For the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, representatives from across UNESCO's region-wide water network - known as the UNESCO Water Family - met in the 28th Regional Meeting of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme in Asia and the Pacific in Hanoi on 24-25 November 2021. While Vietnamese delegates participated in the event in person, network members outside Vietnam took part in the meeting remotely.
In his opening address, the Chair of the Vietnam National Committee for the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP), Prof. Tran Thuc called on the gathering "to provide a foundation for knowledge, to expand coordination among international scientific community to further accelerate hydrology and water security to ensure sustainable development in the context of climate change."
Delegates shared approaches to key regional water challenges, with particular focus on the potential for dam and reservoir operations to contribute to water security, water quality and water disaster mitigation. The meeting is also discussed the development of an ongoing joint research and publication initiative - the Catalogue of Hydrologic Analysis (CHA). CHA facilitates the sharing of research results, tools and methodologies to address key regional water challenges in Asia and the Pacific. The event also launched the series' second volume on "Dam reservoir operation for addressing water-related disasters, water scarcity and quality" and discussed the thematic focus areas for the upcoming third volume of CHA.
The 28th IHP Regional Steering Committee (RSC) meeting itself was held on the 24th, sharing news and achievements from ten countries and five water-related UNESCO Centres and university chairs. The formal session was followed by an interactive virtual field visit to Hoa Bin, Vietnam's biggest multi-purpose reservoir.
This collaboration between UNESCO and the government of Japan contributed to the attainment of SDG goal 6.
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