IAHS - International Association of Hydrological Sciences

What IAHS - International Association of Hydrological Sciences does

IAHS (International Association of Hydrological Sciences), founded in 1922 in Rome and legally domiciled as IAHS Ltd, a UK-registered non-profit charity headquartered in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, is the oldest international scientific community dedicated to hydrology. It operates under the umbrella of the International Science Council (ISC) and as one of eight constituent associations of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). The organization coordinates global research agendas through its Scientific Decades program — currently HELPING (Hydrology Engaging Local People IN one Global world), 2023-2032 — and supports 11 international commissions spanning continental erosion, groundwater, snow and ice hydrology, remote sensing, water quality, and water resources systems, alongside working groups on EDI, early-career researchers, and Africa.

IAHS's core products are scientific publications and training platforms. The Hydrological Sciences Journal (HSJ), a peer-reviewed journal published in partnership with Taylor & Francis, is the principal research outlet, supplemented by the open-access Proceedings of IAHS (PIAHS) and historical series (Red Books from 1924, Blue Books, Benchmark Series). The Digital Water Globe (DWG) is an evolving digital platform for exploring global hydrological research, with DWG 2.0 redevelopment underway as of March 2026. The IAHS Academy, established in July 2023, delivers advanced training co-organized with UNESCO IHP, WWAP, and WMO. The organization also runs international assemblies, awards programs (International Hydrology Prize, Tison Award, Falkenmark Award, IAHS Fellow Award), and the SYSTA travel grant for early-career scientists from disadvantaged countries.

IAHS serves more than 13,000 members across over 170 countries on a free-membership model, supported by approximately 31 staff. Revenue is not publicly disclosed but is derived from publication income (via the Taylor & Francis partnership), membership engagement, conference and Academy fees, and partner-supported programs. The organization has no parent-company ownership in the commercial sense, functioning as a member-governed charity under ISC and IUGG.

Name

IAHS - International Association of Hydrological Sciences

Legal name

International Association of Hydrological Sciences

Website

https://iahs.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) is a UK-registered non-profit scientific association, founded in 1922, serving 13,000+ hydrological scientists across 170+ countries via peer-reviewed journals, training programs, and coordinated international research initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Scientific Association / Hydrology

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)

Keywords

• Hydrological sciences research
• Scientific community association
• Peer-reviewed hydrology journals
• Water science publications
• International scientific cooperation

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Free Membership: IAHS offers free membership to all hydrological scientists worldwide, providing access to publications, conferences, and the global IAHS network. As a non-profit charity, the organization relies on membership engagement and publication revenues to sustain operations.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IAHS is a non-profit scientific association that promotes the study of all aspects of hydrology through discussion, publication of research results, and international cooperation. Its core offerings include peer-reviewed journals (Hydrological Sciences Journal and Proceedings of IAHS), the Digital Water Globe research exploration platform, the IAHS Academy for advanced training, multi-year Scientific Decades (currently HELPING 2023-2032), and 11 International Commissions covering specialized hydrology topics.

Product overview

IAHS (International Association of Hydrological Sciences) is a non-profit, non-governmental charity registered in the UK with over 13,000 members in over 170 countries, operating under the umbrella of the International Science Council (ISC) and the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services focused on advancing hydrological sciences worldwide. Its core offerings include the Hydrological Sciences Journal (HSJ) and Proceedings of IAHS (PIAHS) for scientific publication, the Digital Water Globe platform for visualizing global hydrological research, the IAHS Academy for advanced training and education, and the Scientific Decades program for coordinating multi-year international research initiatives. Supporting these are eleven International Commissions covering specialized areas (from groundwater to water quality), Working Groups addressing specific topics like EDI and early career development, and travel awards like SYSTA supporting scientists from disadvantaged countries. Membership is free, and IAHS embodies over 100 years of collaborative work in advancing water cycle science globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hydrological Sciences Journal (HSJ): The official IAHS journal published in partnership with Taylor & Francis, providing publication outlet for hydrological research.
• Proceedings of IAHS (PIAHS)
• Red Books
• Blue Books
• Benchmark Series
• IAHS Academy
• Digital Water Globe (DWG)
• HELPING

