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Regional Meeting on Hydro-Informatics and Developing Knowledge Hub Networks

The Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) identifies and adopts solutions to water issues in the region. It works to increase the region’s access to improved water supplies and sanitation, protect and restore river basins, and reduce people’s vulnerability to water disasters. In 2008, it launched KnowledgeHubs, a network of regional water knowledge hubs committed to improving water security in the Asia-Pacific region through sharing knowledge and solutions among water institutions. One of the KnowledgeHubs’ priority topics is hydro-informatics.

ADB is providing further support in expanding and improving investments in integrated water resources management (IWRM) in river basins under the Water Financing Program 2006-2010 and is a major supporter of APWF activities, particularly in developing regional water knowledge hubs.

APWF and ADB organized this meeting to share hydro-informatics in major river basins in the Asia-Pacific. It would also introduce the Center for Hydro-informatics in River Basins as the regional water knowledge hub on hydro-informatics. The new hub is expected to provide knowledge and capacity development services for this topic to meet the needs of river basin projects and river basin organizations across the region.

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The objectives of the meeting were to

• Discuss how decision-support systems such as for water allocation, flood forecasting, water quality management, and others can be introduced or improved in river basins
• Launch the Center for Hydro-informatics in River Basins as regional water knowledge hub on decision-support systems for river basin management (hydro-informatics)

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APWF, with support from ADB, and hosted by PRC’s Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC).

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APWF KnowledgeHubs managers and staff, candidate hubs, member organizations of the Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO), government project directors and senior staff of projects introducing IWRM in river basins in Asia participated in the meeting. Representatives of ADB and other APWF lead organizations and secretariat, development and civil society partners, including academe, from People’s Republic of China and other countries in the region.