Advancing Global Water Resilience: USM’s International Collaboration in SDG Data Gathering through the UNESCO Chair

Universiti Sains Malaysia plays a pivotal role in advancing global sustainability through its long-standing collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This partnership exemplifies USM’s leadership in international collaboration data gathering for SDG, demonstrating its active commitment to participate in international collaboration on gathering or measuring data for the SDGs.

The UNESCO Chair on Ecohydraulics for Sustainable Water Infrastructures for SDG 6 in Asia and the Pacific was awarded to USM for a four-year term, from October 2020 to October 2024, under the River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre (REDAC). The Chair serves as a regional hub for scientific cooperation, focusing on sustainable river basin and water infrastructure management across Asia and the Pacific.

Through the UNESCO Chair, USM works with international experts, research institutions, and regional agencies to develop integrated water resource data systems supporting SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 13: Climate Action. The collaboration gathers and analyses data on river hydrology, sedimentation, water quality, flood risk, and ecosystem resilience, contributing to global monitoring and reporting frameworks under the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

These datasets inform transboundary water governance and policy development, ensuring that scientific evidence supports decision-making for climate resilience and water security. By fostering data-driven cooperation across nations, USM demonstrates its continuing role as a research institution that actively participates in international collaboration on gathering or measuring data for the SDGs, ensuring that Malaysian expertise contributes meaningfully to global sustainability solutions.