Hydrology and Water Resources Programme

The Hydrology and Water Resources Programme (HWRP) promotes the effective use of hydrology in sustainable development to reduce the risk and impacts of water-related disasters and to support effective environmental management at international, regional, national and basin levels.

The Programme strengthens the capabilities of Members, particularly those in developing countries or countries in transition, through technology transfer and capacity development. The Hydrology and Water Resources Programme supports Members by assisting them to develop their capacities in:

• measuring basic hydrological elements from networks of hydrological and meteorological stations;
• collecting, processing, storing, retrieving and publishing hydrological data, including surface water and groundwater;
• providing data and information for use by planners and water managers;
• managing extremes, particularly through integrated flood and drought management;
• installing and operating hydrological forecasting systems; and
• integrating meteorological and climatological information and forecasts into water resources management.

The overall objective of the Hydrology and Water Resources Programme is to promote activities in operational hydrology and close co-operation between Meteorological and Hydrological Services as well as to promote the effective use of hydrology in the framework of Integrated Water Resources Management:

• to assist countries in meeting in a sustainable way needs for water and for related resources;
• mitigate water-related disasters; and
• ensure effective environmental management at national and international levels.

The Commission for Hydrology (CHy) provides guidance and oversight of the Hydrology and Water Resources Programme, which is implemented through four mutually supporting components:

• Basic Systems in Hydrology
• Hydrological Forecasting and Water Resources Management
• Capacity-building in Hydrology for Water Resources Management
• Cooperation in Water-related Issues

Since the International Conference on Water and Environment (Dublin, 1992) the principle of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been an accepted rationale to drive interventions and development in the water sector. Integrated Water Resources Management is based on the recognition that the many different uses of finite water resources are interdependent and, therefore, have to be addressed in a holistic manner. 

High irrigation demands and polluted drainage flows from agriculture mean less freshwater for drinking or industrial use; contaminated municipal and industrial wastewater pollutes rivers and threatens ecosystems; if water has to be left in a river to protect fisheries and ecosystems, less can be diverted to grow crops. There are plenty of examples to prove that unregulated use of scarce water resources is wasteful, inherently unsustainable and potentially conducive to conflicts.

Integrated Water Resources Management is defined as a systematic process for the sustainable development, allocation and management, of water resource use, aimed at maximizing the social and economical benefits in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems, and having in mind the complex interlinks between water and the surrounding land, ecosystems and socio-economic setting. 

WMO through Hydrology and Water Resource Programme is contributing to the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management by promoting water resources assessment and hydrological prediction based on scientific and quality data collection and management. It promotes the use of standardized hydrological data collection and exchange, which are essential, particularly in trans boundary basins. WMO is also actively promoting the implementation of the Integrated Water Resources Management concept through two major field level activities. On the one hand, it provides technical guidance at a national scale through projects that demonstrate the benefits and advantages of Integrated Water Resources Managemen adoption. On the other, at the global level, it is promoting Integrated Flood Management within the context of Integrated Water Resources Management through country level pilot projects and by developing guidance material in the framework of  its Associated Programme on Flood Management, which is being implemented in collaboration with Global Water Partnership.