(IRTCES News, April 26, 2006):  UNESCO International Hydrological Program (IHP) International Sediment Initiative(ISI) Workshop on Sediment Management in South and Southeast Asia was held in the Conference Centre of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) from April 24 through 25, 2006. This workshop is one of the activities of the UNESCO IHP ISI. As the secretariat of the ISI, the IRTCES was also a co-sponsor of the workshop. Prof. Tang Liqun from the IWHR was assigned as the IRTCES representative and expert of the IWHR attended the workshop and gave a presentation entitled “Study on the Runoff and Sediment Yield Model of Watershed.”

Totally 32 participants from UNESCO, UNEPD GEF Liaison Office,  and 17 countries including Philippines, Pakistan, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, USA, Finland, Vietnam, China, Germany, India, Myanmar, UK, Sri Lanka and Nepal attended the workshop.

Dr. Khim Ni Ni Thein, Division of Water, UNESCO, Dr. S. Puri, UNEPD GEF Liaison Office in Paris, Dr. Liu Hongbeng, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and Dr. R. Jayakumar, UNESCO Beijing Office presented at the workshop.

Prof. Des Walling, President of the WASER, Prof. P. Y. Julien, Chairman of IAC, ISI-SC and Dr. S. Puri, UNEPD GEF Liaison Office in Paris were invited for the workshop and delivered their keynote presentations entitled “Changing Sediment Loads in a Changing Environment”; “Issues and Challenges in Sediment Management”; and “ GEF Role in Sustainable Sediment Management”. Other 17 experts from the region subsequently presented their papers.

   Group Photo (Prof. Des Walling, Fifth one of the first Row)

A subgroup discussion session on institutional, technical and socio-economic and environmental aspects of key sediment issues and problems was also held at the Workshop. Suggestions and project ideas were generated through the session. The meeting recommended that the countries in the region should apply for research projects based on the suggested proposals and request financial supportfrom GEF.  

    

Subgroup Discussion