1. What do you think of the current development of the water sector? What are the global water challenges facing the world now?

Globally, climate change, population growth and urbanization are the grand challenges of our times. Climate change is a grand challenge that pose threats to water security.  Over the past three decades, we have witnessed the impacts of climate change - increased rainfall intensity, extreme floods and droughts, changing weather and crop patterns, and warming of the coastal water which has its implication on ecosystem services.  The impact is also accentuated by population growth and rapid urbanization in many coastal cities, especially in Asia (which accounts for 58 % of the world’s population) and the developing world. Despite the attention paid to issues such as sea level rise and river restoration, there has been a lack of integrated understanding of climate-change induced impacts on water resources and ecosystem services.  And even less action on improving engineering design to cope with climate change.

Overall we have done well in proposing innovative structural solutions to adapt to the grand challenges – e.g. remarkable engineering feats such as TGP for flood control and renewable hydropower.  Or the innovative underground tunnel and storage schemes to combat urban flooding in Hong Kong.  However, there is still a big gap in our understanding of the impact of climate change and infrastructure development on ecosystem services.  For example, the impact of global warming on harmful algal blooms and fisheries resources management – this has obvious links to food security.

Worldwide there has been increasing use of green or blue-green infrastructure to address these challenges in the “ecological civilization”.  However, successful practices of eco-restoration and “nature-based” solutions are few and not sufficiently documented in a scientifically rigorous way that can be passed on to future generation of engineers.

Globally the water engineering profession needs to cope with the challenges of rapidly changing scientific paradigms and emerging technologies – the digital transformation, AI and Robotics, molecular biology, and linkage of engineering to scientific policy.   Although many IT giants like Google and tech start up entrepreneurs are working on “AI and Water” the impact and benefits on water services have yet to be seen.  There is so much more to be done.  The useful integration of AI into fundamental and applied research on water is only in its infancy.

2. What has IAHR done to promote water development and combat the grand water challenges?

IAHR is a global international organization, with over 4000 members from 100+ countries – it is the oldest water organization founded by the heads of hydraulic research institutes in Europe who have helped build the water infrastructure throughout the world.  It is a network of international experts on a wide range of subjects ranging from environmental fluid mechanics, hydraulic structures, eco-hydraulics, ice research and engineering, river sedimentation, coastal and maritime engineering, water resources and flood risk management, Artificial Intelligence and Water, to climate change adaptation.  There are four regional divisions: Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. We produce authoritative scientific and engineering knowledge products – e.g. journals, design monographs, and technical magazines that have a great impact on adaptation to climate change.  We also work closely on global issues jointly with UN-water

We have made significant contributions to sustainable development through the fostering of following types of international activities:

• Scientific exchange (numerous high level conferences, symposium and workshops)

• Technology transfer (helping  third world countries)

• Research management (through network of institute members and collaborative working groups)

IAHR core members have contributed to numerous major advances in hydraulic engineering – the following are just some examples:

• IAHR has been the key international body that transforms the development of hydraulic engineering from mostly empiricism based on physical models to a modern discipline based on the science of fluid mechanics.  i.e. bring fluid mechanics into the research and practice of water engineering.  Our distinguished history features past Presidents and leaders  such as Hunter Rouse, Lorenz Straub, Arthur Ippen, Jim Daily, John F Kennedy, and EJ Plate.  Individuals who helped promote water science and engineering globally.

• We are a network of top researchers who have made milestone contributions to the research and practice of hydro-environment engineering, e.g. our Technical Committee on Fluid Mechanics has been the driving force of major scientific activities in hydro-environment engineering:

• Our monograph on Turbulence Models and its applications to hydraulics by Wolfgang Rodi has transformed the field of hydraulics

• Our monograph on Turbulence in Open Channel Flows by Nezu and Nakagawa is a classic in open channel turbulence

• Our IAHR members have contributed to major innovative hydraulic projects internationally and nationally – e.g. UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Japan and Korea.

IAHR has led the world in timely response to global challenges through the formation of working groups – e.g. Global Water Security Working Group, AI working group.  As an example, the IAHR World Water Day Forum on “Hydro-environment engineering and adaptation to climate change” on March 21, 2020 has attracted over 10,000 participants.

3. What has the IAHR China Chapter participated in and contributed to the missions of IAHR? 

Chinese experts have always been active in IAHR since the early years and especially from the time of Academician Lin Bingnan – who was also IAHR-APD Chairman.  Through the steadfast contributions of Prof Lin, Prof Li Guifen, Prof Wang Liangxian, Prof Dai Dingzhong, Prof Wang Zhaoyin and others in the 1980-2000, the foundation for the formation of IAHR-China was laid. IAHR-China has contributed to IAHR in several significant ways:

• Overall, IAHR-China has greatly enhanced the visibility of Chinese experts in the international arena, and helped promote international scientific activities in a quiet and substantial way.

• Move of the IAHR-APD Secretariat from Thailand to Beijing in 2003.

• Organisation of 2013 IAHR Chengdu World Congress – the great success of the Congress owes in great measure to the work of IAHR-China.

• Supported numerous international exchange by encouraging participation of Chinese experts in international conferences; also formation of student members to train the younger generation; research visits and international attachments to Chinese universities and research institutes. E.g. the visit of Vice-President and Department Chairman of Civil Engineering of Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia to China in 2013.

• Supported and facilitated Hong Kong and Macau members in their international projects as well as promote their awareness of the water related developments in Mainland. Examples include: (1) International Symposium on River Sedimentation, 1998, Hong Kong. (ii) NSFC-Hong Kong RGC research collaboration projects; (iii) Organising summer internships for Hong Kong university students; (iv) IAHR-HK field trip to Xinjiang, 2007; (iv) IAHR Chengdu World Congress preparation field trip to Ethiopia, 2012.

4. What are your expectations about IAHR China Chapter in future?

Water and the environment rank high on the policy agenda of most governments in the coming decade. Climate change, population growth and urbanization give rise to many water, energy and food security issues.  The “Second Machine Age” (Brynjolfsson and McAfee, MIT press 2014) is also bringing many challenges and opportunities for the next generation of water engineers and scientists – the need for smart solutions for water resilience.  Nature-based solutions to many hydro-environmental challenges will offer a continuing stimulus to exciting developments at the interface of ecology, hydraulics, hydrology, and system science – besides job opportunities for young engineers and researchers. In order to advance our scientific core, we need to create platforms for inter-disciplinary research and engineering that capture the synergy across the traditional boundaries of our Technical Committees.  In order to stay relevant in the age of globalization we need to continue our bold steps towards enhancing diversity and our engagement in the international policy dialogue.   

IAHR-China is encouraged to help IAHR realize the vision; more effort to promote international exchange is needed at all levels despite the current geo-political conflicts.  IAHR-China should aim to help IAHR become more international and far reaching in its impact – e.g. opening new frontiers in the Belt and Road countries.