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Experiences from others How to benefit from IWRM ToolBox in education? Danka Thalmeinerova Global Water Partnership User survey conducted March – May 2012 A broad application; education and training dominates Suggestions to use ToolBox; education dominates Favorits: case studies How can IWRM knowledge at the IWRM ToolBox be translated into education curricula? One of many ways to do so: Regional knowledge management workshops with GWP partners`universities on IWRM education and using IWRM ToolBox AIMS: to explore educational needs and how IWRM GWP ToolBox can benefit the education process to promote the use of GWP IWRM ToolBox in universities for knowledge exchange and capacity development on priority water needs to share information on existing and planned courses/programs that relate to water Example: Armenia, Kyrgyzstan training of University lectureres (2012) • to encourage professors of universities to develop IWRM curricula Example: Knowledge Management regional workshops with universities GWP West Africa, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal GWP Caribbean, University of West Indies, Barbados GWP Eastern Africa, Makerere University GWP Indonesia, Universitas Jakarta Experiences from Central Europe universities • None of the course is focused on IWRM • Several short-term courses (EU funds) regarding IWRM – these are, according participants, not sustainable • Most IWRM-oriented topics are a subject of research rather than education • According participants there is no “real” forum or platform for sharing and exchanging experiences and information between lecturers Experiences from Central Asia universities • An interest of lecturers and students in IWRM research has increased dramatically, however, study materials are scattered and not consistent. • Lecturers in some Central Asia countries are excluded from water policy reforms. • Students and lecturers have limited English knowledge that limit use of internet search for IWRM. Lessons learnt from Caribbean • • • There are not enough training courses directly on IWRM, most of water related courses offered a comprehensive education and information regarding IWRM. Most of universities in Caribbean region do not know about each other. The lack of proper channels on how research and science is communicated to the ministers, city mayors, town clerks, and sewage and waste management managers is still an obstacle for evidence based policies. Findings so far.....(about lecturers) • Most of lecturers are involved in donor-driven development program with IWRM aspects, however, their role is limited to research - oriented and scattered assignments rather than an overall processes applied at national, basin levels. Thus, it is felt that capacities that exist at universities are not fully utilized in water planning processes or development of national water policies. • Many lecturers are able to attend international conferences but there is almost no opportunity to make an exchange of lecturers among different universities within a single country or at regional levels. The result is that lecturers lack information regarding similar and sometimes complementary programs taught in the same country or the region. Findings so far.....(about case studies) • • • Making IWRM a part of education requires to illustrate the application of IWRM in concrete case studies. These are not always available to lecturers. Most case studies deal with IWRM processes implemented in west/north developed world that is not applicable to developing nations. Many IWRM case studies searched at free access databases are made for a specific purpose – to capture the findings of individual projects with a limited follow up after the project is completed. There was a strong request from universities that GWP should devote resources to develop peer reviewed case studies to be qualified for university education. Findings so far.....(about IWRM at universities) • An enthusiastic motion regarding IWRM culminated some years ago and some universities made a progress to introduce IWRM in education programs. Without waiting for the first graduates and practitioners in IWRM studies, current attention was shifted to climate change and water-foodenergy nexus thinking. There is a little understanding that these new jargons can reinforce efforts to continue to introduce IWRM aspects in education, both in universities or other capacity building programs. • It was concluded after each workshop that existing strengths of universities within specific disciplines such as hydrology, chemistry, engineering, and geography, can be expanded to include key elements of IWRM such as economics, ecology, public health, and policy planning. IWRM ToolBox has this potential, as it comprises an arsenal of tools complemented by supporting materials to do so.