SaciWATERs side event at World Water Forum 5

Forwarded to the Portal by: Anjal, SaciWATER's Date: 21 March 2009                                                                                     World Water Forum 5 Time: 1100-1300 Hrs                                                                            Istanbul, March 16-22, 2009 Venue/Room: Feshane/Lale Hall (F 5)                                                               Side Event

Up-scaling IWRM education in South Asia: which boundaries to cross?

The session is based on SaciWATERs initiative on regional capacity building on IWRM and Gender and Water in South Asia, called The Crossing Boundaries Project . The project works in four south Asian countries , India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka , to establish and strengthen Masters level education programmes for IWRM water professionals together with regional partner institutes. The session seeks to evaluate the current status of water resources education, assess the demand for interdisciplinary water professionals and identify challenges, opportunities and new initiatives in the realm of higher education for water resources in the region. Overall the session seeks to examine the demand for interdisciplinary water professionals. The key message is that at present the demand for such professionals is confined to the development sector, namely, donors and funders and some NGOs, particularly, large ones with an international presence, though some demand for these skills can also be seen to emerge in the corporate sector. A growing need for interdisciplinary professionals is felt within the government as well; however, a visible demand still needs to be created. It shall also discuss how higher education in South Asia's water resources knowledge system has responded to the changing societal demands on water resources use, management and governance practices and approaches through the findings of the study on status of water education in South Asia. The study suggests that there is a felt need for interdisciplinary professionals in the government as well as amongst non‐governmental organization and research institutions but a visible demand still needs to be created on scale. Download the Flyer with more information regarding the event:SaciWATERs event at World Water Forum 5