Workshop on Post-Processing and Verification of Hydrological Ensemble Predictions

An international workshop on Post-processing and Verification of Hydrological Ensemble Predictions was held at UNESCO-IHE from 7 to 9 June 2011. Ensemble predictions are probabilistic predictions, to provide water managers with information to take risk-based decisions. The real-time information about uncertainties of hydrological predictions as provided by ensemble forecasts is valuable for improving operational flood and drought management worldwide.In this particular workshop, around 40 water professionals have come together to present and discuss methods to further increase the reliability of ensemble predictions and to work on inter-comparison of these methods.

The workshop will be held as part of the Hydrologic Ensemble Prediction EXperiment (HEPEX). This is an international project that brings together hydrological and meteorological communities from around the globe to build a research project focused on advancing probabilistic hydrologic forecast techniques.

UNESCO-IHE has been actively contributing to the HEPEX initiative for a number of years now, especially bringing in end user perspectives from the Netherlands and from developing countries. Through the network of water professionals of UNESCO-IHE, HEPEX results get disseminated internationally.

HEPEX2011 Workshop Participants 
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The advances, both in science and in practice, of ensemble forecasts are incorporated into the educational programmes of UNESCO-IHE, e.g. in the Hydroinformatics course and alumni refresher courses. The workshop is co-sponsored by UNESCO-IHE and Deltares.