Training activities

The education and training activities in hydrology and water resources of WMO are guided by the WMO Strategy on Education and Training in Hydrology and Water Resources.

The Strategy optimizes available resources by concentrating support in areas identified by the WMO Hydrological Community as requiring priority attention. Surveys on training needs conducted by Regional Working Groups in Hydrology are used to identify key training and education requirements.

A summary of WMO training activities in Hydrology and Water Resources follows.

Distance learning courses

Basic Hydrological Sciences

The Basic Hydrological Sciences distance learning courses are designed to meet the needs of environmental forecasters who do not have formal training in hydrology, but who work with hydrologic data, particularly in flood forecasting. They are intended to provide an understanding of ground, surface, and atmospheric forms of water, and prepared the students for further study in hydrologic methods and forecasting.

Advanced topics in Hydraulics, Hydrological Sciences and Hydrometeorology

The Advanced Hydrological Sciences course is designed to meet the needs of hydrological forecasters who work with hydro-meteorological data, and apply this knowledge in the field of flood forecasting and hydrology. Accordingly, the course lays out first an elementary understanding of ground, surface, and atmospheric forms of water, and later prepare the participant for its application in hydrology and and flood forecasting.

Past training courses

Past distance learning courses can still be visited in a passive mode as a "guest”, enabling students to see how the courses developed and what discussions took place.

List of past distance learning courses

Training Courses and Workshops in Hydrology

Courses on Early Warning Systems for Floods

The Standing Committee in Hydrological Services (SC-HYD) of the WMO has provided two courses related to training on "Assessment of National Needs and Capabilities in End-to-End Flood Forecasting and Early Warning Systems".

RA I Training on "Assessment of National Needs and Capabilities in End-to-End Flood Forecasting and Early Warning Systems", October 2024, Cairo, Egypt.
1st International Training on "Assessment of National Needs and Capabilities in End-to-End Flood Forecasting and Early Warning Systems", September 2023, Santa Fe, Argentina.

Courses on Stream Gauging

The Commission for Hydrology of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) have agreed to cooperate in the design and organization of a course on stream gauging based on the 2nd edition of the Manual of Stream Gauging (2010), and recent advancements in research, technology and instrumentation for hydrometry.

Stream gauging is critical for routine monitoring of catchment and estuarine environments and for the provision of essential information for hydrological and hydraulic modeling of these environments. It is recognized that continued education and training on methods for hydrometric data collection, validation and publication are the backbone for the consolidation and dissemination of a ‘hydrological culture’. Such a culture has been and is becoming increasingly important at a time when water resources are stressed by climate and anthropogenic impacts. These new challenges call for improved instruments and methodologies to support integrated river basin management (especially for trans-boundary watersheds) and analyses of future alternative scenarios.

3rd IAHR/WMO/IAHS Training Course on Stream Gauging (18-20 September 2014)
2nd WMO/IAHR Training Course on Stream Gauging (4-6 September 2013)
WMO Course on Stream Gauging for West Africa (10 to 16 December 2012)

Specific trainings for WMO Regions

Workshop on Water Affairs in RA II
International Hydrometeorology Analysis and Forecasting Course (9 to 27 June 2008)
Maintenance of Automatic Hydrometric Stations in RA III (28 November-2 December 2005)
Courses for Hydrographic Technicians in RA V

Training of trainers

Atelier de formation des formateurs sur la mesure du débit des cours d'eau (2015)
Curso Iberamericano de instructores de aforos (11 - 15 November 2013)
East European Training of Trainers Course on Climate and Water Affairs in RA VI

Related activities and training material