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Advancing water security through massive open learning

GEF-UNDP/UNEP IW:LEARN

By IW:LEARN

September 7^th, 2020

Human water use in river basins has surpassed sustainable limits. A new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on freshwater security aims to deliver skills and knowledge for cooperation on water, which is vital to most international basins and the countries that depend on them. GEF IW:LEARN has been driving the development of the MOOC, coordinated and produced by Global Water Partnership (GWP), and with contributions from leading organisations.

Roughly 60% of the world’s freshwater resources cross national borders. This means that the lives and livelihoods of 2.8 billion people – or 42% of the world’s population – depend on countries’ abilities to share and manage this water sustainably. The new MOOC, Governance for Transboundary Freshwater Security, presents multiple facets of governance for transboundary freshwater security.

GEF IW:LEARN Project Manager, Mish Hamid, believes that the MOOC is timely and fills an important niche as we move towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: “GEF IW:LEARN is well positioned to respond to the priorities of the Global Environmental Facility’s International Waters focal area strategy, including enhancing water security in freshwater ecosystems. This MOOC provides experience from a global range of experts and GEF International Waters projects, enabling participants to gain insight into the challenges, complexities and opportunities of cooperation on shared water systems. Without water, nothing is secure and cooperative transboundary solutions are crucial to obtain outcomes that are in the best interest of people and ecosystems. We encourage everyone to take the course, even well experienced practitioners, and engage with your peers around the world working on those transboundary solutions. It is our hope that through this MOOC, we help empower all stakeholders to become more proactive in achieving water security.”

Advancing water security through massive open learning

GWP Senior Network Specialist Yumiko Yasuda is excited about the launch: "The world faces urgent need to better manage our shared water resources affecting half of the global population. We have always seen the need for building capacity particularly on governance aspect of managing this resources (alternatively, managers of transboundary waters told us they need more capacity building on governance aspects of managing this resources). This MOOC allows us to provide this opportunity on a massive scale to anyone in the world interested in this aspect. The unique aspect of this MOOC is that we have engaged a wide range of speakers from academics to practitioners from all parts of the world, allowing audience to understand both theoretical principles and practical applications of their learnings."

Yumiko believes that "this MOOC can give you new knowledge, inspiration, and new connection through peer to peer learning experiences, that eventually contribute to the water secure world for all."

The building of the MOOC and all its components – with 80 experts bringing their experiences to lectures and case studies – has been under way for over a year, and includes experiences from seven GEF International Waters Projects:

GEF-UNDP Enabling Transboundary Cooperation and Integrated Water Resources Management in the Dniester River Basin project
GEF-World Bank Sustainable Groundwater Management in SADC Member States project
GEF-UNDP Integrated Water Resources Management in the Puyango-Tumbes, Catamayo-Chira and Zarumilla Transboundary Aquifers and River Basins project
GEF-UNDP Support to the Cubango-Okavango SAP Implementation project
GEF-UNDP Advancing IWRM Across the Kura River Basin through Implementation of the Transboundary Agreed Actions and National Plans project
GEF-UNDP Improving IWRM, Knowledge-based Management and Governance of the Niger Basin and the Iullemeden-Taoudeni/Tanezrouft Aquifer System (NB-ITTAS) project
GEF-UNDP Enabling Transboundary Cooperation and Integrated Water Resources Management in the Extended Drin River Basin project.

Module 5c elucidates the TDA and SAP, a highly collaborative process proven to be a major component of GEF International Waters projects over the last 16 years, for transboundary freshwater security governance.

The MOOC covers a variety of topics over six modules, ranging from the fundamentals of transboundary water security, international water law, water diplomacy, negotiations, institutions, management tools, and sustainable finance.

In addition to students, the course is suitable for many groups of people – such as those working with river basin authorities, government officials, professional organisations, civil society organisations and networks, as well as the wider public interested in transboundary water issues. Jackie King, world-renowned aquatic ecologist and Winner of the 2019 Stockholm Water Prize, says that she looks forward to learning from the other lecturers, to deepen her understanding of what transboundary water governance entails.

To access the course, please follow this link: SDG Academy.

A snapshot of the introduction to the MOOC.

A snapshot of Module 1e on "Practical Approaches to Foster Transboundary Cooperation: Theory to Action" lectured by Astrid Hillers, Senior Environmental Specialist and Program Manager, GEF.

A snapshot of Module 2c on "Negotiation Fundamentals" lectured by Jerome Delli Priscoli, Chair, Technical Committee, GWP.

A snapshot of Module 5b on "Technological Tools in Transboundary Water Governance" lectured by Nagaraja Harshadeep, Lead Environmental Specialist and Global Lead in Disruptive Technology, the World Bank.

A snapshot of Module 6b on "Why Invest in Transboundary Basin Activities?" lectured by David Hebart-Coleman, Program Manager – Water Resources, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

For more information on the Governance for Transboundary Freshwater Security MOOC and the IW:LEARN, please contact the IW:LEARN Deputy Project Manager and Training Specialist, Natalie Degger (natalie@iwlearn.org ), and the Project Manager, Mish Hamid (mish@iwlearn.org). Other outputs and information related to GEF IW:LEARN and transboundary water management are readily available on the website.