2017 News

Dear Colleague,

Do you know of any Water Crisis?

Help us identify hotspots around the world by filling in the attached questionnaire!
(It takes only 5-10 minutes)

This Panta Rhei Survey is a step towards a community-wide effort to share data and advance our understanding of social, technical and hydrological factors underlying the emergence of different phenomena.

If you are at the AGU Conference, please pass by our Interactive Poster on Thursday Morning. We can have a chat, and you can take part to our Survey directly there!

H41E-1490 Panta Rhei-Everything flows: Global Hotspots of Human-Water Interactions Thursday 14 December 2017, 08:00 – 12:20, Poster Hall D-F

At the AGU Conference, we will also discuss human-water interactions during the two oral sessions in the afternoon:

H43R Hydrology, Society, and Environmental Change: Coupled Human-Water Dynamics Across Scales I Thursday, 14 December 2017, 13:40 - 15:40, Room 280-282

H44F Hydrology, Society, and Environmental Change: Coupled Human-Water Dynamics Across Scales II Thursday, 14 December 2017, 16:00 - 18:00, Room 280-282

If you are not at the AGU Conference, please fill in the questionnaire (see attachment) and send it back by email to [email protected]. All contributions will be properly acknowledged.

All the best,

Giuliano Di Baldassarre
IAHS Panta Rhei Chair 2017-2019

On behalf of the IAHS Panta Rhei Leadership Team:
Veena Srinivasan, Fuqiang Tian, Yasir Mohamed, Tobias Krueger, Heidi Kreibich, Junguo Liu, Tara J. Troy, and Amir AghaKouchak

We would like to draw your attention to the upcoming Panta Rhei related sessions at AGU 2017 (New Orleans, USA, 11-15 December 2017)

Session on Hydrology, Society, and Environmental Change: Coupled Human-Water Dynamics Across Scales (Conveners: Hilary McMillan, Giuliano Di Baldassarre and Muregusu Sivapalan)

Thursday, 14 December 2017 08:00 - 12:20 New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Poster Hall D-F (H41E)
Thursday, 14 December 2017 13:40 - 18:00 New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center 280-282 (H43R, H44F)

Other related sessions in New Orleans, include:

Global Floods: Forecasting, Monitoring, Risk Assessment, and Socioeconomic Response (H12C, H13O, H21D)

Water and Society: Modeling Food-Energy-Water Nexus for Sustainable Resource Management (H23J, H21S)

Water and Society: Water Resources Management and Policy in a Changing World (H31O, H33H, H32G)

Also, the Panta Rhei session information is now available for EGU 2018 (Vienna, Austria, 8-13 April 2018). Please consider submitting to these sessions!
Support application deadline is 1 December 2017 and abstract submission by 10 January 2018.

HS1.2 Hydrology, society and environmental change (PICO session)
Conveners: Giuliano Di Baldassarre, Heidi Kreibich, Tobias Krueger, Anne Van Loon

HS2.1.1 Hydrological extremes: from droughts to floods
Conveners: Anne Van Loon, Jan Szolgay, Lena M. Tallaksen, Gregor Laaha

HS5.3 Advances in socio-hydrology
Conveners: Marcus Nüsser, Murugesu Sivapalan, Britta Höllermann, Giuliano Di Baldassarre, Alberto Viglione, Saket Pande

HS5.15/NH1.15 Agent-Based Modelling in hydrology – integrative solutions to the Food Water Energy nexus (co-organized)
Conveners: Ted Veldkamp, Jeroen Aerts, Giuliano Di Baldassarre, Niko Wanders

HS7.4 Naturally trendy: natural (and non-natural) trends (and non-trends) in climate and hydrology
Conveners: Serena Ceola, Demetris Koutsoyiannis, Alberto Montanari, C. Cudennec, Harry Lins

NH9.13/HS11.45/SSS13.67 Including Socio-Economic Dynamics and Feedbacks in Risk Assessment Models (co-organized)
Conveners: Jeroen Aerts, Giuliano Di Baldassarre, Sven Fuchs, S. Surminski

HS2.4.3/NH1.25 River flood dynamics and risk: processes, controls, consequences (co-organized)
Conveners: Sergiy Vorogushyn, William Farmer, Heidi Kreibich, Luis Mediero, Alberto Viglione

