RA VI Hydrological Advisers Forum -Highlights

Community event
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(Europe/Zurich: 19 November 2025, 10:00 - 11:30)
Past event

The RA VI Hydrological Advisers Forum brought together hydrology leaders from across Europe and beyond to exchange updates, align regional priorities and prepare key milestones for the coming years.

Opening the Forum, Eng. Angela Chiara Corina, RA VI Hydrological Adviser, recalled the Forum’s creation in 2020 as a virtual coordination space and its subsequent institutionalization within RA VI. The Forum now serves as a recognized platform for information sharing, consultation and advocacy, enabling RA VI hydrology to speak with one coordinated voice.

Participants reviewed major updates from WMO governing bodies, including progress on Early Warnings for All (EW4All), the adoption of new Technical Regulations on Early Warning Services (entering into force in 2027), and advances in observing systems, prediction systems and the integration of artificial intelligence.

The State of the Global Water Resources report highlighted growing pressures on water systems and reinforced the need for coordinated regional action. In this context, Members discussed the first RA VI Regional Water Resources Statement and future linkages with climate reporting and HydroSOS.

A key milestone discussed was the establishment of the RA VI Hydrological Assembly, to be convened during RA VI-19 Phase II in 2026, which will review regional progress, capture Member priorities and provide strategic direction for hydrology in the next regional action plan.

Technical updates covered progress on HydroSOS, flood and drought forecasting, hydrological standards and data exchange, including RBON activities, WIGOS/OSCAR integration and WHOS. Strong engagement with research and innovation was noted, including outcomes from the RA VI Scientific Forum and developments in seasonal drought forecasting.

The Forum concluded with appreciation for Angela Chiara Corina’s leadership as RA VI Hydrological Adviser and a welcome to Irakli Megrelidze (Georgia) as candidate to succeed her, reaffirming the Forum’s role as a strategic and collaborative community for hydrology in RA VI.