The Teaching of Hydrology
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Technical papers in hydrology 13 , .i Xhehx 4 teaching of hydrology .. The Unesco Press A contribution to the International Hydrological Decade Technical papers in hydrology 13 \ In this series: 1 Perennial Ice and Snow Masses. A Guide for Compilation and Assemblage of Data for a World Inventory. 2 Seasonal Snow Cover. A Guide for Measurement, Compilation and Assemblage of Data. 3 Variations of Existing Glaciers. A Guide to International Practices for their Measurement. 4 Antarctic Glaciology in the International Hydrological Decade. 5 Combined Heat, Ice and Water Balances at Selected Glacier Basins. A Guide for Compilation and Assemblage of Data for Glacier Mass Balance Measurements. 6 Textbooks on hydrology-Analyses and Synoptic Tables of Contents of Selected Textbooks. 7 Scientific Framework of World Water Balance. 8 Flood Studies-an International Guide for Collection and Processing of Data. 9 Guide to World Inventory of Sea, Lake and River Ice. 10 Curricula and Syllabi in Hydrology. 11 Teaching Aids in Hydrology. 12 Ecology of Water Weeds in the Neotropics. 13 The Teaching of Hydrology. A contribution to the In tern at ion al Hydro logical Decade n The Unesco Press Paris 1974 The selection and presentation of material and the opinions expressed in this publication are the responsibility of the authors concerned, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unesco. Nor do the designations employed or the presentation of the material imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of Unesco concerning the legal status of any country or territory, or of its authorities, or concerning the frontiers of any country or territory. Published by the Unesco Press, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris Printed by Union Typographique ISBN 92-3-101168-5 French edition: 92-3-201168-9 Q Unesco 1974 Printed in France Preface The International Hydrological Decade (IHD) 1965-74 opments in the planning of hydrological installations. was launched by the General Conference of Unesco at As part of Unesco’s contribution to the achieve- its thirteenth session to promote international co-opera- ment of the objectives of the IHD, the General Con- tion in research and studies and the training of specialists ference authorized the Director-General to collect, and technicians in scientific hydrology. Its purpose is to exchange and disseminate information concerning re- enable all countries to make a fuller assessment of their search on scientific hydrology and to facilitate contacts water resources and a more rational use of them as between research workers in this lield. To this end man’s demands for water constantly increase in face Unesco has initiated two collections of publications: of developments in population, industry and agriculture. ‘Studies and Reports in Hydrology’ and ‘Technical In 1974 Natonal Committees for the Decade had been Papers in Hydrology’. formed in 107 of Unesco’s 131 Member States to carry The collection ‘Technical Papers in Hydrology’ out national activities and to contribute to regional and is intended to provide a means for the exchange of international activities within the programme of the information on hydrological techniques and for the co- Decade. The implementation of the programme is super- ordination of research and data collection. vised by a Co-ordinating Council, composed of thirty The acquisition, transmission and processing of Member States selected by the General Conference of data in a manner permitting the intercomparison of Unesco, which studies proposals for developments of results is a prerequisite to effortsto co-ordinate scien- the programme, recommends projects of interest to all tific projects within the framework of the IHD. The or a large number of countries, assists in the devdop- exchange of information on data collected throughout ment of national and regional projects and co-ordinates the world requires standard instruments, techniques, international co-operation. units of measure and terminology in order that data from Promotion of collaboration in developing hydro- all areas will be comparable. Much work has been done logical research techniques, diffusing hydrological data already towards international standardization, but much and planning hydrological installations is a major fea- remains to be done even for simple measurements of ture of the programme of the IHD which encompasses basic factors such as precipitation, snow cover, soil all aspects of hydrological studies and research. Hydro- moisture, streamflow, sediment transport and ground- logical investigations are encouraged at the national, water phenomena. regional and international level to strengthen and to It is hoped that the guides on data collection and improve the use of natural resources from a local and compilation in specific areas of hydrology to be pub- a global perspective. The programme provides a means lished in this collection will provide means whereby for countries well advanced in hydrological research to hydrologists may standardize their records of observa- exchange scientific