Harry Lins

Lins summarized the contents of a recent report by the U.S. National Research Council's Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB) entitled Envisioning the Agenda for Water Resources Research in the Twenty-First Century.

The WSTB noted that a substantial commitment of new funds is needed for expanded research three topical areas: water availability, water use, and water institutions.

The specific functions recommended by the Board for each of the three areas can be obtained from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences website at http://search.nap.edu/books/0309075661/html/

Junichi Yoshitani

Junichi Yoshitani presented an overview of the reorganization of the former PWRI, and the new organizational schemes and missions of the PWRI and NILIM.  He also described the Japanese government’s approval processes for its initiative on global water variability, as well as the low public visibility of Japanese hydrologic science.  His presentation was oriented toward providing a perspective on PWRI’s interest in becoming more active in the international arena, and to serve as a basis for further discussions on the future of the NILIM/PWRI and USGS collaboration.