The 90th Anniversary of IAHR
90 Years of Global Leadership in Hydro-environment Engineering & Research
Explore Our Legacy
IAHR Today Key Milestones 41st World Congress IAHR History IAHR Presidents Media kit 90th Anniversary
#iahr90Years
90 Years of Innovation and Excellence
Founded in 1935, IAHR has become the global hub for engineers, scientists, researchers, and professionals addressing water-related challenges. Over nine decades, we've worked together to shape the future of hydraulic engineering, ecohydraulics, and water management.
IAHR's journey is a testament to our milestones in technical advancement and scientific breakthroughs, driven by an enduring commitment to sustainable water solutions around the globe. Our mission is built upon four core pillars:
Fostering vibrant expert communities by connecting researchers, engineers, and practitioners worldwide, promoting inclusivity and bridging the gap between science, practice, and policy.
Convening leading events, educating and building capacity through global congresses, technical symposia, and initiatives to educate and empower professionals, especially young talents.
Publishing cutting-edge knowledge products that lead the field in hydro-environment research, engaging both technical communities and societal needs.
Building resilience shaping knowledge for market and society by strengthening collaboration between decision-makers, public authorities, and private sectors to implement innovative water solutions.
IAHR Today
Our Story: A Look at Our Key Milestones
1935: The International Association for Hydraulic Structures Research is founded in Brussels, Belgium, by 66 visionary directors of hydraulic laboratories from Europe and the USA.
1938: The 1st IAHR World Congress is held in Berlin, Germany.
1950s - 1960s
This period marks significant advancements in hydraulics, including the study of turbulent flows, the development of laboratory and field measurement techniques, and the introduction of hydraulic modelling. During this time, the association, now widely recognised as the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) expands its influence.
1962: The establishment of the first regional division in Latin America.
1963: IAHR launches the Journal of Hydraulic Research (JHR), setting a benchmark in scientific publications.
1973: The Regional Division of Asia and the Pacific is founded.
1980s - 1990s
IAHR’s membership grows significantly, from around 1,000 in 1960 to 2,000 members worldwide by 1985, and it expands its global influence and recognition. During this period, IAHR establishes several new technical committees, becoming the only global water association focused on research, innovation, and engineering across all sectors of the entire water cycle.
1985: IAHR celebrates its 50th anniversary.
1992: The Africa Regional Division is founded.
1999: The first IAHR Student Chapter is created to promote the involvement of young generations.
2000s - 2010s
With the dawn of a new millennium and the emergence of innovative technologies, IAHR strengthens global collaboration by expanding its regional divisions and hosting bi-annual World Congresses across several continents.
2001: IAHR relocates its Secretariat office from the Netherlands to Madrid.
2003: The IAHR Europe Regional Division is founded and the International Journal of River Basin Management (JRBM) is established.
2005: IAHR celebrates its 70th anniversary with a special issue of Hydrolink.
2007: The Journal of Hydro-environment Research (JHER) is launched.
2008: Hydrolink Magazine is released.
2010: IAHR celebrates its 75th anniversary.
2010s - 2020s
A period marked by digital transformation and the expansion of IAHR’s initiatives to support the next generation of water professionals.
2013: The Young Professionals Networks (YPNs) are launched, evolving from former IAHR Student Chapters, to engage and empower the next generation of water experts.
2013: The Journal of Applied Water Engineering and Research (JAWER) is created.
2014: Revista Iberoamericana del Agua (RIBAGUA) is established.
2015: As part of its continuous evolution and commitment to global engagement, IAHR inaugurates its Beijing Office, strengthening ties with the hydro-environment research community in Asia and enhancing collaboration opportunities in the region.
2016: The Journal of Ecohydraulics (JoE) is launched.
2017: The Latin-American Water Journal of Young Researchers and Young Professionals is released.
2020s - 2024
2020: IAHR celebrates its 85th anniversary.
2022: The IAHR Fellows distinction is launched to recognise the impact of IAHR members on the hydro-environment engineering profession.
2022: IAHR introduces the Water Monograph Series, an open-access publication dedicated to advancing knowledge and research in hydro-environment engineering.
2022: IAHR launches the Resource Guides —a comprehensive collection of resources, including events, publications, articles, expert insights, and more—to support members in their academic and professional endeavours.
2024
With its 90th anniversary just around the corner, IAHR celebrates reaching over 5,100 members from 132 countries. Key milestones for the year include:
The launch of the IAHR Strategic Plan 2024–2027, which outlines 4 key thematic priority areas:
- Climate Change and Mitigation
- Water for Energy Transition, Food Security and Nature
The introduction of the new IAHR Global Water Awards.
The establishment of the Platform National Water Associations for Sustainable Solutions.
