From 22 to 24 March, the United Nations 2023 Water Conference, the first United Nations’ conference on water in 46 years and one of the most significant such events since the 1977 Mar del Plata Conference, will unite the world for water.

Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation

2023 marks the midpoint of the Water Action Decade (2018-2028), aimed at mobilizing and supporting efforts to achieve internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Recognizing that progress towards achieving the water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not on track, the UN 2023 Water Conference aims at producing a Water Action Agenda, calling on pledges to action from governments, water professionals and all stakeholders to accelerate work on the SDGs.

IAHR contributions to the UN 2023 Water Conference and World Water Day

IAHR, as a partner of UN-Water, is contributing to the effort to reach specific targets of the SDGs through the work of its technical committees on different relevant aspects of hydro-environment engineering and research. The nature of this work reflects the significant changes in water engineering over the last sixty years or so, from the time that the design of water infrastructure was based on strictly technical and economic criteria to today’s very different philosophy of planning and design. In contrast to past approaches, today’s engineering is (and must be) much more holistic and inclusive. It considers potential environmental impacts, has embraced the principles of sustainable development, and explores and implements nature-based solutions. In addition, engineers are making progress towards accounting for social, gender equity, environmental justice issues, increasing the engagement of engineers with all stakeholders, including other sectors such as health, education or via the Water-Food-Energy nexus, and improving the ways they can work more effectively with policy makers and financing organisations.

Side-event Sustainable Water Engineering Bringing Together the Global Community | Tuesday 21 March

On Tuesday 21 March, at 8 am New York time, IAHR is organising a virtual side-event at the 2023 UN Water Conference which focuses on Sustainable Water Engineering Bringing Together the Global Community.

Led by IAHR in collaboration with China’s Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR), Spain Water, the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), and DHI Group, the event aims at mobilizing relevant stakeholders and catalysing contributions to the Action Agenda by exploring ways to facilitate and expand the communication and collaboration between engineers and others working on water issues, but also those beyond the water sector, such as, the food, energy, human health and social services sectors, and also those who are actively working to defend and promote human rights and environmental justice.

This side-event seeks to contribute to bridging the gap across knowledge and governance silos and explore opportunities to synergize and utilize knowledge across agencies, foundations, industry, academia and NGOs - building on models that are demonstrating success.

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Hydrolink Magazine: Special issue on the contributions from the engineering community to the water-related Sustainable Development Goals

The March issue of Hydrolink, IAHR’s primary magazine, focuses on the contributions from the engineering community to the water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It includes articles from four IAHR Technical Committees (hydraulic structures, flood risk management, ecohydraulics, water resources management) discussing how their work supports the SDGs.

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Contributions from IAHR Young Professionals Networks (YPNs)

IAHR Young Professionals Networks (YPNs) ensure that new generations of future hydro-environment professionals and researchers have the opportunity to engage in IAHR activities, network and connect with peers and senior IAHR members, receive mentoring and support, and get access to the latest knowledge, information and know-how in the early stage of their careers. YPN members represent the backbone of the future IAHR and play an important role within the association through their activities and initiatives.

On the occasion of World Water Day, various YPNs are contributing with activities and initiatives.

- IAHR Italy YPN: Coffee break on High-energy air-water flows at hydraulic structures | 21 March, 1 pm UTC
Organised by the IAHR Italy Young Professionals Network, virtual event with Simone Pagliara, PhD Student at ETH Zurich, Laboratory of hydraulics, hydrology, glaciology (VAW), who will talk about high-energy air-water flows at hydraulic structures.
>> Join the Zoom Room

- IAHR Poland YPN: Partnerships and cooperation for water | 22 March, 10 am UTC
Organised by the IAHR Poland Young Professional Network, webinar with Dr. Elfithri Rahmah, Chief of Section, Capacity Development and Water Family Coordination (CDW), UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP), on examples of global partnerships for sustainable water management and acceleration of SDGs implementation.
>>Video

- IAHR Panama YPN:  El lago Gatún, aproximaciones a una historia social del agua by Dr. Marixa Lasso | 25 March, 10 am Panama time
Organised by the IAHR Panama Young Professional Network.