The 26th IHP Regional Steering Committee Meeting for Asia and the Pacific

Background and updates

Having served Southeast Asia and the Pacific for 25 years, the IHP Asia and the Pacific Regional Steering Committee (RSC) met for the first time as a full regional body with representation from 20 countries spanning the full range of the region during 3-5 November 2018. The meeting held in associated with the Catalogue of Hydrologic Analysis (CHA) Workshop.

With broad regional support, the development of the Catalogue of Hydrologic Analysis – a series of publications through which contributors to UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme aim to share data, knowledge and experiences in key water science and management fields – was formally initiated prior to the formal opening of the 26th IHP Regional Steering Committee for Asia and the Pacific.

Focusing on hazard mapping, a dedicated workshop held on 3 November saw presentations on approaches and methods from eleven countries, generating lively exchange and interaction. Coordinated by the Secretary of the RSC, Dr. Yasuto Tachikawa of Japan, the workshop took the first steps towards defining the scope, structure and content of the Catalogue of Hydrologic Analysis – as well as devised a work plan for the further development of this regional collaborative, which builds upon a previous collaborative effort of the RSC, the Catalogue of Rivers series (http://hywr.kuciv.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ihp/riverCatalogue).

Chaired by Dr. Ignasius Sutapa of Indonesia and hosted by China and the Chinese IHP National Committee represented by Dr. Cai Jianyuan, the formal meeting of the RSC held on 4 November gathered representatives from 20 countries including new members from Afghanistan, Iran and Nepal – as well as the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, representing its Pacific Island member states. Also in attendance were six UNESCO water category 2 centres and chairs from the region as well as from Europe.

On 5 November, the Shanghai Hydrologic Administration hosted a field visit to the Songpu Bridge Hydrologic Monitoring Station at Ye Xie Town, Song Jiang District, in the city of Shanghai. The visit allowed participating delegates an insight into the techniques, procedures and equipment employed in the monitoring of water resources in one of the largest urban areas of the world.

With 26 presentations from country delegations, centres and chairs, the Shanghai meeting was among the largest and most comprehensive meetings of the RSC to date. Delegations showed considerable interest in hosting upcoming meetings of the Committee. The 27th meeting will be hosted by Myanmar in November 2019, with subsequent meetings to be held in Vietnam, Malaysia and Iran.

Date and Venue

The 26th meeting of the RSC was held during 3-5 November 2018 at the Ocean Hotel in Central Shanghai, China.

Newsflash

Newsflash and photo gallery of the event could be found here.

Agenda