The IRTCES Silver Jubilee Celebration & Seminar on Integrated River Basin Management under Global Climate Change were held on July 29, 2009 at Media Center in Beijing. Mr. Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources of China attended the celebration and made an important speech. Mr. Walter R. Erdelen, Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences of UNESCO attended the celebration and made an address of congratulation. Minister Chen Lei, Mr. Erdelen, and Mr Wang Shucheng, Vice Chairman of Financial and Economic Committee of the National People's Congress awarded the “Qian Ning Prize for Erosion and Sedimentation” to the winners. Mr. Yang Zhenhuai, the former Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Lin Bingnan, Academician of Chinese Academy of Science and Honorary Chairman of IRTCES Advisory Council presented in the celebration for congratulation.

Minister Chen Lei extended his congratulations on the 25th anniversary of International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES), and fully affirmed the great achievements made by IRTCES and its outstanding contribution to the international cooperation in the past 25 years. In his view, IRTCES, under the concern and support of the UNESCO as well as the direct leadership of the Ministry of Water Resources, has strived for progress and devoted in pioneering innovation. Thus, great achievements have been made in all aspects of work through exploration in practice and development in exploration. Activities such as extensive domestic and international academic exchange, technical training, research consultation as well as building of information platform, have promoted cooperation in science and technology and sharing in knowledge in the erosion and sedimentation field; expanded the world’s advanced experience and technology in river regulation, sediment management, ecological construction as well as flood control and disaster mitigation, and advanced the technical progress and solution of problems of erosion and sedimentation. IRTCES has gradually grown into a world-famous institute with vast international influence, powerful professional research and good reputation in cooperation, establishing its leading role in the field of erosion and sedimentation. It has also provided important support for the development of international erosion and sedimentation course. The achievements of IRTCES have won wide international and domestic recognition and received high remarks from UNESCO officials and successive representatives of the UNESCO Office Beijing. They said that IRTCES is one of the best partners of UNESCO in China.

Minister Chen Lei stressed that IRTCES, as an important international institute and world leader in the erosion and sedimentation field, should aim at the leading edge of science and technology in the erosion and sedimentation field from a new historical point, have its feet firmly planted in the country yet keep the whole world in view by continuous innovation and improvement of service level, and promote the development of world sedimentation cause, sustainable utilization of natural resources and improvement of the ecological environment of human beings. He expressed his hope that, under the new historical conditions, IRTCES should firstly play the role as a bridge; secondly actively expand the scope of international research and consultation; thirdly vigorously carry out the technical trainings; fourthly strive to promote the progress of information technology in the erosion and sedimentation field, and fifthly continue to strengthen the capacity construction of IRTCES.

At the meeting, on behalf of UNESCO, Mr. Erdelen conveyed his congratulations to the 25th Anniversary of IRTCES and affirmed the great contributions that the IRTCES, as a first UNESCO water-related category II center under the auspices of UNESCO, has made on research and training of erosion and sedimentation science within the frame of UNESCO International Hydrological Programme (IHP) in recent 25 years, which is highly regarded by the researchers and policy-makers worldwide. He also points out that UNESCO is very honored to have such an international and regional center on settling problems of water and sustainable development.

Mr. A. Singh, Director and Representative of UNESCO Office to DPR Korea, Japan, Mongolia, PR of China and Republic of Korea, and Mr. Fang Maotian, Secretary General of Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, Prof. Manfred Spreafico, President of the International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin, and Chairman of the UNESCO-IHP-ISI Steering Committee and Prof. Dr. Abdalla Abdelsalam Ahmed, Director General of the UNESCO Chair in Water Resources, and Member of IRTCES Advisory Council delivered their congratulated speeches successively. Mr. Kuang Shangfu, Director of IRTCES briefed achievements and the experience of the IRTCES on exploration and development, and later envisaged its bright future. Mr. Gao Bo, Director-General of Department of International Cooperation, Science and Technology of MWR chaired the meeting.

The Seminar on Integrated River Basin Management under Global Climate Change was convened in the afternoon. Prof. W. R. Erdelen, Academician Liu Changming of Chinese Academy of Science, Prof. M. Spreafico, and Prof. Wang Zhaoyin, Chairman of IRTCES Advisory Council gave sagacious and wonderful academic lectures centering on the related issues.

Leaders from related ministries of the State Council, departments and river basin institutions of the Ministry of Water Resources, water conservancy and hydropower sectors, academies and institutes and institutions of higher learning, academicians, well-known experts, guests from international organizations, related embassies in China and many other countries, and representatives of staff members and graduate students from China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR) and the IRTCES, a total of 350 participants took part in the meeting.

IRTCES Silver Jubilee Celebration


Rostrum platform

Mr Chen Lei,  Minister of MWR 


Dr.W.R. Erdelen, Assistant Director General UNESCO 


Mr Wang Shucheng, Vice-Chairman of Financial and Economic Committee of the National People's Congress


Mr Yang Zhenhuai, The Former Minister of MWR


Prof. Lin Bingnan, Academician of Chinese Academy of Science, Honorary Chairman of IRTCES Advisory Council


Mr. Fang Maotian, Secretary General of Chinese National Committee for the UNESCO


Mr A.Singh, Director and Representative of UNESCO Office to DPR Korea, Japan, Mongolia, PR of China and Republic of Korea


Manfred Spreafico, President of the International Commission fro the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin, and Chairman off the UNESCO-IHP-ISI Steering Committee 


Prof. Dr. Abdalla Abdelsalam Ahmed, Director General of the UNESCO Chair in Water Resources, and Member of IRTCES Advisory Council


Mr Gao Bo, Director-General of Department of International Cooperation, Science and Technology of MWR


Dr. Kuang Shangfu, Director of IRTCES


Winners of “Qian Ning Prize for Erosion and Sedimentation”