The Government of the People’s Republic of China and UNESCO have recently renewed an Agreement concerning the co-sponsorship of the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES) under the auspices of UNESCO.

This Renewal was signed in Paris on June 16, 2020 by UNESCO’s Director-General, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, and in Beijing on June 24, 2020 by the Minister of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. E Jingping.

The first cooperation agreement between the Government of China and UNESCO was signed in 1984. This is the second renewal after the agreement first renewed in 2005, indicating that the two sides will continue to work together to support the IRTCES to play a positive role in promoting the technical exchanges in the field of soil erosion and sedimentation around the world, and making greater contributions to sedimentation research and training.

IRTCES was officially inaugurated on July 21, 1984, and has been hosted by IWHR since then. It is an academic organization jointly launched by the Government of China and UNESCO, and the first Category II Center established by UNESCO in the world. Its main goal is to give full play to China’s leading role in sediment research, and facilitate the scientific research and technology across the world through organizing international academic symposiums, technical consultations and professional trainings.

Since its establishment, IRTCES, under the leadership of the Ministry of Water Resources of Chian and the support of UNESCO, has made great achievements and innovative progress, contributing its expertise and experiences to soil erosion and sediment research of the world.

IRTCES organized and co-organized more than 50 international training courses with over 2600 trainees, covering topics on soil erosion, sediment management, environmental protection, flood prevention and disaster mitigation. IRTCES also led 45 research and consultation projects commissioned by UNESCO, FAO, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and other institutions, effectively disseminating China’s experience in erosion and sediment management to the globe.

Furthermore, IRTCES has built an exchange platform for the global community and also has been engaged in:

·  Sponsoring two high-level scientific journals: International Journal of Sediment Research and International Soil and Water Conservation Research;

·  Serving as the Secretariat of the World Association for Sedimentation and Erosion Research (WASER), World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC), and the International Sediment Initiative of UNESCO;

·  Organizing international conferences, including International

·  Symposium on River Sedimentation, International Conference on Estuaries and Coasts, WASWAC World Conference, International Young Scientists Forum on Soil and Water Conservation;

·  Responsible for editing the Gazette of River Sedimentation in China and Office of Qian Ning Prize for Erosion and Sedimentation Technology.

This agreement renewal brings a new opportunity for IRTCES’s future development. IRTCES will improve the international academic exchange platform, expand the research and consultation at home and abroad, vigorously carry out technical training, and strive to promote the global development of the field.