IAHS Newsletter NL95 December 2009
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IAHS Newsletter NL95 December 2009 Participants of the Joint International IAHS–IAH Convention in Hyderabad, India, gathered on the last day Reports from the Joint IAHS–IAH Convention in September 2009 See below and inside for overviews and reports of sessions and other events that took place in Hyderabad, pages 3–13. Hyderabad 2009 – View from Africa The prospect of travelling to Hyderabad, India, for the recently held 8th Scientific Assembly of IAHS co-hosted with the IAH, presented us with an opportunity to take a break from the demands of academic and consultancy life to visit a beautiful country. Our experiences in Hyderabad were truly remarkable in all respects. We had thought that we would miss the chance of experiencing a monsoon storm event since it was towards the end of season, but upon arrival in Mumbai we were greeted by the most intense downpour we have ever experienced. The rains lasted over 4 hours. As hydrologists Tendai Sawunyama and Evison Kapangaziwiri’s account continues on p. 8. Contents 2009 International Hydrology Prize Message from the President 2 is awarded to Keith Beven Reports from Hyderabad: 3 – Organizers 3 The International Hydrology Prize is awarded annually by IAHS, together – Young/early career hydrol’s 4 with UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization, to an – Sessions 5 individual, in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the science. – View from Africa (cont’d) 8 Nominations for the Prize are made by IAHS National Committees and – Int. Hydrology Prize 10 considered by the Nomination Committee, i.e. the President and a Vice- – Tison Award 13 President of IAHS and representatives of UNESCO and WMO. – Ultimate Frisbee 14 World Water Council 14 The citation and response are published in full on pages 6– Calendar of Meetings 15 The Tison Award goes to Young/early career IAHS Second IAHS Ultimate Japanese hydrologists members set an agenda Frisbee Tournament Their award winning paper, entitled The meeting convened by Kate Heal to Empirical Distributed Modellers: 8 Global projections of changing risks of provide a forum for young scientists to Lumped Physically-based Modellers: 1 floods and droughts in a changing discuss how to increase their involve- climate, was published in Hydrological ment and motivation within IAHS, was Match report by Vazken Andréassian Sciences Journal in 2008 (vol. 53(4), well attended and drew up recommen- and teams, with analysis of their perfor- 754–772), and is available open access dations for the IAHS Bureau to imple- mance and discussion of possible at www.iahs.info. Article on page 13 ment by 2011. Article on page 4 contributory factors. See page 14 2 IAHS Newsletter 95, December 2009 Message from the President from Gordon Young [email protected] In 1982, IAHS held its first Scientific Special thanks must go to our IAHS for membership be introduced (indeed it Assembly in Exeter, England. Since Vice President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, would be contrary to the statutes of our then, and on a four year cycle, we have who worked ceaselessly in the two parent body, the International Union of held our Assemblies in many different years prior to the Assembly, in conjunc- Geodesy and Geophysics to do so). countries, sometimes as IAHS stand- tion with our SG, setting up all the local Just as important were decisions on alone events and sometimes in collab- facilities – a monumental task! Thanks how to make our functioning more effic- oration with other organizations. Two too, to all our sponsors, including ient and effective; they are as follows: months ago, in Hyderabad, India, we UNESCO, WMO and IAEA, for their • National Representatives (NRs) held our 8th Assembly in conjunction generous financial contributions, and to should play a key role in the with the 37th annual Congress of IAH our many convenors of symposia and activities of the Association as (the International Association of workshops for making the individual countries are the official members of Hydrogeologists of the International elements of the Assembly so successful. the Association and the NRs are the Union of Geological Sciences). This I had the honour of taking over the official representatives of their cooperative assembly was a great Presidency of the Association from countries. The roles of NRs are now success, with a special focus on ground- Arthur Askew, to whom we all owe a explicitly defined at our web site: water issues, but including a wide range special debt for conducting the affairs of www.iahs.info/nreps/Nat_Reps_resp of hydrological subjects – more details the Association so successfully over the onsibilities.pdf. are provided within the report by past four years. All of our nine NRs will be expected to play a much P. Rajendra Prasad and S. N. Rai Commissions also saw the change of more active role in the future and representing the local organizing their