IHP-IX 1.6. Science towards timely forecasting of water-related disasters

Scientific knowledge, methodologies and tools in addressing water-related disasters, such as flood and drought elaborated and/or enhanced towards timely forecasting. 1. Research and knowledge generation on the scientific advances in addressing and timely forecasting of water-related disasters, such as (flash) floods, (flash) droughts and rainfall-induced landslides, and on additional impact of synchronous and/or cascading water-related hazards, in partnership with EGU, AGU, IAHS, ISEH and ICL – International Consortium on Landslides and IPL - International Programme on Landslides, including good practices and lessons learned. 2. Science-policy dialogue and capacity building on water management that considers wet and dry extremes (floods and drought), including symposia, workshops, and sessions in related events/fora. 3. Assessment of impact of past projects, review of lessons learned, and formulation and implementation of new projects at country level or/and basin level in different regions in addressing water related disasters (through deployment of EWS, flood and drought hazard mapping, risk mapping and building capacity) and investigations and publications on why droughts/floods in some catchments are more sensitive to land-use/cover and geomorphic change than in others, in partnership with IAHS. 4. Development of online synthesis systems to strengthen water-related disaster resilience and sustainability with functions for users to make maximum use of climate change projection and early warning and share good practices and success/failure stories in each mother tongue. 5. Synthesis and publications on knowledge, methodologies and tools on drought/floods, organization of the capitalization of knowledge, results and experience available in the UNESCO Water Family, including the Flagships.
Leading Entity
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Contributing Action Number
CA4.13
Primary Entry Point
4: Accelerate progress and transformational change
Additional Entry Point(s)
1: Lead and inspire collective action
5: Account through joint review and learning
Output(s)
Output 2.1: Expertise and resources are fully leveraged by the UN system to support countries, with emphasis on the water and sanitation needs of developing countries
Output 4.4: Enabling environments for water and sanitation innovation are supported by the UN system, including policies, partnerships, and transfer of technology to remove barriers, with emphasis on technology transfer needs of developing countries
Output 4.5: Governance of water and sanitation is improved through UN system support, including with emphasis on the needs of developing countries
Output 5.2: Progress on water-related goals and targets are reviewed through joint learning and exchange among all actors with support from the UN system
SDG 6 Target(s)
SDG target 6.5: Implement integrated water resources management (IWRM)
SDG target 6.B: Support stakeholder participation
SDG target 11.5: Reduce number of deaths, people affected and economic losses caused by disasters, including water-related disasters
Type of Engagement
Normative support (e.g. development of normative guidance, guidelines and standards)
Data collection and analysis
Implementation (e.g. direct support and service delivery, pilot or larger scale)
Capacity development and technical assistance
Convening of stakeholders
Policy advice and thought leadership
Geographical Scope
Regional, transboundary and sub-regional (multi-country) level
Country-level (national, subnational and local)
More information
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000384615

Leading Entity

United Nations System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation

The Contributing Actions are key initiatives supporting the United Nations System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation, aligning individual and joint efforts across UN entities and partnering organizations to advance global water and sanitation goals. These actions are integrated into the Collaborative Implementation Plan (CIP) Results Framework 2025-2028, which provides a structured approach to achieving system-wide impact through coordinated UN efforts.
The Priority Collaborative Actions outlined in the framework focus on enhancing water security, improving governance, strengthening climate resilience, and accelerating progress on sanitation and hygiene. By fostering system-wide collaboration among UN agencies, these actions help drive policy coherence, knowledge sharing, and innovative solutions to address the world’s most pressing water challenges.