986 



MAJOR PROGRAM X ; 

 THE HUMAN ENVIRObMENT AND TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE RESOURCES 



X . 3 : Water Resources 



Biennial ($000) Annual (SOOO) 



Regular Program $5,302 $2,651 



of which staff costs 2,891 1,445 



of which project costs 2,411 1,206 



Regular Program and Overhead (64.3%) 8,710 4,355 



Other Sources 5,822 2,911 



Overall comment on X.3 ; This program area involves active participa- 

 tion of U.S. scientists and engineers in important global cooperative 

 observational research activities. It is also a program that provides 

 training and experience to meet the needs of developing countries. The 

 United States has played a leading role in the establishment and imple- 

 mentation of the International Hydrological Program and is currently 

 participating in a large number of IHP activities through the U.S. 

 National Committee on Scientific Hydrology, located in the U.S. Geolo- 

 gical Survey of the Department of Interior. Extensive multilateral and 

 bilateral interactions have been promoted and enhanced through this 

 UNESCO program. The United States loses its eligibility to be a member 

 of the Intergovernmental Council and the Bureau of the Council on U.S. 

 withdrawal from UNESCO. It will be possible to provide some leadership, 

 at least in part, to the IHP in the future through U.S. participation 

 in the nongovernmental organizations closely associated with the IHP. 

 This is a valuable program in which the United States would profit from 

 continuing participation. With respect to program X.3 activities, the 

 current U.S. annual contribution to program costs (projects and staff 

 costs) plus overhead is about $1,090,000. It is proposed that inter- 

 national cooperative efforts be supported in the future at a level of 

 $1 million/year. 



Alternative Option 1 : The record to iSate of UNESCO management of 

 program VI. 3 is acceptable and the preferred option for maintaining 

 interim support for these activities is to provide an annual contri- 

 bution to UNESCO via Funds-in-Trust for 25% of the regular annual 

 budget of about $2,700,000 (plus about 10% overhead) or $750,000. It 

 is suggested that $250,000 be provided for U.S. backstopping via the 

 U.S. National Committee on Scientific Hydrology. This latter amount 

 would also provide additional support for the participation of U.S. 

 scientists in IHP programs. 



Alternative Option 2 ; It may be possible to support most aspects of 

 the current IHP UNESCO activities at a level of $750,000/year on an 

 interim basis through ICSU and/or one of its associated bodies such as 

 the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (an association 

 within lUGG) , or the International Association of Hydrogeologists 



