Abou Amani visited Hohai University

Abou Amani, Director of the Division of Water Sciences of UNESCO and Secretary-General of the IHP, visited Hohai University

On September 15, Mr. Abou Amani, Director of the Division of Water Sciences of UNESCO and Secretary-General of the IHP, visited Hohai University at the invitation of Professor Zhongbo Yu, President of UNESCO-IHP and Director of the National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention. Jinhai Zheng, Vice President of Hohai University, received distinguished guests.

Subsequently, the two sides held discussions. Mr. Abou Amani spoke highly of Hohai University's support for UNESCO-IHP and thanked President Yu for his contribution to the work of UNESCO-IHP. He believed that realistic issues such as climate change and water resource management should be regarded as global issues concerning the world and all countries should establish cooperation with a more open attitude. The cooperation model between Hohai University and UNESCO-IHP could be promoted to more universities and countries. After full exchanges, the two sides reached a consensus on providing more chairs for the UNESCO Water Family under the framework of UNESCO, building UNESCO's water-related centres and laboratories, promoting in-depth water education in China, and strengthening young talent exchanges, so as to further promote international cooperation between Hohai University as well as China in the field of water resources with UNESCO and provide more lasting scientific and technological and talent support for promoting the establishment of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The symposium was presided over by Professor Yu, Director of the National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention. Professor Slobodan Simonovic, a high-level overseas expert of Hohai University and academician of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Engineering; Chairman of the water education working group of the IHP-IX Strategic Plan, heads of the International Office, Human Resource Department, Talent Office, and other offices attended the symposium and had in-depth exchanges on their respective work and possible fields of cooperation.

Mr. Abou Amani came to China for the XVIII World Water Congress, a world academic conference hosted by the International Water Resources Association and one of the academic conferences with the widest range of participants, the largest scope of influence, and the highest professionalism in the international water resource field. With the theme of “Water for All: Harmony between Humans and Nature”, the congress has six sub-themes, such as “Water-Human-Economy-Ecology Nexus under a Changing Environment”, “Promoting Water Efficiency, Productivity and Services”, and “Building Resilience for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation”. On the morning of September 14, Professor Yu attended a special event on Water for All: Harmony between Humans and Nature and delivered a welcome speech. In the afternoon, Professor Yu and Mr. Abou Amani jointly attended the side event - Water Security and Sustainable Development: UNESCO IHP-IX hosted by the Chinese National Committee for IHP, which focused on issues related to hydrological science's support for water security and sustainable development goals.

Before the conference, Mr. Abou Amani visited the National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention. Director Yu introduced the history, positioning and characteristics, organizational structure, research directions and academic teams, experimental facilities, as well as scientific research and achievements of the laboratory, and focused on international academic cooperation and exchanges. Mr. Abou Amani approved the development and advantages of the laboratory and spoke highly of the experimental facilities, advanced instruments and equipment, and innovative experimental platforms.