Please complete your registration using the form below, selecting “19th BSRN Scientific Review and Workshop (June 2026)” for the first question.
The 2026 ANDEX Meeting will take place from 20–24 July 2026 at
Universidad de Cuenca
4X57+2Q6 Campus Balzay Universidad de Cuenca,
Gral. Escandón,
Cuenca,
Ecuador
Cuenca offers a wide range of accommodation options, from boutique hotels in historic buildings to modern apartments. Please use your own preferred method to find and book your accommodation.
To make your stay more convenient, we suggest considering the following neighborhoods:
For international travelers coming to Cuenca, you will first need to fly into either Quito or Guayaquil.
Travelling from Quito
By Air
Latam Airlines and Avianca Ecuador operate approximately six daily flights from Quito to Cuenca, with a flight duration of around one hour. One-way fares range from US$70 to US$140; however, last-minute bookings typically incur significantly higher costs.
By Bus
The bus trip from Quito to Cuenca takes 8 – 10 hours and costs around US$12 – US$18. Several bus lines offer service to Cuenca, and buses leave from the main bus terminal at least once per hour.
Travelling from Guayaquil
By Air
Latam Airlines offers limited service, operating flights only three days per week. On operational days, you can choose from just one or two available daily flights. One-way airfare from Guayaquil is approximately $50 – $80, however, last-minute bookings typically incur significantly higher costs.
By Bus
The bus journey from Guayaquil to Cuenca takes approximately four hours via the Cajas route. The alternative Cañar route adds an extra hour to your travel time. The Terminal Terrestre, Guayaquil’s main bus station, is conveniently located just five minutes by taxi from the airport. A cooperative of multiple bus lines operates departures approximately every 30 minutes, with service running throughout the night.
The buses have reclining seats and a bathroom is located in the rear of the bus. Bus fare is only $8.
Alternatively, Alianza and OperAzuayTur provide minibus services to Cuenca for US$12 per person, with a travel time of approximately 3½ hours. Both companies are located just five minutes by taxi from the airport and offer hourly departures. Alianza operates from 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM, while OperAzuayTur runs from 3:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Please note that there are other companies in the area offering shared minibuses at a lower price, but be aware that some of these companies may not possess the proper permits as commercial minibus operators.
Public transportation in Cuenca
Visa
Travelers to Ecuador do not need a visa for stays up to 90 days om a 12-month period. Visitors must hold a passport valid for at least 6 months, proof of return/onward travel, and sufficient funds. Click here to check if you need a visa.
If you are a passport holder from countries to which Ecuador requires a visa prior to entry into the country click here for the steps to obtain a tourist visa.
Emergency
The primary, all-encompassing emergency number in Ecuador is 911. This, known as ECU 911, operates nationwide for police, fire, and ambulance services, and it is free to call from any landline or mobile phone.
Cuenca City
Cuenca, officially Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca, is located in southern Ecuador’s Andes mountains. The city is recognized for its scenic Tomebamba River waterfront and traditional handicrafts, particularly Panama hats. Parque Calderón, the central plaza, features the iconic blue-domed Catedral Nueva and the 16th-century Catedral Vieja, which currently serves as a religious museum. The Museo y Parque Arqueológico Pumapungo preserves significant ruins and artifacts from the ancient Incan city of Tomebamba. UNESCO designated Cuenca’s historic center as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity during the 1990s.
JovenANDEX
Members of JovenANDEX can indicate during registration whether they wish to participate in the JovenANDEX poster presentation. To do so, please complete the relevant section. You will be notified of the acceptance of your abstract in mid-June 2026.
Travel Support
Limited financial assistance in the form of travel support is available to enable and support the attendance of students, early career researchers (ECRs) and scientists from certain developing countries to events sponsored by GEWEX.
Assistance will be assigned based on financial need and the applicant’s contribution to the event concerned. Applicants must attend the entire event in order to qualify for the financial assistance.
Registration
The program is expected to be available in early July 2026.
ANDEX is a Regional Hydroclimatic Program for the Andes. The program is part of the GEWEX Hydroclimatology Panel (GHP) of the Global Energy and Water Exchanges Program (GEWEX), one of the core projects of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP). One key goal of ANDEX is to become a regional hydroclimatic program of reference constituted by a consolidated and articulated scientific community that responds to the needs of society and contributes to planning and decision-making for the sustainable development of the Andean countries. Water security for Andean populations, and high-impact hydroclimatic events, constitute our two main themes of research, production and dissemination of knowledge and information.
The ANDEX Annual Meetings represent one core activity of the program, and this year this event will take place at the Universidad de Cuenca, between 20–24 July 2026. The aim is to bring together the members of the ANDEX community as well as collaborators working on the different Andean countries. Also anticipated, is a vibrant participation of members of JovenANDEX, a network created to incorporate the vision, needs and activities of early career scientists within the ANDEX program.
As part of the ANDEX-Academia program, three courses will be offered this year aimed at strengthening capacities in the Andean region:
In addition, the well-established JovenANDEX poster session will take place. This session has been very well received in recent years and has become a key platform for showcasing the work of young researchers from the region.
As part of the meeting’s activities, a field trip to Cajas National Park, located a few kilometers from the city of Cuenca, will take place on Thursday, July 23. During this visit, participants will explore the humid páramo ecosystem of southern Ecuador, a high-mountain system characteristic of the tropical Andes and essential for providing water to a large part of the country’s population.
