The 3rd Steering Committee meeting of the International Sedimentation Initiative was successfully held at Vienna

The 3 rd Steering Committee meeting of the International Sedimentation Initiative (ISI) was successfully held at Vienna on 28 – 30 April 2005. The Secretary of IHP, Dr. Szollosi-Nagy , UNESCO regional hydrologists from New Delhi and Beijing , members of the committee, observers and local organizers attended the three days meeting. Dr. Cheng LIU, Deputy Chief of the Department of Research and Training, International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES) attended the meeting and presented concept proposals of setting up of ISI Secretariat at IRTCES, sediment database application system and international training programme. All these proposals were approved by the ISI Steering Committee.

The International Sedimentation Initiative (ISI) has been launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as a major activity of the current Sixth Phase (2002-2007) of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP). The overall objective of the International Sedimentation Initiative is to promote and interact with activities that will result in:

- Increased awareness of sedimentation and erosion issues;

- Improved and sustainable management of soil and sediment resources;

- Better advice for policy development and implementation.

The 36th Session of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) Intergovernmental Council's Bureau (31 March to 2 April 2004) approved the report of the ISI TFG of April 2004. The Bureau recommended that the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES) in Beijing play a key role in implementing the ISI. The 16th session of the Intergovernmental Council of the IHP was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 20 to 24 September 2004. In the Resolution XV-8 of the Final Report, it says, “The ISI Advisory Board was formed and a basic document on global assessment has been prepared. IRTCES was invited to take the lead in coordinating the implementation of the initiative. China expressed its strong support for this programme.” The Council also approved that the IRTCES play a key role in implementing the ISI. In the Ninth International Symposium on River Sedimentation held in Yichang , China from 18 to 21 October 2004, Dr. A Szollosi-Nagy, Deputy Assistant Director General of UNESCO and Secretary of the IHP reiterated that IRTCES is to be invited to play a key role in the global coordination of implementing ISI. The Minister of Water Resources, China expressed his strong support for this programme on behalf of Chinese Government.

                 Photo 1 Dr. Liu Cheng (right) sat with Prof. D. E. Walling(center), President of WASER      Photo 2 Members of Steering Committee