1. Report of the President
Harry F. Lins
President, WMO Commission for Hydrology
WMO; CWD; CHy

2. CHy’s Fourteenth Intersessional Period
Unusually eventful and productive
Greater CHy involvement in WMO priorities
New opportunities have arisen that enable dramatically improved capabilities and services to Members.
Align closely with the WMO strategic priorities for the current financial period.

3. Fourteenth Session of CHy (6-14 Nov 2012)
Adopted five priority areas:
QMF-Hydrology
Data operations and management
Water resources assessment
Hydrological forecasting and prediction
Water, climate and risk assessment
Accomplishments have significantly exceeded what was requested by CHy-14. Details in subsequent sections of agenda. Success largely result of outstanding AWG.

4. Remainder of Report Focuses on three topics
CHy response to Cg, EC and PTC
Rationale for AWG’s recommendations
CHy response to emerging challenges
Accomplishments have significantly exceeded what was requested by CHy-14. Details in subsequent sections of agenda. Success largely result of outstanding AWG.

5. CHy Response to Cg, EC, and PTC
QMF-Hydrology
WIGOS and WIS Implementation
Activities aimed at ensuring data quality;
Project to assess performance and uncertainty
of flow measurement instruments and techniques;
Production of guidance material and training.
Data operations and management
Accomplishments have significantly exceeded what was requested by CHy-14. Details in subsequent sections of agenda. Success largely result of outstanding AWG.
WHOS
WaterML 2.0.

6. CHy Response to Cg, EC, and PTC
Hydrological forecasting and prediction
Projects include best practices for FF;
Guidance material available to NMHSs, Donors, NGO;
Training materials for E2E systems for FF;
Ensure access to guidance/training via IFM HelpDesk
Water Resources Assessment
Draft Manual on Water Resources Assessment (2017)
Proposed Global Hydrological Status/Outlook System
Disaster Risk Reduction
FFI-AG - two meetings; workplan has 4 tasks:

7. CHy Response to Cg, EC, and PTC
Global Framework for Climate Services
5 Pillars: Capacity Development;
Research, Modeling and Prediction;
Observations and Monitoring;
Climate Services Information System
User Interface Platform
Significantly: All of our thematic areas and supporting
activities support one or more GFCS Pillar;
particularly Seasonal Hydrological Prediction;
WHOS, GHSF, FFI, WHYCOS, APFM, IDMP.

8. Rationale for AWG Recommendations to CHy-15
Large burden placed on AWG members to represent
CHy on teams and panels (many EC), which dramatically increased member workload.
WMO
These demands are likely to continue in next period.
AWG-3 discussed how to be most effective in meeting such demands, including current structure of CHy. Concluded it’s generally effective, but inefficient, particularly in how thematic activities were assigned
to AWG members, as well as overlapping OPACHES.

9. Rationale for AWG Recommendations to CHy-15
AWG recommended maintaining it’s current size,
and merging the four existing OPACHES into one.
WMO
AWG recommended maintaining it’s current size,
and merging the four existing OPACHES into one
and be updated regularly.
Proposed organizing under three generic themes as
follows

10. WMO
Also, strongly recommended CHy-15 limit the AWG workload assigned to each of these three groups

11. WMO

12. SDG goal to ensure access to clean water & sanitation
Emerging Challenges
SDG goal to ensure access to clean water & sanitation
Although none focus on monitoring, most implicitly require it.
WMO
You can’t manage what you don’t monitor . . .
NHSs are, therefore, essential to water management
Groundwater is enormous contributor
NHSs should forge relationships with agencies that monitor GW
Regarding GFCS and climate-related water problems
CHy should promote essential value of hydrological services

13. Cg-17 discussed issue of Big Data
Emerging Challenges
Cg-17 discussed issue of Big Data
Challenges linked to quality assurance, search, storage, etc.
Many Met Services has considerable experience with this issue.
Many now looking into Crowd Sourced data (i.e., non-standard
or non-traditional monitoring.
CHy should approach with caution, but new GHSF “Innovation
Hub” affords chance to play leadership role in developing and
testing sensors that are inexpensive, easy to deploy and operate.
WMO

14. WMO should expand role in UN-Water
Emerging Challenges
WMO should expand role in UN-Water
To ensure better management of WR for sustainable development,
DRR, and economic development.
WMO is seeking to become more efficient and effective
in all aspects of its business
WMO
CHy has responded by reducing the length of its sessions;
This has significantly reduced time available for discussion;
CHy has addressed this with Pre-Session Discussion;
Third time’s a charm extremely substantive input numerous individual contributors Lessons learned will likely have major impact on future sessions of EC and Congress.

15. Thank you for your attention
Harry F. Lins
President, Commission for Hydrology