The 50th anniversary event of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) of the UNESCO was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from June 10-13, 2025. During the event, the ISI Global Secretariat convened an exchange meeting of the ISI Scientific Advisory Board. Participants included: Ms. Tan Siying, IHP Secretariat of UNESCO; Prof. Zhang Jianli, Deputy Director of IRTCES; Prof. Shi Hongling, Head of the ISI Global Secretariat and Division Chief of IRTCES; Prof. Matja? MIKO?, ISI Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe, and professor at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Prof. William Blake, Team Leader of the ISI Priority Area Working Group on Erosion and Sediment Transport, and professor at Plymouth University, UK; Prof. O.O. Yaya, ISI Regional Coordinator for Africa, and Director of the UNESCO Regional Centre on Integrated River Basin Management; and Mr. An Chenge, Senior Engineer from the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research. The face-to-face meeting was chaired by Prof. Shi Hongling.

Ms. Tan Siying opened the session by expressing gratitude on behalf of the IHP Secretariat for the successful convening and hoped that everyone would cherish this opportunity for face-to-face exchanges and encouraged open dialogue. Prof. Shi Hongling reviewed recent activities of the ISI Global Secretariat, and chaired lively discussions. Participants shared regional perspectives and research priorities, affirming their commitment to ISI’s activities and knowledge-sharing. Constructive suggestions focused primarily on standardizing sediment data collection protocols—one of the key ISI objectives. The efficient and well-organized discussions fostered strong collaboration and provided strategic guidance for ISI’s future development.

Established in 2002 as one of the 17 Flagship Initiatives under the IHP, the ISI renewed its governance structure in 2023 to align with IHP-IX strategy. Under the guidance of the IHP Secretariat, the ISI Global Secretariat (hosted by IRTCES) is supported by an Advisory Board composing six Regional Coordinators (Western Europe and North America, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Arab States) and three Thematic Priority Working Groups, namely Erosion and Sediment Transport and Management, Sediment-related Hazard Management, and Glacial Sediment, Erosion and Hazards Management.