The 2007 UNESCO Great Man-Made River International Water Prize has been awarded to a research team composed of specialists from the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for the Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA) at the University of Arizona, and the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS) at the University of California, Irvine.
Awarded every two years by the Director-General of UNESCO, the Great-Man Made River International Water Prize recognizes the achievements of an individual, a group of individuals or a research institution having made fundamental and substantial contributions to the assessment, development, management and/or use of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas. More particularly, it rewards remarkable scientific research and scientific studies and discoveries in the field of exploration of groundwater and surface water usage in arid zones subject to drought and desertification and contributing to environmental and human development.
The prize has been awarded to the two centers, under the guidance of Professor J. Shuttleworth (SAHRA) and Professor S. Sorooshian (CHRS), for their action in strengthening the capacity to manage the water resources of arid and semi-arid areas around the globe through a network of international and regional cooperation. The combined efforts of these two centers provided valuable support to G-WADI, UNESCO/IHP’s global network on water and development information for arid lands. Both SAHRA and CHRS worked together to develop the G-WADI website that provides information resources to support the scientific community and water managers worldwide, particularly in developing countries.
The award, including a cash prize, certificate and medal, will be presented by UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura to Professor Shuttleworth and Professor Sorooshian on the occasion of the World Science Day for Peace and Development, on November 10, 2007, at the Hungarian Parliament, in Budapest.
|
