ICWRGC will attend the general assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) in Vienna, to present and discuss their scientific advances in the field of hydrology.

Renee van Dongen will give a lecture on “El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) controls on mean streamflow and streamflow variability in Central Chile” in the session Understanding the links between hydrological variability and internal/natural climate variability (https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/session/35542). Understanding hydrological extremes is becoming increasingly important for future adaptation strategies to global warming. Her presentation shows the effect of ENSO on the mean values of precipitation, temperature and stream flow as well as on streamflow variability in Chile. Large-scale climatic phenomena like ENSO affect catchment hydrology through anomalies in precipitation and temperature.

Renee will also co-convene the session Novel Approaches in Geochronology: Quantifying Geomorphological Processes and Landscape Dynamics (https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/session/37492) and organize the short course Crowd-solving problems in Earth Sciences (https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/session/36416)

Robert Reinecke will present “Changes of groundwater recharge at different global warming levels: A global-scale multi-model ensemble approach” in the session How to assess climate change impacts on groundwater? (https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/session/35618). Billions of people rely on groundwater as an accessible source for drinking water and irrigation, especially in times of drought. Robert will showcase the results of a multi-model ensemble approach incorporating eight global hydrological models and four global circulation models to show the impact of global warming on global groundwater recharge. Also, he is co-author in the presentation “The global freshwater availability and water use model WaterGAP 2.2d” by Hannes Müller Schmied et al.

The exact time and place of the presentations will be updated as soon as the final EGU programme has been released.

Further events