Hydrology.nl

Gurgaon, 14–15 March 2011 • 11,000 DVDs on «International hydrology and water resources» for Indian water experts have been launched at the international workshop «Adaptation and Mitigation Options for Tackling the Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources» at ITM University, Gurgaon, India.

Organized by ITM University, Gurgaon, India, and the Division of Water Sciences at UNESCO’s Delhi Office (excellent support from Dr. Bhanu Neupane, Regional Hydrologist), the workshop was the venue were Mr Michael van der Valk, Scientific Secretary of the Netherlands National Committee IHP-HWRP, presented the much-requested DVD on behalf of the Netherlands in the presence of Mr. Armoogum Parsuramen, Director of the UNESCO Office in New Delhi and UNESCO Representative to India, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, and former Minister of Education and Science. The extra edition of 11,000 copies has been reproduced with the kind funding from the Netherlands Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, for the benefit of hundreds of water-related educational and research institutes on the Indian continent.

Both the internationally renowned scientists and the high-level policy-makers attending the workshop applauded this gesture, whereas all students showed great interest in the documents on the DVD.

The DVD «International hydrology and water resources» contains all reports of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP), all reports from the Co-operative Programme on Water and Climate (CPWC), the Value of Water series of UNESCO-IHE, the publication «Managing the Water Buffer for Development and Climate Change Adaptation», IUCN’s Water Governance series, the Perspective Papers on Water and Climate Change Adaptation produced for the 5th World Water Forum by the World Water Council, CPWC, IUCN and IWA, and a special UNESCO version of MLU, a groundwater modelling package. It also includes the UNECE Guidance on Water and Adaptation to Climate Change and its report on Transboundary Flood Risk Management.

The well-attended workshop attracted great interest of the press. The Indian magazine Water Digest attended both days, and at least two television stations, the Navbharat Times, India Times and an important web-based news portal interviewed most speakers and many students.

Mr Michael van der Valk presented the Dutch work – both science and policy – on water-related adaptation to climate change. He also chaired one session and participated in the panel of experts.

In 2009 the engineering college of ITM University in Gurgaon received a ranking of 93.5% on the national level, placing it in the top of India’s educational ranking. In 2010 it was named as ‘preferred engineering college’ in a national survey.

The workshop was excellently organized by a team of staff members and dedicated students.