The Government of the People's Republic of China and UNESCO have recently renewed an Agreement concerning the Establishment of the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES) under the auspices of UNESCO. The Agreement is in effect as of August 17, 2020 when both parties have completed the necessary legal procedures for the effective implementation of the Agreement.

IRTCES was officially inaugurated on 21 July 1984, after the signing of the first cooperation agreement between the Government of China and UNESCO in 1894. Its status as a Category 2 Center under the auspices of UNESCO was renewed on 30 November 2005 based on a positive evaluation of its contribution to UNESCO’s strategic objectives.

The Second Renewal builds on the 2005 Agreement, which aims at promoting international cooperation and exchange in the field of erosion and sediment management. This Renewal was signed in Paris on June 16, 2020 by UNESCO’s Director-General, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, and in Beijing on June 24, 2020 by the Minister of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. E Jingping.

The Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) of the People’s Republic of China is the governmental executive agency in charge of IRTCES. Since its establishment, IRTCES has been a significant partner of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP) and involved in a wide range of research and training activities directed to solve scientific and engineering problems related to erosion and sedimentation. 

IRTCES has been engaged in:

o    promoting scientific research on erosion and sedimentation;

o    providing technical advisory services and creating a mechanism for the exchange of scientific and technical information on the results of research among experts in various countries;

o    coordinating international cooperative research activities and establishing laboratory and research centers;

o    organizing international training courses, symposia or workshops on special subjects, as well as international study tour and lecturing activities;

o    publishing the scientific journal International Journal of Sediment Research and other relevant publications;

o    acting as the Secretariat for the International Sediment Initiative;

o    serving as the permanent Secretariat for the International Symposium on River Sedimentation and for the International Conference on Estuaries and Coasts; and,

o    serving as the Secretariat of the World Association for Sedimentation and Erosion Research.

§  For more information on IRTCES, please visit:

http://en.irtces.org/irtces/index.htm