From Founding to Today – Our Journey
The history of the International Center for Integrated River Research and Management began in 2011 with initial planning and took a significant step forward in 2014 when the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), was awarded Austria’s first UNESCO Chair in Science. This recognition laid the foundation for the establishment of IC-RIVERS, which has since fostered international collaborations and contributed significantly to the implementation of Phases 8 and 9 of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP).
A major milestone was the World’s Large Rivers Initiative (WLRI), approved in 2014 by the 21st Intergovernmental Council of UNESCO’s IHP as part of its work plan and fully integrated by 2018. This initiative focuses on the global analysis of the status of the world’s large rivers (WLRs) and investigates the impacts of climate change and human interventions.
The center grew from a two-person team to an established research institution with 21 members by 2024. During this time, it organized five international conferences, workshops, and seminars addressing the condition and future of the world’s major rivers.
A key driver for the center was the DREAM project (Danube River Research and Management), the first flagship project of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). A significant outcome of this project was the launch of the BOKU River Lab in January 2023, a state-of-the-art laboratory with a unique flow capacity of up to 10 m³/s, enabling cutting-edge fundamental and applied research. From the outset, the plan was to house IC-RIVERS within the hydraulic engineering laboratory. Since January 2023, the center has officially operated from its dedicated facilities on the first floor of the laboratory.
Another highlight was the Vienna Water Conferences in 2023, which included the 5th World’s Large Rivers Conference. In the same year, Prof. Habersack was appointed Chair of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP).
In addition to conferences and strategic developments, the center has participated in international research projects. In 2023, it launched the Horizon Europe project DANUBE4all, a chair-led initiative for the restoration of the Danube River Basin. In 2024, another Horizon Europe project began, with the center playing a central role. Additionally, four EU Interreg projects were approved.
A key focus of the center is academic training and fostering young talent. To date, one habilitation, nine doctoral theses, and 63 master’s theses have been successfully completed under the chair’s supervision.
The dissemination of knowledge on an international scale is a core aspect of the center’s work. Over 500 authors have contributed to its research on the world’s large rivers (WLRs). These studies have been published in 12 special issues of high-ranking SCI journals, raising global awareness of integrated river management and promoting international knowledge exchange.
With these achievements as a foundation, IC-RIVERS continues its work toward a sustainable future for the world’s great rivers.
