On the afternoon of September 23, the "UNESCO Water Family Symposium II: Open Science and Open Data" was held in Beijing, jointly organized by IRTCES and IWHR. The theme was "Sharing international program experiences and promoting open science and open data in the water sector." Manfred Spreafico, former Chairman of the International Sediment Initiative Advisory Board, and Toshio Koike, Director of the UNESCO International Center for Water Hazard and Risk Management, delivered keynote speeches. The meeting was chaired by Zhang Jianli, Deputy Director of IRTCES, and Marco Arcieri, President of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage.

Panel Discussion on Open Science and Open Data at the UNESCO Water Family Symposium

 (i)       Highlights

Manfred Spreafico presented a keynote speech on the UNESCO flagship program - the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP). He highly praised IRTCES's contributions to the International Sediment Initiative (ISI). As the secretariat of ISI, IRTCES has made ISI one of the most effectively managed flagship programs. He also summarized and looked forward to the themes and priority areas of the ninth phase of IHP and the new organization of ISI.

Toshio Koike presented a keynote speech on the online integrated system, focusing on water resources management in the face of climate change. He explained the process from meteorological and hydrological model calculations to the formulation of decision-making actions, including the impact assessment of various environmental and social issues such as floods, sediment, irrigation, water supply, and groundwater. He also highlighted the challenges and needs in terms of data quantity, type, accuracy, speed, and visualization, emphasizing the important role of open science policies.

During the expert discussion session, participants including Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO's Regional Office for East Asia; Philippe Gourbesville, President of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research; Omogbemi Omoloju Yaya, Director of the UNESCO Regional Center for Integrated River Basin Management; Hamid Nouri, Director of the UNESCO International Center for Integrated Management of Arid and Semi-Arid Regions; UNESCO-IHP official Tan Siying; Zhao Ying, Senior Engineer from IRTCES; Borrelli Pasquale, Professor at the University of Roma Tre; and Jose Luis Rubio, Vice-President of the European Soil Bureau Network, engaged in in-depth discussions on the advantages, standards, norms, data types, hydrological models, climate risk-informed decision-making methods, application cases, international standardization committee technical committees, and future cooperation in open science and open data.

(ii)       Achievements

Through the two keynote speeches on the UNESCO flagship program - the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the online integrated system, the meeting provided a comprehensive introduction to the content of two international scientific programs. It elaborated on the needs and challenges of open science and open data in the implementation of international scientific programs. During the expert discussion session, participants exchanged in-depth views on the advantages, standards, norms, data types, application cases, and future cooperation in open science and open data. This provided valuable references and experience for promoting China's participation in international scientific cooperation and further developing open science and open data.

(iii)       Reflections and Suggestions

(1) Participants highly praised IRTCES's contributions to the International Sediment Initiative (ISI). Future efforts should consider leveraging this platform to further promote China's deep involvement in international scientific flagship programs.

(2) Absorb the experts' experience in open data to continue promoting the international standardization of sediment data collection and publication. This will prepare for the application of the ISO Technical Committee on Soil and Water Conservation and Sediment.