views and for developing countries tions and thus facilitate the study of hydrology on a to benefit from this exchange of information in elaborat- world-wide basis. ing research projects and in implementing recent devel- Contents Foreword 9 1 Some remarks on the functions of the hydrologist 10 2 Diverse approaches to teaching hydrology 11 2.1 Reasons for the diversity 11 2.2 Principles 11 3 Levels in teaching hydrology 13 3.1 Research hydrologists an'd professors 13 3.2 Professional hydrologists 13 3.3 Hydrological technicians and auxiliary personnel 14 4 The role of hydrology in various study programmes 16 4.1 Introduction 16 4.2 Major fields in which a general course in hydrology is offered 16 5 Educational systems for teaching hydrology 25 5.1 Introduction 25 5.2 Special features of some educational systems 25 6 Technical-assistance policies 30 6.1 The need for planning 30 6.2 The creation of new institutions 30 6.3 Forms of aid 31 6.4 Affiliations between institutes in different countries 32 9 Foreword The Co-ordinating Council of the International Hydro- which basic methodological concepts are presented, to- logical Decade (IHD), considering that hydrological gether with specific subjects that were not covered in the education is one of the most important activities carried other publications, is designed to meet this need and out within the IHD, established a Working Group on thus complements the previous publications. Education and Training in Hydrology with the main The paper was compiled by the IHD secretariat task of strengthening hydrological education in all parts on the basis of the reports of the first and second ses- of the world. In this connexion, the working group sions of the IHD Working Group on Education, and studied the education of hydrologists as it is undertaken particularly on a paper ‘Manpower Requirements, Train- in different countries and considered effective pro- ing and Research’, by Professor L. J. Mostertman, grammes suitable for international use. During the dis- Unesco Consultant for the United Nations Panel of cussions held by the working group on this subject, it Experts on Water Resources Development Policies, became apparent that approaches to the teaching of Buenos Aires, 1970. Sections of the paper that were hydrology vary from country to country, that ‘hydro- provided by individual members of the working group logy’ is not clearly defined, and that the contents of the or by individual authors bear the names of their res- various subjects which make up a hydrological course pective authors. The draft was approved by the working also differ greatly. group at its fifth session in April 1973, with the follow- In order to assess the methods used for teaching ing members and observers participating: E. Custodio hydrology, the working group undertook a careful exa- (Spain), A. Dembele (Mali), J. Dvorak (Czechoslova- mination of hydrological topics, of the literature avail- kia), J. S. Gandolfo (Argentina), W. L. Moore (United able on hydrology, of curricula and syllabi being used States), L. J. Mostertman (Netherlands), J. Sircoulon in hydrology courses, and of the training aids available. (France), K. Stelczer (Hungary), M.R. Tarafdar (Bang- The material was collected, evaluated and summarized ladesh), D. Tonini (Italy), S. J. Vartazarov (U.S.S.R.), in four Unesco publications: Textbooks in Hydrology J. Nemec (World Meteorological Organization), M.W. (vol. I and II), Curricula and Syllabi in Hydrology, and Terentiev (World Meteorological Organization), H. W. Teaching Aids in Hydrology. Underhill (Food and Agriculture Organization) and These publications offer valuable material on W. H. Gilbrich (Unesco). specific aspects of hydrological education for those who A review of the manuscript was undertaken by teach hydrology or organize new teaching activities. an ad hoc panel which met in Paris in August 1973. However, the working group considered that there was This panel consisted of W. L. Moore (United States), still a need for a publication giving a general review of L. J. Mostertman (Netherlands), M.R. Tarafdar (Bang- hydrological teaching. The present technical paper, in ladesh) and W.H. Gilbrich (Unesco). 1 Some remarks on the functions of the hydrologist Water resources schemes are now increasingly con- thus been difficult for it to emerge as a separate branch. sidered as integrated systems and consequently, civil In fact, hydrology has been established as a separate engineers, geologists, agricultural engineers and hydrau- field of study in only a few of the largest and most lic engineers engaged in planning and design no longer highly developed countries. work in isolation. During the planning phase, it is In order to follow modern teaching programmes in indispensable to ensure the collaboration of a team hydrology, the student requires a preparatory knowl- which, besides engineers and scientists, may also include edge of basic science as well as of some aspects of sociologists, geographers, economists, political scientists civil engineering, geology, geography, meteorology and and representatives of rural and urban planning autho- agricultural engineering.