Are potential increases in groundwater recharge from changing rainfall distributions offset by increased ET? Can we define sustainable groundwater abstraction under non-stationary hydrological conditions? What are the key constraints to the representation of groundwater flow and storage in climate models? What aspects of groundwater flow and storage are most important to hydrological simulations and where? On the basis of currently available information, what methodologies can be used to improve the next generation of climate models? Addressing Key Questions

UNESCO addressing hydrological extremes: knowledge base and capacity for prediction, adaptation and mitigation IFI: International Flood Initiative International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) (Tsukuba, Japan) IIASA

Implementation ISDR Developing stakeholder processes WMOISDR, WMOISDRInstitutional reform ISDR, UNUISDRPeople networkingGovernanc e and participatio n IAHR, WMOIAHR, ICHARMIAHR, IHP, WMO ICHARM IAHR, IIHP ICHARM Structural and non- structural measures WMO, IAHSWMOWMO, IAHS ICHARM IAHS, ICHARMIAHS ICHARM Flood hazard mapping IAHR, WMO, IAHS UNESCO IAHR, WMO IAHS, ICHARM UNESCO IAHR, IAHS ICHARM UNESCO Hydrologic, hydraulic and economic modeling IAHR, ISDR, IAHS UNESCO IAHR, IAHS, UNESCO FRIEND ICHARM, ISDR IAHR, IAHS, UNESCO FRIEND ICHARM IAHR, IAHS UNESCO FRIEND ICHARM Data for risk assessment WMO, IAHSWMO, IAHS UNESCO FRIEND IAHS UNESCO FRIEND IAHS ICAHRM UNESCO WMO Multi - hazard analysisFlood Risk Manageme nt Technical Assistance Empowering Communities Information Networking Education and Training ResearchInitial Partners and Lead Topics

Flood activities of FRIEND regional groups Techniques for extreme rain fall and flood runoff estimate Methodologies for reliable inundation mapping" through flood risk maps and vulnerability maps. Enhanced understanding forecasting and management of flash floods in urban areas Tools for warning and forecasting in ungauged basins Stochastic modelling of heavy precipitation for runoff forecasting Flood forecasting hydrological processes linked with heavy rains

 Flood resilience  Floating buildings  Re-designing urban areas  Innovative integrated urban water management UNESCO-IHE Activities on Flood Risk Management Improving Flood Warning  Developing flexible, appropriate software tools for real-time flood prediction  Examining the effect of climate variability/change  Innovative ICT: Using SMS messaging for flood warning by location

Assessment of Flood Forecasting and Warning System for Humid Tropic Regions Partners: UNESCO-IHP Jakarta office and ICHARM and HTC Established in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam

“Management of Water Related Disasters in Changing Climate” IFI Book Series  Extreme precipitation and climate change (by R. Teegavarapu)  Hydrologic modeling of floods (by P. Mujumdar)  Hydraulic modeling of floods (by G. Di Baldassarre)  Flood risk management (by S. Simonovic)

Sedimentation problems are matter of global concern the annual erosion of surface soil from global river basins amounts to 60 billion tons 5 to 7 million ha of farmland are annually ruined about 1% of the precious storage capacity of the world's reservoirs is annually lost to deposition Economic Loss over USD 6 billion/year

International Sediment Initiative (ISI) Objectives:  promote the elaboration and monitoring of sediment data  develop appropriate methods and procedures in sediment management Recent Activities:  Global evaluation of sediment transport  Case studies for river basins, review of erosion and sediment related research  Global erosion and sediment information system (UNESCO IRTCES center, Peking)  Networking, education and training

Are the sediment loads of the world’s rivers currently changing in response to these components of global change?