Synthesis of events

Messages from the network can be summarized with the following synthesis of the conclusions of PROHIMET events:

• Santo Domingo 2005.- The need to strengthen cooperation was highlighted, well as the usefulness of this type of event.
• Lima 2005.- Participants established the main requirements for the pilot experiences.
• Antigua 2006.- Cooperation, adoption of integrated measures and multidisciplinary approaches were extolled.
• Mendoza 2006.- Participants of this event concluded on the importance of implementing public education activities on flood risk and capacity building programs. PROHIMET assumed the commitment in preparing materials for dissemination of knowledge and experiences.
• San Carlos 2007.- Education, capacity building, flood zoning, land use planning and early warning systems need new special efforts. Participants recommended providing education and public awareness through the media.
• Chile 2008.- New and important advances in water management and flood management in Ibero-America are needed. Although participants are concerned about the problem of climate change, which could have negative consequences in terms of floods and droughts in the future, they are especially worried about the current problems that require immediate solution.
• El Salvador 2009.- Signs of the application of integral approaches are noticed and the advantage of multidisciplinary approaches are appreciated. However, shortcomings are detected in data collection, data management and international data interchanges. The importance of the inteacción between land management and the addressed problems is strengthened.
• Costa Rica 2010.- A strong need of improving the measurement systems and coordinating international actions is detected. The conclusions of this event can be summarized in a new slogan for the network: "Let us prepare for the current problems and future scenarios based on the measurement of the relevant variables that support rigorously an scientific and technical approach"
• México 2011.- Participants at this meeting showed great interest in information quality. And they also deal with: international regulation for instalation and operation of hydrometeorological measurement networks; issues related to manteinance, replacement and updating of measurement networks ; information disseminations and capacity building; cooperation at different territorial scopes, between governmental and productive sectors, and with monitoring, forecasting and prevention of hydrometeorological risks at local and regional systems.
• República Dominicana 2012.- Uncertainty of current climate models is significantly high for the analisys of the posible consequences in a change of water resources, so its is posible to state that, most of the cases, improvements or deteriorations cannot be objectively (and so scientifically) assessed. This is mainly due to issues of spatio-temporal scales, definition level of representative variables and uncertainties of many factors. The measurement networks are not enough complete and precise, and the time series are not enough long to calculate trends in most part of the territory. Strenghtening of measurement networks is considered neccesary for collecting data that allow to make clear the causes of the possible hidrological changes, taking into account the most feasible climate scenarios.