The launch of the IAHR Label for Water Training and Education, a flagship Initiative of UNESCO-IHP.
After a gap of 20 years the 6th IAHR Africa Division Congress is held in Morocco.
IAHR becomes a UN observer and an ISO member.
2025
IAHR celebrates its 90th anniversary.
Launch of a new IAHR training course series.
Join us to celebrate the 41st World Congress in Singapore, June 22-27, 2025
Under the theme, “Innovative Water Engineering for Sustainable Development”, the 41st IAHR World Congress brings together the latest technical and scientific knowledge, practice, trends, and innovations of the global hydro-environment community.
Themes presented will include:
Coastal Flooding and Protection.
River and Sediment Engineering.
Eco- and Environmental Hydraulics.
Hydraulic Structures.
Integrated Water Resources Management.
Urban Water Management.
Flood and Drought Management.
Groundwater Management.
Remote Sensing and Field Measurements.
Computational and Experimental methods.
Data-Driven Methods and Machine Learning (Hydroinformatics).
Digital Water.
Climate Mitigation and Adaptation.
Voices of IAHR: 90 Years of Collaboration
"Having worked for about 12 years in a large engineering company with projects around the world, my motivation was to bring IAHR closer to practitioners and to attract more professionals from the field to the association. We must not forget that one of the greatest challenges of this century will be to build better water infrastructure for a better world, addressing both climate change and the energy transition. Happy birthday to IAHR, I hope to be part of its 100th anniversary celebration!"
Anton Schleiss
Professor emeritus and expert consultant at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
"IAHR holds considerable experience and expertise to contribute to solving the many hydro environment problems the world is facing by playing its role as a partner together with other water associations towards achieving this sustainable development goal."
Arthur Mynett
Emeritus Professor of Hydraulic Engineering at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
"IAHR has grown into a mature organisation with a large and diverse group of experts. I see IAHR as a strong and resilient association, and I truly believe it will become even better in the future. Happy anniversary, IAHR!"
Independent Consultant and Associate Professor at the Universidad Católica Andres Bello, Venezuela
"I served as Executive Director of IAHR from 1999 to 2018. During that time, the association grew from around 2,000 members to about 4,000 by the time I left. When I started, we had only one scientific journal — the Journal of Hydraulic Research (JHR) — and today IAHR publishes around five scientific journals and a magazine. The community continues to grow, and I believe the future is bright for IAHR."
"What defines IAHR is not only its history but also the members who compose the association. IAHR has a large number of young professionals from all over the world, so the organisation has two of the most important ingredients to solve the hydro-environmental problems humanity is facing today and in the future: the historical heritage of scientific knowledge and the energy of youth. Congratulations on this anniversary, and long life to IAHR!"
David Ferras
UPCT, Cartagena (Spain)
"IAHR has numerous sections and working groups specialising in various aspects of hydraulics and the environment. They should continue to pursue state-of-the-art research to provide sound, science-based solutions to the major challenges they face. My advice to young professionals is to actively seek and foster collaboration in order to deliver comprehensive and multidisciplinary solutions to the organizations we support. Happy Birthday, IAHR!"
Etienne Mansard
Retired From NRCC, Past President of IAHR
"I have been associated with IAHR since the late 1980s. I attended the Environmental Hydraulics Conference in Hong Kong, organized by Joseph Lee, an amazing experience, not only because of the scientific content, but also due to the cultural exposure and the networking opportunities it offered. I met giants in the field. Thanks to that and many other opportunities provided by IAHR, I became increasingly involved in its activities. Today, I serve as Chair of the Fluid Mechanics Committee, which offers opportunities to organise conferences and connect with peers. The committee also creates valuable networking opportunities for young professionals from all over the world. It provides a platform to expand your horizons into emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, ecological flows, and big data in environmental sciences. I am here today to thank IAHR for the platform it gave me to grow, and I hope everyone takes advantage of the opportunities IAHR offers, thrives, and also gives back to the association."
Harindra Fernando
Wayne and Diana Murdy Endowed Professor
University of Notre Dame
"IAHR is a true learning society. It brings together key stakeholders — governments, industry, and universities — and fosters interaction across disciplines among practitioners, researchers, students, and academics. I value IAHR highly for its diversity: diversity in expertise, background, gender, age, and culture. This richness creates a unique environment for constructive exchange among individuals from different continents and disciplines. This is particularly relevant, in my opinion, for the younger generation, because hydraulic engineering is not something new — and yet, the challenges we face today require new perspectives. IAHR is the best conduit to meet the challenges of the 21st century."
