Over 25 years of FRIEND-Water: an overview

摘要

FRIEND-Water has been a flagship programme of the UNESCO-International Hydrological Programme (IHP) for more than 25 years. This network has delivered outstanding scientific value (research papers, conferences) and made significant contributions to international cooperation in the water sciences and associated water resources management, an objective at the core of the IHP and UNESCO mandate. An overview of major activities and outcomes from this cross-cutting programme is provided, including database progress, enhanced scientific understanding of hydrological processes across scales, development of analytical tools, education, capacity building, dissemination and cooperation with other networks. The programme is not only a network of scientists; it is also aims to be a network of several databases and institutions. Ongoing and future activities of the FRIEND-Water network are also addressed.