（IRTCES News: On the afternoon of 19^th of March, 2006）:  While attending the 4^th World Water Forum, the Director of the IRTCES and Group Leader of the Chinese Scientific and Technological Delegation for the 4^th World Water Forum, Dr. Kuang Shangfu was invited to discuss the progress and plan of the Secretariat of the International Sediment Initiative (ISI) with Ms. Khin Ni Ni Thein and other officers.

Through discussion, a consensus has been reached that the objective of the implementation of the ISI is to establish a global sediment information system, and to provide better service in solving the global key sediment and eco-environmental problems. The work of the Secretariat of the ISI includes how to enrich the global sediment information, establishment of a global sediment database, and construction of a sediment database for China. The key is how to measure sediment data, or how to extract the appropriate sediment data from those existing data. Meanwhile, a summary of the work conducted by the secretariat on the contents and design of the sediment data base from last November to the present was made.

Ms. Khin Ni Ni Thein also briefed about the Symposium on East and South-East Asia Sediment Management to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from April 24 through 25, 2006.

The talk was very fruitful, yielding to following points of agreement:

(1)       The communication between the IRTCES and UNESCO-ISI was strengthened; and the task of the Secretariat of the ISI was specified.

(2)        It was tentatively decided that the budget requirements of the ISI Secretariat will be provided from the UNESCO Beijing Office, UNESCO-IHP Paris Office, and the Chinese Government.

(3)        It was decided that Deputy Assistant Director General of UNESCO, Dr. Andras Szollosi-Nagy and other 3 officers, representing UNESCO-ISI will visit the IRTCES and sign an agreement regarding the work of Secretariat of the ISI at the end of May, 2006.    

Finally, Ms. Khin Ni Ni Thein hopes that the IRTCES and the IWHR will provide manpower and technical and financial support to the Secretariat of the ISI. Other officers joining the talk included the Representative of the UNESCO Switzerland Office, Mr. Manfred Spreafico; Division Chief of the IRTCES, Dr. Liu Guangquan, Director of the Department of Water Environment, IWHR, Mr. Zhou Huaidong; and Director of the Department of Sediment Research, IWHR, Dr. Cao Wenhong. 

Prof. Kuang Shangfu and Dr. Khin Ni Ni