SMHI researcher elected President of IAHS

SMHI’s highly qualified hydrology researcher Berit Arheimer has been named the new President of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) during the General Assembly in Montreal, Canada in July 2019. She was elected by large majority of the 48 voting countries.

IAHS is a global organisation tasked with facilitating research cooperation and making research findings available. IAHS is organised under the International Science Council and the International Union of Geosciences and Geodesy (IUGG), which celebrated its centenary last year.

IAHS has more than 8,600 members in almost 200 countries, and arranges regular conferences, workshops and online discussions. The organisation also publishes the Hydrological Sciences Journal and operates other publication channels. IAHS works closely with WMO, Unesco-IHP, EGU and AGU.

Hydrological research can contribute towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

“I am proud to have been entrusted with this position,” says Berit Arheimer, who is also Head of Unit for Hydrological Research at SMHI. “This is an excellent fit with our international work within hydrology at SMHI.”

IAHS is now focusing on how hydrological research can contribute towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and supports the involvement of developing nations through scholarships and subventions. One key goal is to ensure full inclusion, so that no one is left out, and to improve the communication between researchers and different societal players, at global, regional and local levels.

First female President

Berit has been Sweden’s IAHS representative since 2004 on behalf of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and has played an active role in a number of different working parties. Berit will be IAHS’s first ever female President. The position covers a period of six years in total, serving for the first two years as President-Elect alongside the current President.

“I am convinced that Berit will be an excellent President,” says IAHS’s current President, Professor Guenter Bloeschl. “In particular, she has a strong scientific background, takes a global perspective and is a committed leader.”