Hubert Chanson
Professor in Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Engineering
The University of Queensland
“In the coming period, which will see climate change become a tangible reality every day, IAHR has a key role to play in the future in developing solutions for mitigating global change impacts on water. I am proud to be an honorary member of IAHR.”
Prof. Jean-Paul Chabard
SHF President(Societe Hydrotechnique de France)
"IAHR is not only a big family, but also an international platform where hydro-environmental people from all over the world can exchange ideas and make friends. It has been boosting economic sharing, critical application, capacity building, and education of water science and engineering for the past 90 years. So, to wish IAHR the best future"
Jing Peng
China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR)
"I would like to say that my association with IAHR has been fruitful in many ways, and it is my sincere wish that you, the youngsters of today, will profit to the same extent by your association with IAHR as I did in my entire career. I would like to end by wishing you Happy Birthday IAHR!”
Kittur Ranga Raju
India
"I never imagined that I was going to become the editor of the Journal of Hydraulic Research. That was a challenging period because the association was moving from Delft to Madrid, Spain, where it is now. Over the years, a lot of activities have taken place under the umbrella of IAHR, and I'm proud to have been able to contribute together with my students over the years. I'm very happy to say, happy birthday, IAHR."
Marcelo García
Ven Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
"Happy birthday to my venerable IAHR, my professional home. Joining the IAHR community has been the second-best thing in my professional life following that of choosing the career in hydraulics.”
Marian Muste
Research Scientist at IIHR - Hydroscience & Engineering, The University of Iowa
"Activities of the association in areas of flood management, water security, eco-hydraulics and adaptation to global warming are expanding and deepened. I hope young professionals of IAHR can read these research areas.”
Nobuyuki Tamai
Prof, Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and past President and Honorary member of IAHR
"My connection with the IAHR started in 1968, when the 3rd Latin American Division Congress was held at Buenos Aires, where I presented my first paper. Since that meeting, I have never stopped my contribution as an author or co-author to every regional division congress. Certainly, the most valuable thing was to have known and enjoyed the friendship of many researchers coming from diverse countries. They are part of the more pleasant memories, beyond the experimental hydraulics, spillway design, cavitation by pressure fluctuations, and microturbulent flows. Happy birthday, IAHR!”
Professor at University of La Plata, Argentina
"I have made many friends worldwide and I strongly recommend and would encourage young people to participate as much as ever in IAHR. I believe that they will have as rewarding and as fulfilling life, working life, as I have had. I wish the IAHR community as much pleasure as I have had from IAHR in the future.”
Roger Falconer
Emeritus Professor of Water and Environmental Engineering
Cardiff University
"IAHR provides a great community of excellence research and as a kind of networking service and I am sure that part of my career, of my research, of my projects, of my personal content would have never happened without IAHR and many of my friends all over the world I would have never met, so thank you IAHR."
Silke Wieprecht
Institute for Modeling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems, University Stuttgart
"IAHR people became my family somehow, my professional family. The congresses were like family Christmas meetings, with surprises, controversies, but always with optimism and a lot of effort to help each other. Thanks, IAHR and happy birthday IAHR."
Tobias Bleninger
Professor for Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Applied Mathematics
Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
"It gives me immense pleasure to have witnessed and witnessing the contributions made and the services being rendered by IAHR towards the betterment of the international hydraulic research community. I have been very lucky in meeting several researchers around the globe, participating in IAHR events. I need to place my thanks to the IAHR community. It has been serving as an excellent forum for networking. IAHR is getting younger day by day, supporting young researchers coming up with new ideas, encouraging younger researchers through guidance and interaction with senior academicians and researchers."
Vallam Sundar
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
"I experienced IAHR as a great, truly global, well-administered association that promotes international cooperation and development in the wide field of hydro environmental research and engineering. It provides an excellent forum for interaction between researchers and practicing engineers, brings together top experts from all over the world, and plays a major role in knowledge dissemination through its various high-quality journals and monographs, as well as the HydroLink Magazine and its conferences and specialist conferences. IAHR takes particular care of the young generation as it brings together scientists and engineers at an early stage of their career with experienced top professionals. IAHR provides attractive incentives to the young generation through various awards and enables them easy access to knowledge in the field through its publications, conferences and short courses."
Wolfgang Rodi
Professor Emeritus. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
"IAHR is a well-known international academic organisation of engineers and water specialists working in the fields related to the hydro-environmental sciences and their practical application. It has made a great contribution to water engineering development, environment protection, and a better water future for all."
Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute
"The water problem and the environmental problem are still the most important problems in the world. I hope the IAHR will continuously contribute a lot to solve this problem, and the people will live in a more peaceful and a more beautiful world.”
Tsinghua University
Looking forward to receiving your anniversary wishes!
Please, send them to emilia.malacalza@iahr.org