Presidencies, so the Bureau of the individual members should be able committee, and in the reports by the Association now has many new faces, to contact their own NR to gain convenors of individual events. as well as the continuity given through further insight into the functioning India is an incredibly interesting the Secretary General, the Vice of IAHS. venue for a hydrological assembly. Presidents, Treasurer, Editor and Chair • Young scientists should be actively Within India are found some of the of IAHS Ltd. The Past Presidents will encouraged to participate in the wettest places on Earth in Assam, and continue their work in many capacities activities of the Association. Kate some of the driest in Rajasthan; over the next two years. Heal convened a very successful precipitation is highly seasonal and Besides the symposia, workshops informal meeting of young scientists there are frequent instances of floods and numerous informal business at Hyderabad; the results of that being followed by droughts. Water meetings held during the Assembly meeting are detailed later in this resource managers are facing the were the meetings of the Bureau of Newsletter, but the five main increasing challenges of supplying IAHS, at which functioning of the recommendations were that: water to a burgeoning population and to Association, its Commissions and – A young scientist should be the mounting demands of a growing Working Groups are discussed and appointed as an ‘officer’ in every middle class. It was within this national strategies for future activities are Commission and Working Group; and local context of hydrological debated. There are many concerns – All symposia and workshops at challenges that our scientists located regarding the future functioning of the IAHS events should have one their debates. Association and these were elaborated young scientist as a co-convenor; As always, planning and executing on page 3 of the last newsletter: – Young scientists’ discussion an assembly is a major challenge to www.iahs.info/newsletters/NL94.pdf. groups/virtual communities should those intimately involved. We owe All these concerns were discussed by be set up to improve IAHS many thanks to our hosts Dr V. P. Dimri, the Bureau and some major decisions webpages; Director of the National Geophysical were taken. Perhaps the most important – Conferences should be made more Research Institute (NGRI) for making were that there should be no radical attractive to young scientists; his facilities available to us, and to change to the structure and functioning – The benefits of IAHS membership Dr Harsh Gupta, Vice President of of the Association and its Commissions should be better communicated to IUGG and former Director of NGRI. and Working Groups; nor should a fee young scientists. These are excellent recommendat- ions which we shall try to implement. IAHS Newsletter © IAHS Press 2009 • We should, once again, make a Published by IAHS Press, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK strong effort to engage more scien- Edited by Cate Gardner tists from less developed countries IAHS is a nongovernmental not-for-profit scientific organization dedicated to serving the in the activities of the Association. science of hydrology and the worldwide community of hydrologists. Vice President Denis Hughes is The Newsletter is provided free of charge to members of IAHS. This Newsletter and previous issues may be downloaded from: www.iahs.info leading this effort and in the coming Articles from IAHS members on all aspects of hydrology and related topics are welcomed months will be able to report on for publication in the Newsletter. They should be sent to the IAHS Secretary General, Pierre progress being made. Hubert, preferably to: [email protected], or to: IAHS, UMR Sisyphe, Université Pierre & Marie Curie, A few weeks after Hyderabad, Pierre Case 105, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France Hubert and I attended the meeting of the Advertisements may be placed in the Newsletter, at the discretion of the IAHS Secretary Executive of IUGG in Melbourne, General. Contact: [email protected] Australia to determine the organization The next Newsletter will be published in March/April 2010; copy deadline 28 February 2010. IAHS Newsletter 95, December 2009 3 and programme for the next General Assembly of the Union. Immediately Gordon Young receiving after the meeting in Melbourne, Arthur the IAHS President’s Askew and I attended the General silver plate, at the handing over ceremony. Assembly of the World Water Council From left to right: in Marseille, France; Arthur reports on former presidents Kuni the outcomes later in this Newsletter. Takeuchi and Uri We all have a great deal to do in Shamir, Gordon Young, the next years to maintain IAHS as the Arthur Askew – now Past-president, and leading international association dealing Pierre Hubert, Secretary with hydrological sciences. I look General. forward to working with all of you as a team to further our endeavours.