UNESCO established the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) in 1975 to advance water science and promote sustainable water management. As the only UN intergovernmental initiative focused solely on water, IHP addresses challenges such as clean drinking water, flood prevention, glacier preservation, and water quality improvement. It brings together leading scientists and policymakers to transform knowledge into practical action. Through a global network of water centres, university chairs, and national committees across 170 Member States, IHP strengthens governance, drives innovation, and supports long-term water security.   The water-related centres under the auspices of UNESCO (category 2) work on relevant thematic and geographic priorities in their areas of expertise. Sri Lanka hosts a water center, The UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Centre for South Asia Water Management (UMCSAWM), which operates in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Moratuwa and is supported by the South Asia Foundation.