Regional Water Knowledge Hub for
Erosion and Sedimentation in River Basins

IRTCES’ Expertise

Founded in 1984 under the auspices of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), IRTCES is devoted to research, training, and information sharing on erosion and sedimentation in rivers and river basins. IRTCES has conducted more than 100 research and consulting programs, 43 training courses, and 130 technical tours on erosion and sedimentation; and has sponsored or co-sponsored 90 symposia, conferences, and workshops. After more than 20 years of operation, IRTCES has garnered the recognition and the respect of sediment and erosion experts around the world and is one of UNESCO’s most important Chinese partners.

IRTCES’ Services

As the regional water knowledge hub for erosion and sedimentation in river basins, IRTCES aims to promote the international exchange of knowledge and cooperation in this fi eld. To do this, IRTCES trains sediment engineers and other water sector professionals in sediment management, erosion control, and the environmental and ecological protection of watersheds. It also off ers consulting services to local, regional, and national government entities; professional associations; water agencies; and research and educational institutions. In addition, IRTCES:

• Promotes scientific research on erosion and sedimentation (including sediment transport theory, fluvial/coastal and reservoir sedimentation, sedimentation engineering, soil erosion, soil and water conservation, and the environmental and ecological impacts of sedimentation);
• Provides technical advisory services and a mechanism for the exchange of scientific and technical information among regional experts in the field;
• Coordinates region-wide cooperative research activities;
• Provides regional experts with laboratory facilities, field work opportunities, and access to IRTCES’ three research and training bases in the PRC;
• Organizes regional and international training courses, symposia, workshops, study tours, and lectures on erosion and sedimentation-related subjects;
• Serves as Secretariat to the World Association for Sedimentation and Erosion Research (WASER), and as Permanent Secretariat of the International Symposium on River Sedimentation (a triennial conference);
• Advises government agencies on development and conservation policies, regulations, and investments related to sediment management;
• Publishes the International Journal of Sediment Research and other documents relevant to the field;
• Develops sediment information databases at the local, national, and regional levels; and
• Acts as Secretariat to the International Sediment Initiative (ISI), a global initiative to assess the impacts of erosion and sediment transport, and maintains ISI’s Information System, a repository of data from case studies of rivers and river basins with signifi cant sediment problems.

IRTCES’ Knowledge Partners

More than 20 years collaborating and consulting on erosion and sedimentation research programs, technical information sharing, and capacity building have led IRTCES to develop valuable partnerships and participate in cooperative networks at the local, regional, national, and international levels. Public and private sector organizations interested in erosion and sedimentation are invited to join the knowledge hub’s network of local, national, regional, and international partners, which include the following:

• UNESCO
• Farmer-centered Agricultural Resources Management Programme (UNDP/FAO/UNIDO)
• Participatory Watershed Management Training in Asia Program, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• World Association for Sedimentation and Erosion Research (WASER)
• International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research (IAHR)
• World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWC)
• Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Pakistan
• National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC), India
• University of Technology MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
• Royal Forest Department, Thailand
• Environmental and Water Research Center, Iran
• National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering, University of Mississippi (NCCHE), United States
• Universities in the PRC, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom
• Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO)
• Various Chinese research institutes: China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Nanjing Hydraulic
• Research Institute, Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research and
• Pearl River Hydraulic Research Institute

Contact Information

Dr. Hu Chunhong
Secretary General, Vice Director
International Research and Training Center on
Erosion and Sedimntation (IRTCES)
20 Chegongzhuang West Road, P.O. Box 366, Beijing 100044
People’s Republic of China

Telephone: +86 10 6841 3372
Fax: +86 10 6841 1174

Email: huch@iwhr.com
Website: http://www.irtces.org