The UNESCO FRIEND-Water program: accelerates, shares and transfers knowledge and innovation in hydrology across the world in the frame of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program (IHP)

Abstract

Abstract. The FRIEND-Water program (FWP) is the oldest and the most transverse program (i.e. Flagship Initiative) within the Hydrological Intergovernmental Program (IHP) from UNESCO. FRIEND means “Flow Regimes from International and Experimental Network Data”. The FWP is dedicated to allow large communities of hydrologists and associated disciplines to collaborate across borders on common shared data and scientific topics which are addressed through large world regions. The program has evolved in its 35 years of existence. There are 8 large regions in the world which gather tenths of hundreds of researchers, and organize events following several research topics defined according to each region priorities. The FWP is chaired by a scientific committee gathering regional coordinators and thematic experts. Each region gives its research priorities which evolve according to the projections given by the member States during the IHP council every year. The future activities of the FWP are defined by the upcoming IHP IX program and with the support of the newly created Montpellier UNESCO Category II Center ICIREWARD, acting as FWP Secretariat.

Some like it complex: building a common multidisciplinarity background from local experiences within the South-Mediterranean environmental research communities

“…Institutional support: Long-term institutional support was mandatory. This support was provided by international agencies through the 35-year partnership between UNESCO and IHP through the FRIEND-Water program (support and development of regional capacities through workshops and training; Mahé et al, 2021), as well as the watershed basin agency in Morocco and the CNRS in France (INSU MISTRALS research program; Mahé et al, 2020). This common longstanding effort helped to envision reflections and paradoxically support radical and meaningful changes in scientific orientations, as opposed to the usual norms involving short-term projects.…”

“…• Acknowledging the structural and logistical reasons, including balance of power based on fund availability and recognition from the society and public services, domination relationships, institutional instability, and other points we stated above. As a matter of fact, a tradition of long-term public service exists in these countries, including the maintenance of long-term and intertwined public-environmental infrastructures such as dams (Mahé et al, 2021). Scientific research efficiency is directly linked to the stability of national institutions which draw organigrams and funding.…”