International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change

International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change
Name	International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change
Native name	Internationales Zentrum für Wasserressourcen und Globaler Wandel
Formation	2002
Type	Research institute
Headquarters	Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate
Leader title	Director

International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change is an international research institution hosted in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, focusing on hydrology, climatology, and transboundary water resources. The centre engages with global initiatives on United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and World Meteorological Organization frameworks to advance flood risk assessment, river basin management, and data sharing. It partners with universities, research laboratories, and intergovernmental agencies to support operational services, policy-relevant research, and capacity building.

History

The centre was established in response to calls from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Hydrological Programme for improved global water data and modeling after major events such as the 1997 Red River flood and the 2002 European floods. Its founding involved collaboration among institutions including the German Federal Institute of Hydrology, the United Nations University, and the European Commission research directorates. Early programs aligned with initiatives by the Global Water Partnership, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme to strengthen resilience following disasters like the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and the 2010 Pakistan floods.

Mission and Objectives

The centre's mission emphasizes operationalizing scientific advances from organizations such as the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Objectives include improving flood forecasting in cooperation with the European Flood Awareness System, enhancing drought monitoring with partners like the Food and Agriculture Organization, and supporting the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction through data services. The centre aims to translate outputs from programs like the Horizon 2020 and Copernicus Programme into practical tools for stakeholders including river basin authorities and humanitarian actors such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Organizational Structure and Governance

Governance integrates oversight by research bodies including the German Aerospace Center, advisory input from the European Commission, and scientific steering from members of the Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Royal Society. The organisational model features thematic divisions that coordinate with university partners such as the University of Bonn, the Technical University of Munich, and the University of Cologne. Funding streams have included grants from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany), contracts with the European Environment Agency, and project support from foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Research Areas and Programs

Research spans hydrological modeling influenced by methods from the Hydrologic Engineering Center and climatological trend analysis used by the Met Office, with programs addressing glacier melt in alpine systems studied by the International Centre for Alpine Research, sediment transport relevant to studies by the United States Geological Survey, and groundwater-surface water interactions examined in collaboration with the European Geosciences Union. The centre runs operational programs for river discharge monitoring consistent with standards from the Global Runoff Data Centre and develops remote sensing applications linked to European Space Agency missions and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Targeted initiatives address transboundary river basins of the Nile Basin Initiative, the Mekong River Commission, and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization.

Publications and Data Services

The centre disseminates technical reports, policy briefs, and datasets interoperable with repositories like the World Data Centre and citation networks used by journals such as Nature Climate Change, Water Resources Research, and Journal of Hydrology. Data services adhere to protocols from the Open Geospatial Consortium and the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, enabling integration with platforms like the Copernicus Emergency Management Service and the Global Flood Partnership. Outputs contribute to assessment chapters in reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and to technical guidance used by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Strategic partnerships include memoranda of understanding with the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, and regional bodies such as the African Ministers' Council on Water and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Academic collaborations involve consortia with the University of Oxford, Harvard University, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, while technical cooperation engages the German Federal Foreign Office and non-governmental organizations including CARE International and Oxfam. Project alliances have linked the centre to initiatives by the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund.

Impact and Recognition

The centre's contributions to model intercomparison exercises have been cited by committees such as the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and influenced policy instruments coordinated by the European Commission Directorate-General for Environment and the United Nations Development Programme. Its datasets have supported disaster responses coordinated by the World Food Programme and informed infrastructure planning by agencies like the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Recognition includes invitations to expert panels convened by the G20 and acknowledgements in multi-agency assessments led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Category:Hydrology organizations Category:Research institutes in Germany Category:International scientific organizations