52nd IAH Worldwide Groundwater Congress: “Groundwater now and for the future”, Melbourne, Australia
ECHN welcomed you to the IAH World Groundwater Congress held in Melbourne, Australia, on 14-19 September 2025. We met and socialized with early career hydrogeologists during the whole week and especially during the co-organized groundwater debate, the social event, the book exchange and the annual general meeting.
Early Career Researcher/Student Function at The River Pavilion
On Tuesday, 16 September, the ECHN team organised a networking event for early-career hydrogeologists, featuring the ECHN “Hydrobingo” activity. This interactive game encouraged participants to engage with one another by asking questions related to their research backgrounds, groundwater knowledge, technical expertise, and personal interests.
Winners of the Hydrobingo activity were awarded books by the network:
- Paulo Borges received Applied Hydrogeology by C.W. Fetter and D. Kraemer
- Rawiyah Ibrahim Hassen received Wells and Wellbeing by B. Misstear
ECHN Annual General Meeting
On Wednesday, 17 September, ECHN hosted its Annual General Meeting (AGM) with over 22 participants from various countries. Aqeela Parker, chair of ECHN, introduced the steering committee, outlining its responsibilities and the different initiatives and programs undertaken by ECHN-IAH. The Chair and Steering Committee members addressed the participants’ queries.
ECHN Book Exchange
The ECHN Book Exchange run in two sessions during coffee breaks and lunches on 17 and 18 September. We exchanged manuals and specialised textbooks on hydrogeological topics provided by the attendees. It also provided a platform for young researchers to interact with ECHN members, learn more about our initiatives, and explore opportunities to become involved with ECHN and contribute to groundwater research.
GWYN-ECHN Groundwater Debate titled “Tapping into the Future”
On Wednesday, 17 September, the IAH-ECHN and the UNESCO Groundwater Youth Network (GWYN) jointly organised the Youth Debate on “Which poses a greater threat to groundwater resources: current human activities or projected climate change?”
The Debate team consisted of two groups: one representing “Human Activities” and the other representing “Projected Climate Change”. It was an insightful and productive discussion that explored complexities, challenged assumptions, and highlighted the urgent need for informed action.
