Newsletter ICWRGC | No.10

Visual Identifier for World Water DAy 2025

No. 10 – March 2025

Editorial Letter – World Water Day 2025

Dear Readers,

As we celebrate UN World Water Day 2025, we take this opportunity to reflect on our contributions to global water research, capacity development, global water data centres and collaboration over the past year. The World Water Day reminds us of the urgent need to accelerate solutions to the world’s water challenges, and we are glad to have contributed in advancing knowledge and action in this critical field.

For 2024 we want to highlight some of our activities:

First of all, 2024 was a year of anniversaries for us that marked an important milestone with our anniversary celebration on 50 years of national secretariat for the National Committee of UNESCO-IHP, 10 years engagement of our UNESCO Category 2 Centre, and 10 years of operations of the GEMS/Water Data Center for global water quality in Koblenz. This event was an opportunity to reflect on our achievements and reaffirm our commitment to advancing water research, policy, and innovation.

Some of our major contributions have been to Graduate Studies Programmes in Southern (SASSCAL) and Western Africa (WASCAL). The first cohort of SASSCAL students came to Germany last year and were hosted in Koblenz during a workshop. For the WASCAL programme, the second call for students and Germany-based supervisors is currently underway. By fostering scientific exchange between Africa and Germany, we continue to support young researchers in addressing climate and water challenges, ensuring the next generation of experts is well-equipped to make a difference.

The workshop of the BMBF OUTLAST project was another key initiative where we facilitated knowledge exchange on global drought forecasting with key stakeholders from Central Asia and the Lake Victoria Basin. Our experts contributed to discussions on climate-resilient strategies, ensuring that shared water resources are managed effectively.

In line with our commitment to international cooperation, we actively contributed to the first African Hydrology Conference jointly organized by WMO within the Cairo Water Week and Africa Water Week. Through discussions on data exchange and diplomacy as well as on capacity development, we reinforced our mission to bridge knowledge gaps and drive solutions for Africa’s water security.

Major highlights of our global Water Data Centres were the contribution to leading international water assessments. The contribution of our ISMN team to the WMO State of the Global Water Resources Report played a key role in highlighting the decline in global soil moisture levels, stressing the pressing need for sustainable water management strategies. With our GEMS/Water Data Centre we also contributed to the new report on SDG indicator 6.3.2 on ambient water quality, providing essential data and analysis on global water quality trends. This work supports evidence-based decision-making, crucial for achieving cleaner and safer water resources worldwide.

Finally, in an important leadership transition, we proudly supported the appointment of Lars Ribbe as the new Chair of our Scientific Advisory Board. His leadership will further enhance our research impact and strategic direction, guiding us toward innovative solutions for water governance. We thank Prof. Mariele Evers for her long-term support in leading the board.

For 2025, we will continue with our work and be engaged in the contribution to the official 50th anniversary of the IHP and 60 years of Water Sciences at UNESCO. We also plan our involvement in the UN Year of Glacier preservation with certain activities on climate monitoring in glacier areas and hydrological alterations of discharge related to climate change in glacier catchments.

In addition, ICWRGC will be re-evaluated as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre in 2025.

As we recognize World Water Day 2025, we reaffirm our dedication to shaping the future of global water governance. Here, I can only say thanks to great and enthusiastic colleagues at the ICWRGC.

Thank you for being part of our journey. Stay engaged, stay informed, and let’s continue working together for a more sustainable water future.

Best regards,
Stephan Dietrich
Deputy Director ICWRGC

International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change (ICWRGC)
UNESCO Category 2 Centre
Secretariat German IHP/HWRP National Committee
Federal Institute of Hydrology
P.O. Box 200253 | 56002 Koblenz | Germany

Phone: +49 (0)261 1306 5435

E-Mail: icwrgc@bafg.de

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