Setting up the new Scientific Decade of IAHS: Science for Solutions with HELPING

IAHS has proudly and successfully coordinated two subsequent Scientific Decades, which, amongst other things, set a research agenda worldwide through collaborative forces; and IAHS now set up the third one. The overall aim with a Scientific Decade is to accumulate knowledge and streamline the efforts so that coherent engagement, sharing and focus accelerate scientific methodologies and synthesise understanding of a specific hydrological problem or phenomenon. It stimulates vivid discussions between young and senior scientists globally. The first IAHS Scientific Decade (2003–2012), entitled Prediction in Ungauged Basins (PUB), was implemented with the primary aim of reducing uncertainty in hydrological predictions. The second IAHS Scientific Decade (2013–2022) of IAHS, entitled “Panta Rhei – Everything Flows”, was dedicated to research activities on change in hydrology and society, investigating their co-evolution. The third IAHS Scientific Decade (2023-2032) is and will be dedicated to local solutions under the global water crisis. The short name is HELPING, which stands for Hydrology Engaging Local People IN one Global world. The vision is to solve fundamental water-related environmental and societal problems by engaging with other disciplines and local stakeholders. We envisage that this will contribute in realising the sustainable development goals of Agenda 2030 of the United Nations. Hence, HELPING has the ambition and great potential to become a vehicle for putting science in action, with strong co-creation and open science dimensions, in local contexts and through the epistemic added value of networking. This presentation will describe the first year of the decade and the collaborative process in the IAHS community, which lead to the HELPING vision and set-up in 25 working groups under 3 Themes. Read more and join the working groups: https://iahs.info/Initiatives/Topic-for-the-Next-IAHS-decade/Forms-and-forums/