International hydrological program

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The International Hydrological Program (often also International Hydrological Program ; IHP for short) is a UNESCO scientific action program .

Structure of the program

From the International Hydrological Decade of UNESCO, which was terminated from 1965 to 1974, the IHP emerged as a long-term scientific program. Initially with a strong technical focus, the International Hydrological Program, with the recognized importance of research in the social sciences, has acquired a strongly interdisciplinary focus in recent years. The UN would also like to promote awareness of the importance of the sustainable use, protection and management of world water reserves (e.g. International Decade of Action “Water - Source of Life” ). The International Hydrological Program provides important scientific contributions and impulses to this process. In addition, the program is a leader in the development of scientific principles for the assessment of global water reserves and in the preparation of the first world water report.

The program comprises three main areas:

  • research into the water cycle in a constantly changing environment,
  • the management of water resources with the aim of sustainable development
  • the promotion of a corresponding capacity building , especially in the countries of the south (education and training).

For the program, UNESCO itself has around 8.5 million US dollars (budget for 2004/2005) available annually. The program is largely implemented with additional content contributions from the member countries.

The updates to the International Hydrological Program are determined by phase programs with defined key topics. The theme of the 2002–2007 program period was: "Water Interactions: Systems at Risk and Social Challenges".

Current focus

The questions that can be dealt with with the concept of water security range from the development of strategies and the management of water resources in disaster situations to dealing with water conflicts among competing users and uses and aim at a sustainable and equitable management of water resources, taking into account physical and social factors. This goal is to be achieved through the expansion of the research infrastructure, increased research activity and the efficient dissemination of the results among political decision-makers and planning bodies.

The main focus is the establishment of water ecology. With it as a methodological basis, the endangerment of aquatic ecosystems is to be reduced and the efficiency and sustainability of water management are to be improved. In developing countries in particular, strategies for the efficient management of water and ecosystems in urban areas will be of crucial importance. Novel technologies and innovative institutional approaches to water management , which form the basis for the protection and more efficient use of water resources, are initially to be tested in biosphere reserves .

National contributions to the program

The German contribution is supervised by a national committee whose management is taken over by the IHP / HWRP secretariat at the Federal Institute for Hydrology . The German IHP National Committee participates in the implementation of the program by hosting international events, preparing state-of-the-art reports, publishing and participating in international working groups. The Austrian contribution is the hydrology program of the Austrian Academy of Sciences .

In addition to the IHP, there are other long-term UNESCO programs for research into and protection of the human environment. This includes the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program and the International Geoscientific Program (IGCP).

See also

Web links