HS5.7/ERE3.8 Advances in modeling and control of environmental systems: from drainage and irrigation to hybrid energy generation. (co-organized)
Conveners: Alla Kolechkina, Matteo Giuliani , Jonathan Herman , Andreas Efstratiadis , Mashor Housh , Eric Duviella

HS5.1 Hydrology & Society: Transdisciplinary approaches to hydrology and water resources management PICO session
Conveners: Leon Herman, Britta Höllermann , Thomas Thaler , Gemma Carr , Eric Lindquist

What are the 23 unsolved problems in Hydrology that would revolutionise research in the 21st century?

At the IAHS Scientific Assembly in Port Elizabeth in July 2017 the new President of IAHS, Günter Blöschl, outlined his vision for a new initiative to generate a list of unsolved problems in hydrology.

Progress in hydrology is currently hampered by the rather fragmented research and we need stronger harmonisation of research efforts.  At the beginning of the 20th Century, mathematician David Hilbert set out 23 unsolved mathematical problems which have greatly stimulated focused research in mathematics and we can use this as a model for the IAHS initiative.

IAHS will facilitate the compilation of a list of unsolved scientific problems in hydrology to revolutionise research in the 21st Century and raise the level of excitement for the science. To make tangible progress, the problems should

(1)          ideally relate to observed phenomena and why they happen;

(2)          they should be universal (i.e. not only apply to one catchment or region); and

(3)          they should be specific (so there is hope they can be solved).

The video outlining the new IAHS initiative is available on the IAHS YouTube channel.

Discussion is encouraged via the LinkedIn Group IAHS – International Association of Hydrological Sciences. All IAHS members are invited to join, and so are all sister associations and partners, and all hydrologists.  The IAHS Commissions and Working Groups are tasked with streamlining the discussion and coming up with 3 unsolved problems each. 

During Winter 2017/2018 we will discuss the procedures for selecting the most important problems and come up with a short list of problems. In April 2018, we will meet to make a final selection based on the discussion outcomes. That meeting is open to all hydrologists.

Once established, the list will be used within IAHS to align symposia planning and other events. It can of course also be used by everybody in hydrology for supporting project proposals and more generally conducting focused research. The vision is for the list of unsolved problems in hydrology to better link hydrological research around the world, and to make more tangible, coherent progress in hydrology.

The International Hydrology Prize is awarded annually by IAHS, with UNESCO and WMO, to two people who have made an outstanding contribution to hydrological science. More information, including previous awards, is available at  http://iahs.info/About-IAHS/Competition--Events/International-Hydrology-Prize.do.

Nominations for the Prize are made by National Committees to IAHS, National Committees to the UNESCO-IHP or National Hydrological Advisors to the WMO, and forwarded to the Secretary General of IAHS for consideration by the Nomination Committee. The Committee consists of the President and a Vice-President of IAHS and representatives of UNESCO and WMO. 

Two medals are awarded under the International Hydrology Prize: the Dooge medal and the Volker medal. Both medals are intended to distinguish outstanding achievements by hydrological scientists but with a different focus. The Dooge medal is aimed at fundamental contributions to the science of hydrology, whereas the Volker medal is aimed at outstanding applications of hydrological science for the benefit of society at large. 

The following applies to both the Dooge and Volker medals

• The International Hydrology Prize shall be awarded to persons who have made outstanding contributions to hydrology such as confers on the candidate universal recognition of his or her international stature.
• The contribution should have an identifiable international dimension extending beyond both the country of normal work and the specific field of interest of the candidate.
• The medals may be awarded to hydrologists of long international standing or to younger but active hydrologists who exhibit qualities of international leadership in the science or practice of hydrology.
• An active involvement in the work of IAHS and other international organizations in the field of hydrology should be counted as an advantage.

Specific considerations for the Dooge medal

• The Dooge medal is particularly intended for hydrologists who have demonstrated scientific excellence, and have made fundamental contributions to the science of hydrology as evidenced by publications in the international scientific literature and other evidence of high standard.
• Preference should be given to candidates who have recently exhibited outstanding international leadership in the science of hydrology.

