ICWRGC promotes data exchange and capacity development at the African Water Week, Cairo Water Week and Africa Hydrology Conference

[divider line_type=”No Line”]Three water conferences took place in Cairo from 13-17 October 2024: In addition to the 7th Cairo Water Week focusing on the theme ‘Water and Climate: Building Resilient Communities’, the Egyptian government, together with the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), also organised the 9th Africa Water Week on the topic ‘Placing Water and Sanitation at the Heart of Achieving Agenda 2063: the Africa We Want’. To further emphasise the importance of hydrology in the African water sector, WMO, AMCOW and Egypt jointly organised the first Africa Hydrology Conference under the theme ‘Bridging the gap in the Africa Water Sector and Disaster Risk Management – Towards the implementation of SDG6 and EW4ALL through integration of Hydrology and Climate Resilient Approaches’. ICWRGC provided financial and organisational support for this event.

 Stephan Dietrich, acting Director of ICWRGC and Philipp Saile, Head of the GEMS/Water Data Centre, brought out the following key points:

 

  • At the opening of the Africa Hydrology Conference jointly with Hon. Prof. Dr Hani Sewilam (Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Arab Republic of Egypt and AMCOW President) and other ministers, Stephan Dietrich presented the need for global drought forecasting systems during a panel discussion using the OUTLAST project as an example as a contribution to the development of the WMO Hydrological Status and Forecasting System (HydroSOS). He emphasised ‘that ground-based earth observations of water resources and quality will continue to be the key to maintaining and improving the quality of forecast products – locally, nationally and globally’.

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Stephan Dietrich, acting Director of ICWRGC engaging participants at the conference on the importance of drought forecasting.

 

  • ICWRGC, together with WMO and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (USA), organised a session on water data diplomacy and exchange. After a panel discussion with relevant participants from member states and the UNECE, Philipp Saile presented the technical progress in the field of data exchange. Stephan Dietrich and Faith Sternlieb (Lincoln Institute) then jointly moderated a workshop, in which around 100 international participants shared their experiences in the field of data management.

  • In the session ‘Africa Water Vision and Human Resources Capacity: paving the way’, chaired by UNESCO’s regional hydrologist for Africa Alexandros Makarigakis, Stephan Dietrich presented the capacity development activities of ICWRGC, including SASSCAL and WASCAL. The need for a closer exchange between the numerous international capacity development activities and the harmonisation of curricula in the 5 different African sub-regions was discussed. ICWRGC wants to actively contribute to the development in the field of data quality, among other things. Other partners in the session were the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, AUDA-NEPAD Southern African Network of Water Centres of Excellence, ICeWaRM.

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Stephan Dietrich at the African Water Week 2024 in Cairo, Egypt

  • At the end of the African Water Week, Philipp Saile organised the discussion on the role of the exchange of water monitoring data for effective water information systems at the Africa Hydrology Dialogue. He emphasised that ‘water information systems are a central basis for economic development and hence peace’. During the session, the importance of hydrological research for the improvement of early warning systems was also emphasised.

In total, more than 2000 people attended the three conferences on site and online, including several hydrological advisors from WMO member countries and representatives from six other UNESCO water centres.

Related links:

  1. Plenary Session-4 Actions for Water and Climate Adaptations and Resilience (Africa Hydrology Conference Plenary)
  2. Data Diplomacy and Exchange: Hydrological Data Management, Interoperability and Access
  3. Africa Water Vision and Human Resources Capacity: paving the way
  4. Africa Hydrology Dialogue

Contact persons/participants: Dr. Stephan Dietrich and Philipp Saile