22 June 2018: The UN University’s Institute for Water Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and the water programme of Future Earth organized a one-day workshop to identify capacity needs among water professionals in African countries and to plan for the future. The workshop brought together participants from Ghana, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Cameroon, Nigeria and Malawi, as well as from several universities and organizations. Participants agreed to cooperate on joint proposal writing to secure resources for capacity building.

UNU-INWEH launched the 2030WaterSecure programme, in March 2018, to build capacity for achieving the water-related goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) is but one of these; food security (SDG 2), health (SDG 3) and gender equity (SDG 5) are among the others, with some commentators arguing that water is an essential element for achieving all of the SDGs.

Workshop participants considered trends in e-learning, such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and their potential to meet capacity needs in the region. They proposed making greater use of social media to engage with young professionals in the field of water resource management, and to organize further workshops and internships.

Participants proposed making greater use of social media to engage with young professionals in the field of water resource management.

They also discussed the nature of water problems in various parts of the African continent, touching on aquaculture and food security in the Great Lakes region of Ghana, water and sanitation access in Kenya, and infrastructure needs in the Congo region. They commented on the difficulty of raising donor funds for capacity-building programmes.

The African Center for Aquatic Resources and Education (ACARE) presented its aim of creating a centre of excellence for capacity building of freshwater scientists and other professionals in the region. Participants expressed support for UNU-INWEH and ACARE to jointly liaise with national agencies to create an Africa-focused platform for knowledge sharing under the existing 2030WaterSecure programme, to be known as 2030AfricaWaterSecure.

The UNU-INWEH 2030WaterSecure programme builds on previous research activities under UN-supported programmes on global environmental change, including DIVERSITAS, the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP), the World Climate Change Research Programme (WCRP), and the Global Water System Project (GWSP). Future Earth is a global platform facilitating international scientific collaboration, including collaboration on water issues. [UNU Press Release] [UNU-INWEH Meeting Web Page] [Workshop Agenda] [2030WaterSecure Brochure] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on 2030WaterSecure Launch]