On October 26-27, 2025, the International Symposium on Water Science marking the 50th Anniversary of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (UNESCO-IHP) was grandly held in Nanjing, China. Themed "Water Science for a Green and Sustainable Future", the symposium drew around 150 experts and scholars from over 30 countries, facilitating in-depth deliberations on cutting-edge issues and cooperation opportunities in the hydrological field.

As one of the organizers, the Nanjing Research Institute of Hydrology and Water Conservation Automation, Ministry of Water Resources (hereinafter referred to as "NIHWA") took the lead in organizing several core components, including the Thematic Session“Hydrological Observation and Experiment”, the Technology Achievement Exhibition on "Space-Air-Ground-Water-Engineering Monitoring Network", and field trip. These initiatives effectively promoted NIHWA's products, technologies, platforms, and standards to the international community. Prof. Guan Tiesheng, Director General of NIHWA, delivered a invited speech entitled "Innovations of Hydrological Monitoring in China" at the symposium. .

On October 27, the Thematic Session organized by NIHWA featured distinguished speakers including Professor Chen Shunji from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and Yang Kun from the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research. This session established a high-level exchange platform for fostering frontier ideological interactions and collectively mapping out a new blueprint for hydrological science and technology innovation.

The Technology Achievement Exhibition on "Space-Air-Ground-Water-Engineering Monitoring Network" was conducted. NIHWA fully embedded new-quality productive forces into the exhibition, showcasing its scientific research outcomes, technological innovations, and technical equipment in the field of "Space-Air-Ground-Water-Engineering" integrated monitoring, while actively promoting China's advancements in this domain to the global audience.

During the symposium, experts and representatives from institutions such as National Taiwan University, Macau University of Science and Technology, and the International Economic & Technical Cooperation and Exchange Center, the Ministry of Water Resources paid a visit to NIHWA. They visited the institute's Exhibition Center, Testing Site, Pilot-Scale Promotion Center, and the National Hydrological Metrology Station, gaining a comprehensive understanding of NIHWA's progress and accomplishments as a national flagship institution. These institutions expressed their readiness to collaborate on international training programs leveraging NIHWA's World Meteorological Organization Regional Training Center(WMO RTC), with the aim of expanding the scope of international scientific and technological cooperation.

This symposium not only served as a platform for NIHWA to demonstrate its innovative capabilities on the international stage but also functioned as a nexus for assembling global talents and collectively advancing a green and secure water future. Moving forward, NIHWA will continue to take technology promotion as a cornerstone and training cooperation, collaborating with partners to introduce advanced monitoring solutions to a broader international market and contributing to the attainment of UNESCO's water-related Sustainable Development Goals.

Prof. GUAN Tiesheng delivers an invited speech

Technology achievement exhibition

Representatives visit NIHWA