Rourkela: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela on Thursday inaugurated the 30th International Conference on Hydraulics, Water Resources, River and Coastal Engineering, HYDRO International 2025, bringing together global experts to deliberate on contemporary water challenges.

The three-day conference, being organised under the aegis of the Indian Society for Hydraulics (ISH) from December 18 to 20, has drawn over 500 national and international participants, including academicians, researchers, industry professionals and policymakers.

The event focuses on recent advances and emerging issues in hydraulics, hydrology, river and coastal engineering, climate-resilient water systems and sustainable water management. Key thematic areas include river engineering, groundwater hydrology, dams and irrigation, coastal and ocean engineering, hydroinformatics and climate change impacts on water systems.

Addressing the inaugural session, Prof. Vinod Tare, founding head of the Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies, emphasised the need for integrating traditional practices with modern technology to achieve sustainable water management. Odisha Development Commissioner Anu Garg highlighted the state's initiatives to enhance water security through technology-driven and community-based approaches.

The conference also conferred ISH Lifetime Achievement Awards on Prof. Kanhu Charan Patra, retired professor of NIT Rourkela, and Prof. Subhasish Dey, visiting professor at IIT Gandhinagar.

HYDRO International 2025 features technical sessions, keynote lectures, panel discussions and an industry exhibition showcasing innovations in water resources engineering.