HydroHub Innovation Call on Operational Hydrology
Afghanistan, Bhutan, United States of America
The WMO HydroHub launched a call for innovation in operational hydrology, challenging candidates to propose a mature observation technology and increase its fitness for operations, directly demonstrating value in collaboration with a national hydrological service.
Development of documentation for self-manufacturing and maintenance were in focus, rather than the technologies themselves.
Implementation of WHOS in the La Plata River Basin
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay
Sustainable water management and disaster risk reduction require free and easy access to hydrological data. The WMO Hydrological Observing System (WHOS), initiated in 2014, supports hydrological data providers and users in gaining capacities in this field.
With the support of WMO and international partners, the main hydrological and meteorological data providers in the La Plata River Basin established a regional centre in Brazil where WHOS is operated and sustained.
MCH Database Management System
Albania, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Curacao, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Gambia
The Meteorology Climatology Hydrology (MCH) Database Management System is designed for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) that need a simple, customizable and license free solution to manage and store real-time and historical data. It permits its users to manage all environmental data sets. Training on its installation and use is provided free-of-charge to WMO Members.
MCH also has user community where user experiences are shared and questions can be submitted.
Engaging with the academic community in innovation workshops
Globally
The WMO HydroHub co-organized two workshops with the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) dedicated to innovation, new technologies and citizen science. Besides of hydro-meteorological observation methods and new technologies, focus of these workshops lies on the engagement of the WMO community with academia. IAHS’s working groups MOXXI and CandHy are natural partners in this engagement and both sides profit by gaining mutual insights.
The second workshop was co-organized with the Universities Alliance for Water Research (CUAHSI).
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Collaboration
Panama and Costa Rica
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the WMO HydroHub initiated discussions in 2017 on how to address some of the challenges Latin American countries face with regard to major hydro-meteorological data gaps and threats such as floods and droughts.
These initial discussions broadened to include the expertise of other initiatives, namely the Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM) and the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP), to ensure that the full hydrological value chain is taken forward and integrated into activities.
Independent performance testing of low-cost observation technologies
Afghanistan, Turkey, United States of America
A variety of low-cost open source solutions are available that could significantly reduce the cost of hydro-meteorological observations, especially when manufactured or assembled directly by national services or local partners. Unfortunately, operational uptake is rather low today. This is usually not because there are problems with the technologies, but due to a lack of acceptance on the side of end-users.
The WMO HydroHub views this as an opportunity and works on removing barriers to operational use of innovative solutions.