Workshop on Challenges and Countermeasures of Global Reservoir Sedimentation Successfully Held on May 20, 2025 to celebrate IHP’s 50^th Anniversary

The workshop on Challenges and Countermeasures of Global Reservoir Sedimentation

On May 20, 2025, a Workshop on Challenges and Countermeasures of Global Reservoir Sedimentation was held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, as an International Sediment Initiative (ISI) Event at the 28^th Congress and 93^rd Annual Meeting of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), in conjunction with the IHP's 50 anniversary celebration. 

The workshop was jointly hosted by the Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research (YRHR) of the Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC), the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES) under the auspices of UNESCO, China Communications Construction Company Dredging Group Co., Ltd. (CCCC Dredging Group), the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) of UNESCO, the ICOLD Technical Committee on Reservoir Sedimentation, etc.

More than 100 Representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources of China, domestic and international research institutions, universities, enterprises, and water-related international organizations participated in the event. 

In the opening session, Mr. Qun Li stated that climate change has become one of the most severe challenges facing the world in recent years. Against this backdrop, reservoir sedimentation has triggered a series of ecological and environmental issues, emerging as a global problem. He expressed hope that through exchanges of theoretical achievements, technological innovations, and practical explorations in reservoir sediment reduction and dredging, participants could reach important consensus, formulate feasible and replicable governance models and policy recommendations, and establish cross-departmental and cross-regional collaboration networks to collectively contribute wisdom and strength to global reservoir sedimentation management. The opening session chaired by Mr. Xiangyang Wei, Chief Engineer of the YRCC.

Mr. Qun Li, Deputy Director of the YRCC, delivering opening speech

Mr. Hamid Nouri, Director of the International Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Biodiversity in Arid and Semi-arid Regions (ICIMWB) under the auspices of UNESCO; and Mr. Zhang Jianli, Deputy Director of IRTCES chaired the keynote speech session and invited speech session, respectively.

The keynote speeches and invited speeches come from Mr. Xin Yu, President of YRHR; Mr. Martin J. Teal, President and Principal Engineer with WEST Consultants, Former Chairman of the Sedimentation Committee of ICOLD; Mr. Nikolaos Efthymiou, Sediment Management Expert, World Bank; Mr. A?ssa Mellal, Senior Dam Specialist, World Bank; Mr. Qingbo Zhang, Vice President of CCCC Dredging Group.; Mr. Jinyou Lu, Former President of the Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute (CRSRI); and Mr. Qingchao Guo, Professor at the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR).

 Their reports covered the latest research achievements in areas such as the mechanisms of reservoir sedimentation, monitoring technologies for sediment movement, and technologies and equipment for reservoir sediment reduction and dredging. These presentations provided important references for exploring effective strategies to address global reservoir sedimentation risks by integrating cases from China and other countries in reservoir sedimentation reduction and sediment utilization.

A panel discussion with the theme of "Global Reservoir Sedimentation Risks and Governance Strategies" was attended by Ms. Zhang Wenjie, Director of the Operation and Management Department of the Ministry of Water Resources of China; Mr. Martin Thiel; Mr. Sayed Hamidreza Sadeghi, Vice President of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation and Professor at Tarbiat Modares University, Iran; Mr. Zhang Qingbo; and Ms. Jiang Enhui, Honorary Director of the CDES Committee on Reservoir Sediment Treatment and Resource Utilization.

The panelist delved into specific pathways for advancing global reservoir sedimentation governance from perspectives including policy support, technological innovation, and international cooperation.