IHP-VII: Water Dependencies: Systems Under Stress and Societal Responses (2008-2013) - Strategic Plan

The Seventh Phase of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP-VII, 2008-2013) will continue to promote and lead international hydrological research, facilitate education and capacity development, and enhance governance in water resources management. The aim of these efforts is to help meet the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on environmental sustainability, water supply, sanitation, food security and poverty alleviation, and contribute to the objectives of the International Decade for Action "Water for Life" (2005-2015).

The results achieved during this phase will be action-oriented and policy-relevant so that all of IHP’s audiences – governments, the scientific community and civil society – can benefit from them.

The structure of the IHP-VII Strategic Plan is set out in seven sections:

1. Establishing the baseline conditions for IHP – Three decades of hydrology
2. Assessment of the coming decade – Hydrology for environmental sustainability
3. Setting the targets for IHP Phase VII – Water, central to global ecosystems
4. Transition from Phase VI to Phase VII – Continuity with change
5. Making IHP-VII action-oriented and policy relevant – Support to the global agenda
6. The themes and focal areas of Phase VII
7. The next steps