The program is expected to be available in early July 2026 at https://www.gewexevents.org/meetings/2026andex/program/
To participate in the 2026 ANDEX Meeting, please register at https://www.gewexevents.org/meetings/2026andex/registration/
The registration form includes a section for members of JovenANDEX to express their interest in participating in the JovenANDEX poster presentation.
Limited financial assistance in the form of travel support is available to enable and support the attendance of students, early career researchers (ECRs) and scientists from certain developing countries to events sponsored by GEWEX.
Please be aware of the following deadlines for registration:
| Your registration includes an application for travel support | 30 May 2026 |
| Your registrations includes an interest in a poster presentation | 14 June 2026 |
| All other registrations | 29 June 2026 |
The 2026 ANDEX Meeting will take place from 20–24 July 2026 at
Universidad de Cuenca
4X57+2Q6 Campus Balzay Universidad de Cuenca,
Gral. Escandón,
Cuenca,
Ecuador
Visa
Travelers to Ecuador do not need a visa for stays up to 90 days om a 12-month period. Visitors must hold a passport valid for at least 6 months, proof of return/onward travel, and sufficient funds. Click here to check if you need a visa.
If you are a passport holder from countries to which Ecuador requires a visa prior to entry into the country click here for the steps to obtain a tourist visa.
Accommodation and Travel
For information about traveling to Cuena and accommodation visit the Practical Information tab at https://www.gewexevents.org/meetings/2026andex/practical-information/
Background image courtesy of amalavida.tv from Ecuador, CC BY-SA 2.0
Other images courtesy of ISISPOTS Photo & Video – Cuenca city center: Cajas National Park – Balzay Campus
Tuesday 12 May 2026
Location: Osh State University – Main Building, Room 117
| 09:00 am Opening Session (1 hr.) | |
| Welcome | Osh State University |
| Introduction to GEWEX | Peter van Oevelen |
| Future Water Resources of Central Asia – Policy Issues | Michael Brody |
First Working Session (5–6 hrs.)
Xin Li + colleagues – Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research
Accessing and utilizing datasets from the Third Pole Environment (TPE) Data Repository, specifically tailored to regional needs.
Introduction to their eco-hydrological model for the Tibetan Plateau river basin and its potential application in the endorheic river basins of the Pan-Third Pole region, with the theme of improving understanding of water resources in Central Asia.
Wrap up (30 min.)
Wednesday 13 May 2026
Location: Osh State University – Main Building, Room 117
09:00 am Opening (1 hr.)
Stefan Rahimi (Remote), University of Wyoming
Regional Downscaling Modeling for Central Asia – Summary of work to date
Second Working Session (5–6 hrs.)
Ben Jarihani – James Cook University
Overview emerging satellite platforms for hydrological monitoring. These include precipitation missions soil moisture sensors, evapotranspiration products, terrestrial water storage, altimetry systems, and snow monitoring platforms to better quantify snow water equivalent and mountain water storage—critical for the Syr Darya and Amu Darya “water towers.” Plus, the role of cloud-based platforms such as Google Earth Engine (GEE), and advances in AI and machine learning that simplify remote sensing workflows for non-expert users.
Practical Exercises
Wrap up (30 min.)
Thursday 14 May 2026
Location: Osh State University – Main Building, Room 117
09:00 am Opening
The last day of the 4th Workshop on Central Asia will focus on integration of the demonstrated analytical approaches and planning for specific project collaborations.
Registration is closed.
One of the priority areas of the Global Energy and Water Exchanges (GEWEX) program is the improved understanding of the impacts of the Earth system variability and change on water availability and food security across mountain ranges and river basins. GEWEX was founded over 30 years ago with the objective of addressing significant gaps in the understanding of Earth’s energy and water cycles given a lack of information about basic fluxes and reservoirs of these cycles.
The Initiating Regional Hydroclimate Project in Central Asia
Central Asia as a region is extremely vulnerable to Earth system change. The majority of its water resources are from summer melting of the regions’ mountain glaciers and annual snowpack. In a warming world, glacial extent and volume, as well as the snowpack, are declining. Agriculture is an important basis of the region’s economies and is highly dependent upon irrigation but also vulnerable to rising growing-season temperatures. For the region to efficiently and effectively adapt to these changes, it needs significantly improved observational networks and modeling that can provide more useful information for policymakers to invest in Earth system adaptation.
Initial steps for the proposed Regional Hydroclimate Project (RHP) in Central Asia have been to identify the relevant scientific and socio-economic community, its interests, priorities, and current capabilities and capacities. For more information about the Central Asia initiative visit https://www.gewex.org/central-asia-initiative/
This workshop will be the fourth workshop to develop the initiating RHP in Central Asia.
Agenda
The agenda is available at https://www.gewexevents.org/meetings/central_asia_2026/agenda/
Registration
Registration is closed.
Osh State University
Main Building, Room 117
331 Lenin Street,
723500, Osh City,
Kyrgyzstan
Grand Hotel Chavos (450 m)
280 Kurmanjan-Datka St
Osh
Hotel SunRiseOsh (1.7 km)
Masaliyev Avenue, 25A
Osh
Citizens from over 60 countries, including most of Europe, North America, and parts of Asia, do not need a visa for up to 30 days. To check if you need a visa visit https://www.evisa.e-gov.kg/get_information.php?lng=en.
Background image courtesy of Ninara – From Sary Tash to Osh, Kyrgyzstan, Alai Mountains