Products and services

• Hydrological Sciences Journal (HSJ) A peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing research on all aspects of hydrology, providing the official IAHS publication outlet for hydrological research worldwide.
• Proceedings of IAHS (PIAHS) A fully open-access publication series containing proceedings and reports of IAHS, with a rich history dating back to 1924 (originally called Red Books).
• Digital Water Globe (DWG) An innovative platform providing a way to explore hydrological research across the world, helping to connect scientific knowledge and showcase the global reach of water science.
• IAHS Academy Advanced training and educational programs to advance and promote hydrological sciences globally, co-organized with UNESCO IHP, WWAP, and WMO.
• HELPING Scientific Decade 2023-2032 The third IAHS Scientific Decade dedicated to local solutions under the global water crisis. HELPING stands for Hydrology Engaging Local People IN one Global world.
• Hydrological Sciences Journal institutional subscription Institutional print and online subscription access to the Hydrological Sciences Journal, distributed to libraries and research institutions worldwide through Taylor & Francis.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IUGG (International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAHS is one of the eight constituent associations of IUGG. The organizations cooperate on international scientific cooperation in geodesy and geophysics, with IAHS specifically focusing on hydrology.
• International Science Council (ISC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAHS runs under the global umbrella of the International Science Council and follows the ISC science policy, which states all have a right to share in advances in science and technology.
• UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the IAHS Academy alongside UNESCO IHP, WWAP, and WMO for advanced training and educational programs to advance hydrological sciences globally.
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in organizing the IAHS Academy for promoting hydrological sciences education worldwide.
• WaterNetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAHS is a partner in the annual WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium focusing on water resources management in Eastern & Southern Africa.
• WARFSAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the annual WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium on water resources management.
• GWP-SA (Global Water Partnership Southern Africa)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the annual WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium on water resources management in Eastern & Southern Africa.
• UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the IAHS Academy for advancing hydrological sciences globally.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Water Association (IWA): IWA is a larger global water-sector organization covering water utilities, treatment, and policy; it intersects with IAHS's water quality and water resources systems work but has a practitioner/utility focus rather than purely scientific.
• International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD): ICOLD addresses dam engineering and reservoir hydrology globally; it intersects with IAHS's surface water and water resources systems commissions but emphasizes infrastructure rather than basic hydrological science.
• Geological Society of America (GSA): GSA is a large earth science society with hydrology sessions and publications; comparable as a professional scientific society but with a broader scope including geology and paleontology.

Direct peers

• International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH): IAH is the international scientific association focused on hydrogeology, overlapping significantly with IAHS's Groundwater Commission (ICGW) and serving a closely related subset of the hydrology community worldwide.
• IAHR - International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research: IAHR focuses on hydro-environment engineering and research, publishing the Journal of Hydraulic Research and organizing world congresses that overlap with IAHS's surface water and water resources systems commissions.
• American Geophysical Union (AGU): AGU is a major international scientific society covering geophysics including hydrology; it competes with IAHS for the same researchers, publishes journals like Water Resources Research, and organizes large conferences that overlap with IAHS assemblies.
• European Geosciences Union (EGU): EGU is a leading European scientific union for geosciences including hydrology; it organizes the annual EGU General Assembly and publishes open-access journals covering hydrology and water resources, directly competing for the same community's engagement.

Others

• World Meteorological Organization (WMO): WMO is an intergovernmental organization that partners with IAHS on the IAHS Academy; it overlaps on hydrometeorology and water-related science policy but operates from a governmental/operational perspective rather than as a scientific association.
• UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP): UNESCO IHP is a core partner of IAHS in the IAHS Academy and shares the global water resources research mandate, but operates as an intergovernmental program rather than a member-driven scientific association.

Regional players

• American Water Resources Association (AWRA): AWRA is a US-focused water resources association serving a similar hydrology community in North America with comparable journals and conferences, but with a regional rather than global remit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iahs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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