Specific considerations for the Volker medal

• The Volker medal is dedicated for hydrologists who have applied their research and hydrological expertise to the benefit of society, addressing issues of public interest and development.
• Applications of hydrology to the benefit of developing countries would count as an advantage.
• Preference should be given to candidates who have contributed through both scientific and practical work, and who have made outstanding contributions to the Hydrology community as demonstrated by active involvement in the work of IAHS or other international hydrological associations.

Nomination format and procedure

Nominations should be received by the Secretary General of IAHS no later than 31 December 2017 – Christophe Cudennec at [email protected]  – and consist of:

• a (max. 2, pages A4 format) nomination letter signed by a National Representative to IAHS, the President of a national committee of UNESCO-IHP, or a National Hydrological Advisor to the WMO, with one sentence citation (max. 200 characters), and stating why the nominee is the most qualified person to receive the Volker or Dooge medal, paying attention to the medal's dedication specified above;
• the nominee’s CV (max. 3 pages, A4 format) with an emphasis on the contribution to hydrological science and international scientific cooperation, providing clear information on the main criteria used for the evaluation and the specific considerations mentioned above.
• a list of the major scientific publications (max. 2 pages, A4 format).

Nominations are expected from the world diversity, and equally for female and male candidates.

Evaluation criteria

a)      Outstanding contributions to hydrology evidenced by universal recognition of his or her international stature.

b)      Identifiable contributions with international dimensions extending beyond both the country of normal work and the specific field of interest of the candidate.

c)      For senior candidates prove of Hydrologists activities of long international standing, or for younger candidates, prove of being active hydrologists with qualities of international leadership in the science or practice of hydrology.

d)      Active involvement in the work of IAHS and other international organizations in the field of hydrology is counted as an advantage.

e)      Application of the hydrological research performed and the use of his/her expertise to the benefit of society and addressing issues of public interest and development.

f)       Applications of hydrology to the benefit of developing countries counts as an advantage.

Two new opinion papers have been added to the Panta Rhei Virtual Series in Hydrological Sciences Journal bringing the number of papers to eight.  All papers in the series are currently free to view online.

Westerberg, I.K., Di Baldassarre, G., Beven, K.J., Coxon, G. and Krueger, T. 2017. Perceptual models of uncertainty for socio-hydrological systems: a flood risk change example. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 62 (11), 1705-1713. doi:10.1080/02626667.2017.1356926

Liu, J., Yang, H., Cudennec, C., Gain, A.K., Hoff, H., Lawford, R., Qi, J., de Strasser, L., Yillia, P.T., and Zheng, C. 2017. Challenges in operationalizing the water–energy–food nexus. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 62 (11), 1714-1720. doi:10.1080/02626667.2017.1353695

Kreibich, H., et al., 2017. Scientific debate of Panta Rhei research – how to advance our knowledge of changes in hydrology and society? Hydrological Sciences Journal, 62 (3), 331-333. doi: 10.1080/02626667.2016.1209929

Blume, T., van Meerveld, I., and Weiler, M., 2016. The role of experimental work in hydrological science – insights from a community survey. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 62 (3), 334-337. doi:10.1080/02626667.2016.1230675

Srinivasan, V., et al., 2016. Prediction in a socio-hydrological world. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 62 (3), 338-345. doi:10.1080/ 02626667.2016.1253844

Ceola, S., et al., 2016. Adaptation of water resources systems to changing society and environment: a statement by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 61 (16), 2803-2817. doi:10.1080/02626667.2016.1230674

McMillan, H., et al., 2016. Panta Rhei 2013-2015: global perspectives on hydrology, society and change. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 61 (7), 1174–1191. doi:10.1080/02626667.2016.1159308

Mount, N.J., et al., 2016. Data-driven modelling approaches for socio-hydrology: opportunities and challenges within the Panta Rhei science plan. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 61 (7), 1192–1208. doi:10.1080/02626667.2016.1159683

The deadline for discussion of Blume et al. and Srinivasan et al. has expired; discussions on Westerberg et al. and Liu et al. should be submitted to HSJ no later than end March 2018.

More information on the work if the Panta Rhei Working Group can be found on here