Background

Sedimentation problems are a matter of global concern. According to a preliminary statistics, the annual erosion of surface soil from global river basins amounts to 60 billion tons; as much as 5 to 7 million ha of farmland are annually ruined and about 1% of the precious storage capacity of the world's reservoirs is annually lost to deposition, which causes aggravation of flood and drought disasters and deterioration of ecology and environment. Therefore, there was an urgent need to establish an international center to strengthen the research and training activities and technical co-operation among the member states of UNESCO in the field of erosion and sedimentation. UNESCO certified the feasibility of establishing a center in 1981, and concluded that it was suitable to establish it in China.

Chronology

1978-Chinese experts explored the possibility of establishing a research and training center on sedimentation and erosion. 1980 (March 28)-Chien Ning, academician of the Chinese Academy of Science, proposed the establishment of a center at the 1st International Symposium on River Sedimentation.

1980 (April 23)-China's deputy officially proposed the establishment of a center at the 109th Executive Conference of UNESCO.

1980 (September 24)-The 21st Session of UNESCO adopted the revised proposal for establishing an international research and training center on erosion and sedimentation.

1983-The 22nd Session of UNESCO's General Conference (held in Paris) adopted a resolution to establish the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES) in China.

1984-The People's Republic of China and UNESCO signed an agreement for the establishment of the Center. 1984 (July 21)-Inauguration ceremony of IRTCES.

1984 (August)-the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power commissioned an nternational advisory council and a national administrative commission.

1991-The office building of IRTCES was completed and put into use.

1996-The Jingjiang Experimental Station was established.

1998-IRTCES proposed the organization of a World Association for Sedimentation and Erosion Research.

1999-The Hangzhou Base for Estuarine and Coastal Research was founded.