UNESCO: U.S. COMMITMENT TO IMPROVED WATER RESOURCES HIGHLIGHTE

UNCLAS PARIS 004643 SIPDIS FROM USMISSION TO UNESCO PARIS STATE FOR IO/UNESCO KEVIN PILZ, OES BARRIE RIPIN, OES/STAS ANDREW REYNOLDS, OES/ETC ELEANORE FOX, OES AARON SALZBERG STATE FOR NSC GENE WHITNEY, BISA WILLIAMS STATE FOR NSF ROSE GOMBAY, MARGARET LEINEN, RICHARD BUCKIUS, PATRICK BREZONIK STATE FOR NASA ELIZABETH WILLIAMS STATE FOR USAID FRANKLIN MOORE, MARY ROWEN, CHIP BARBER, AND MIKE MCGAHUEY STATE FOR USGS DIRECTOR PATRICK LEAHY, VERNE SCHNEIDER, GEORGE COAKLEY AND RICHARD CALNAN STATE FOR ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS LTG. CARL STROCK, STEVEN STOCKTON, MAJOR GENERAL DON RILEY, ROBERT PIETROWSKY STATE FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY JOHN PAUL WOODLEY, GEORGE DUNLOP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KS AORC TSPL EAID SENV SOCI UNESCO KSCI SUBJECT: UNESCO: U.S. COMMITMENT TO IMPROVED WATER RESOURCES HIGHLIGHTE AT HYDROLOGY COUNCIL MEETING ¶1. THE OPENING DAYS OF THE 17TH MEETING OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE INTERNATIONAL HYDROLOGICAL PROGRAM (IHP IGC, JULY 3-7) HAVE ALREADY YIELDED SEVERAL IMPORTANT EXAMPLES OF U.S. RE-ENGAGEMENT WITH UNESCO'S ACTIVITIES IN WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT. ¶2. ON JULY 4, THE COUNCIL - IN WHICH THE U.S. IS PARTICIPATING AS AN OBSERVER - ELECTED AMERICANS TO SERVE ON THE GOVERNING BOARDS OF TWO OF ITS SCIENTIFIC CENTERS. ROBERT PIETROWSKY, DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR WATER RESOURCES OF THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, WAS CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE UNESCO-IHE WATER INSTITUTE IN DELFT, THE NETHERLANDS. EUGENE STAKHIV, ALSO OF THE ARMY CORPS, WAS CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THE ADVISORY BOARD OF THE I-CHARM CENTER FOR WATER HAZARD RISK MITIGATION IN KOBE, JAPAN. SERVICE ON THESE TWO BOARDS WILL HELP ADVANCE USG GOALS IN THE AREAS OF CAPACITY BUILDING FOR IMPROVED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND OF DISASTER RISK MITIGATION. ¶3. THE OPENING OF THE IHP COUNCIL MEETING INCLUDED A CEREMONY AT WHICH JIM SHUTTLEWORTH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA WAS AWARDED THE INTERNATIONAL HYDROLOGY PRIZE, THE "NOBEL PRIZE FOR HYDROLOGY". IN HIS SPEECH, SHUTTLEWORTH STRESSED HIS MEMBERSHIP IN THE U.S. NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE IHP, AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE U.S. WOULD "ONCE AGAIN PLAY A FULL AND ACTIVE ROLE IN THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COUNCIL OF THE IHP." THE CEREMONY AND SHUTTLEWORTH'S MOVING REMARKS UNDERLINED FOR PARTICIPANTS FROM 66 COUNTRIES AND MANY NGOS THE PIONEERING ROLE OF THE U.S. IN HYDROLOGICAL SCIENCES, INCLUDING IN DEVELOPING BROADER ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS. ¶4. FOLLOWING THE AWARDS CEREMONY, COUNCIL PARTICIPANTS WITNESSED THE SIGNING OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS INSTITUTE FOR WATER RESOURCES (USACE IWR) AND THE UNESCO I-CHARM CENTER THAT WILL FACILITATE U.S. PARTICIPATION IN UNESCO'S INTERNATIONAL FLOOD INITIATIVE IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH JAPAN AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS. THE USACE INSTITUTE FOR WATER RESOURCES SIGNED A SECOND MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE UNESCO CENTER FOR ARID AND SEMI-ARID ZONES IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (CAZALAC) THAT WILL STRENGTHEN THE USG PARTNERSHIP ON WATER RESOURCES CAPACITY BUILDING IN LATIN AMERICA. ¶5. THE U.S. OBSERVER DELEGATION IS ENGAGING FULLY IN CONSULTATIONS TO SHAPE THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE MEETING, INCLUDING IN THE AREAS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING, FINANCE AND GOVERNANCE. IN ADDITION, INFORMAL CONTACTS DURING THE COURSE OF THE MEETING ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DELEGATION TO EXPLORE NEW OPPORTUNTIES FOR HYDROLOGICAL COOPERATION IN THE BILATERAL, UNESCO, AND EU CONTEXTS. MORE ON THIS SEPTEL. ¶6. THE U.S. OBSERVER DELEGATION IS LED BY MATTHEW LARSEN, CHIEF SCIENTIST FOR HYDROLOGY, USGS, WHO IS ALSO CHAIR OF THE U.S. NATIONAL IHP COMMITTEE. OTHER WASHINGTON-BASED DELEGATION MEMBERS INCLUDE: VERNE SCHNEIDER (USGS),ROBERT PIETROWSKY (ARMY COPRS OF ENGINEERS),AND PATRICK BREZONIK (NSF). U.S. PERMANENT DELEGATE TO UNESCO AMBASSADOR LOUISE V. OLIVER ALSO PARTICIPATED IN MANY OF THE SESSIONS. KOSS.