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In developing countries in Africa and Asia, meeting challenges of water scarcity and pollution has often been hampered by shortcomings in higher education, including insufficient research productivity and funding, lack of opportunity for university graduates, and a mismatch between university activities and societal needs. To address these issues, we developed novel programs integrating technical instruction and preparation for professional practice in hydrology for cohorts of graduate students from Morocco and Egypt (2012–2013) and from Türkiye and Indonesia (2013–2014). Students participated in an initial online course and a follow‐up workshop featuring geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and hydrologic modeling with internet‐based data sets. Field activities in the USA (first cohort) and in the students' home countries (second cohort) included stream gauging, measurement of water levels in wells, water sampling, and measurement of hydrochemical parameters. A subsequent online course focused on research ethics, preparing proposals and publications, and presenting findings to technical audiences and the public, culminating in presentations at conferences in the USA. Participants mentored other students at their home institutions and at K‐12 schools in Türkiye and Indonesia. Participant feedback during and after the programs tended to be strongly positive, and participants have continued to engage with project leaders and mentor students in their home countries and the USA. Our modular, hybrid approach offers a template for students in hydrology and related fields to develop relevant skills and engage internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aesesa Flores (AF) watershed has an important role for the community in the district of Ngada and Nagekeo, East Nusa Tenggara Province of Indonesia. However, in recent years, over exploitation of natural resources in the AF watershed has caused severe land degradation in the region. This study analyzed the carrying capacity of the AF watershed. The assessment of the AF watershed carrying capacity in this study was done according to the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry Regulation Number P.61/2014 that regulates the monitoring and evaluation of watershed management. The main objectives of this study were to assess the carrying capacity of the AF watershed, and evaluate the suitability of the aforementioned regulation to its condition. The results of carrying capacity analysis showed that the upstream region of the AF watershed was categorized to have a low carrying capacity condition, while both the middle and downstream region of the watershed were categorized to have a moderate carrying capacity condition. These results indicated that there was a need to prioritize the rehabilitation and land management in the upstream region of the AF watershed, in order to improve its condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]