of the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, India
Consultant to the World Bank
1. Russia
The principal Russian water research institution is the State Hydrological Institute,
a public agency under the Federal Service of Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of
the Environment.
SHI has the following departments:
2. United Kingdom
The principal hydrology institute in the United Kingdom is the
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH),
a public-sector research agency, which is part of the Natural
Environment Research Council (NERC).
CEH is a centre of excellence for integrated research in terrestrial
and freshwater ecosystems and their interaction with the atmosphere.
CEH provides a national capability based on innovative, independent and
interdisciplinary science and long-term environmental monitoring.
Working in partnership with the research community, policy-makers, industry and
society, CEH delivers world-class solutions to the most complex
environmental challenges facing humankind.
CEH's unique combination of cross-cutting scientific expertise, long-term environmental monitoring and
state-of-the-art research infrastructure enables it to deliver
practicable solutions so that future
generations can benefit from a rich and healthy environment.
CEH delivers its research through three independent science programs:
Each program has three research topics. The biodiversity topics are: (1) Observations,
patterns, and predictions for biodiversity; (2) Ecological processes in
the environment; and (3) Managing biodiversity
and ecosystem services.
The biogeochemistry topics are: (1) Monitoring and interpretation
of biogeochemical and climate changes; (2) biogeochemistry and climate system processes;
and (3) Managing threats to environment and health.
The water topics area: (1)
Variability and change in water systems; (2) Ecohydrological processes; and (3) Science
for water management.
The water topics concentrate on detecting environmental changes,
identifying and quantifying their causes, and
predicting the impacts of environmental change.
CEH's Water Programme provides scientific insights into the processes that
determine water flows, water quality and biotic resources in order to
assist the sustainable management of catchments and their water resources.
Analysis of observations of the morphology, hydrology, chemistry and biology of lowland
and upland rivers and lakes is used to identify trends and evaluate new and existing models.
Monitoring, experiments and modelling are used to identify roles of abiotic
and biotic processes and interactions in freshwaters, and in the management,
conservation and restoration of freshwater ecosystems. Catchment-scale
monitoring and experimental studies aim to reduce the uncertainties in the
prediction of environmental change arising from limitations in current
understanding of hydrological feedbacks between the land surface and atmosphere.
CEH is a major custodian of environmental data, including 20 million records of 12,000 species
occurring across Britain and Ireland, as well as records of over 50,000 station years of daily
and monthly river flow data, derived from over 1,300 gauging stations throughout the UK.
3. Australia
The principal land and water research institute in Australia is
CSIRO Land and Water, a public agency
under the Ministry for Innovation, Industry, Science, and Research of the Government of Australia.
[CSIRO is the acronym for Commonwealth Scientific
and Industrial Research Organization].
CSIRO Land and Water
undertakes research focusing on the measurement
and prediction of the availability and condition of
Australia's land and water resources.
CSIRO Land and Water scientists work on the
challenges that are facing Australia
and the world in the present and into the future, including:
CSIRO's research is being used by Australian
governments and major industries to underpin future policies
and programs on land and water resources.
Research challenges in land and water have biophysical,
economic and social dimensions. CSIRO's research
is concerned primarily with the biophysical dimension.
CSIRO estimates and predict the stores, flows and transformations
of energy, water, nutrients, solutes, contaminants and genetic
material in the environment.
The primary tasks are to estimate the efficiency of water,
nutrient and energy use in all systems of land utilization
and to understand the fate and impact of contaminants in
aquatic and terrestrial environments.
CSIRO has nine research programs:
CSIRO's laboratories, many with Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)
or National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation, are equipped for:
CSIRO has instrumented field sites at a number of
locations around Australia and conducts research directly
on industry and water agency infrastructure.
CSIRO employs and develop sophisticated in-situ
and portable field measuring systems to carry out
specialized soil and water investigations.
This is supported by state-of-the-art information management and visualisation tools.
CSIRO's other major assets include:
CSIRO's publications aim to inform the community about science and about its research, results,
services, solutions, achievements and products. Its publications include: (1) brochures and fact sheets,
(2) books, DVDs, CDs, and videos, (3) magazines and subscriptions, and (4) research reports.
4. New Zealand
The principal water resources institute in New Zealand is the National
Centre for Water Resources (NCWR), a public agency within the broader National
Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
NWRC's goal is to bridge the gap between science and the community in the field of
freshwater resources, by providing science, technology and resource management services to New Zealand stakeholders.
NCWR provides public information
on river, lake, and groundwater conditions, including water
quantity and quality. It also acts as a distribution point for new technology and management
tools for water-related issues.
NWRC scientists monitor and research freshwater systems, particularly the influences of changes
in land-use and climate variability on both the physical and biological
aspects of rivers, lakes, wetland and aquifers.
NWRC publishes a regular newsletter that includes a seasonal
review and outlook for New Zealand's water resources, and an update on its research.
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