Water stress, water-related hazards and water quality pose increasing challenges to modern society. And yet, the capacity to monitor and manage this vital resource is fragmented and inadequate.
Congress thus for the first time hosted a special three-day Hydrological Assembly, attended by 100 participants from more than 50 countries, to discuss a roadmap to ensure sustainable monitoring and decision support for the management of water resources and to support disaster risk reduction.
Congress approved the way forward towards a new vision and strategy for hydrology and water resources, adopting eight long-term ambitions that should guide the development of WMO activities relevant to water:
1. No one is surprised by a flood;
2. Everyone is prepared for drought;
3. Hydro-climate and meteorological data support the food security agenda;
4. High-quality data supports science;
5. Science provides a sound basis for operational hydrology;
6. We have a thorough knowledge of the water resources of our world;
7. Sustainable development is supported by information covering the full hydrological cycle;
8. Water quality is known.
Congress appointed Jan Danhelka of the Czech Republic as chairperson and José Alberto Zuñiga Mora of Costa Rica as vice-chairperson.
During the Hydrological Assembly, WMO and the Global Water Partnership signed a Framework Memorandum of Understanding on strategic collaboration to achieve the objectives of Integrated Water Resources Management.
The memorandum builds on existing initiatives, including integrated programmes on flood and drought management, and with these developments, hydrology is more prominent than ever in WMO.
