Navigating our world: Celebrating hydrography for safe seas

Celebrating World Hydrography Day: Mapping Oceans, Ensuring Safer Maritime Navigation

On June 21, the world community celebrates the World Hydrography Day, an important event with the aim involving large-scaled information movement about the necessity of hydrography in providing the safe passage on waters, sustainable development of the ocean and better understanding of the aquatic environment on our planet. This day, which is now celebrated by the United Nations General Assembly, is the anniversary of the birth of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) which was introduced by the International Hydrographic Organization in the year 2005.

The measurement and the description of the physical characteristics of the navigable waters of earth and the coastal regions neighboring those waters is a science known as hydrography which is not generally visible to general people. It consists in locating depths, searching the seafloor, charting underwater barriers and examining physical features of water bodies like tides, currents and waves. This important data is then published as nautical charts together with other hydrographic publications and these guides are very essential to any person interested in navigating across the oceans, seas, rivers and lakes.

The significance of hydrography can hardly be underestimated. In its base, it is the foundation of the maritime safety. Well-detailed and up-to-date navigation charts direct the largest cargo ships as well as smallest fishing boats through the intricate waterways on the seas and rivers and helps to avoid groundings, collisions and other maritime mishaps. This does not only save human life in danger, but it also prevents disaster on the marine environment which may lead to an oil spill with ecological and economic catastrophic outcomes.

Other than safety, hydrography is important to blue economy. It supports numerous marine-based activities such as commercial shipping, offshore energy exploration and production, fishing, coastal recreational activities and marine scientific research. As an example, accurate progress maps of the seabed have been vital in effective positioning of offshore wind farms, in durable fishing activity, and in laying of submarine cables.

Moreover, hydrography underpins environmental protection and marine spatial planning by gathering and providing valuable information regarding the underwater landscape. This information can be used to assist in identifying sensitive marine habitats, monitoring shifting coastlines as a result of climate change impacts, and in evaluating and assessing the consequences of human activities on marine ecology. The information hydrography provides is critical to the informed decision-making processes on matters of marine protected areas, coastal zone management, and climate change adaptations.

World Hydrography Day purposes a particular theme each year, which is chosen by the IHO Member States and focused on highlighting a specific component of hydrography and how it serves to address current global challenges. For instance, the theme for World Hydrography Day 2025 is “Seabed Mapping: Enabling Ocean Action.” This theme signifies the base value of mapping the seabed for a range of societal benefits, while also aligning with major global initiatives, such as the UN Ocean Decade. The theme builds awareness of how seabed data allow for safe shipping, equitable use of resources, biodiversity and food protection, and evaluates the impacts of climate change.

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On World Hydrography Day, national hydrographic offices, academic institutions, industry partners, and maritime organizations around the world will implement a variety of events, workshops, seminars, and public outreach initiatives to promote public understanding of the work done by the hydrographic community and create an awareness of and interest in the importance of hydrography.

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