Water Education for Sustainable Development

1
Water Education for Sustainable
Development Andras Szöllosi-Nagy Deputy
Assistant Director-General for Natural
Sciences Secretary International Hydrological
Programme
2

• ISSUES
• Global water resources problems
• LOOMING WATER CRISES ?
• How to deal with these issues in water education?

3
Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)
International Hydrological Programme (IHP)

• The cycle is changing?
• Increased risks?
• Growing vulnerability?
• More disasters ?
• Less water for people?
• Crisis is looming?
• What crisis?
• Global or local?

4
First message

• Humans are changing the global water system in
  a globally-significant way
• without..
• adequate knowledge of the system and thus its
  response to change

5
Global change drivers

• Population growth, movement and age structures
• Geo-political changes and realignments
• Trade and subsidies
• Technological changes
• Climate change

6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
Global change impacts
 Global change is more than global climate
variability/change  It has natural PLUS
human/social dimensions A constellation of
changes, many global in domain For example,
we see large changes in
10
From Steffen et al. 2004
11
The Global Water System

• Water Cycling Deeply Embedded in Earth System
• Interconnections are Strong
• Change to One Part Reverberates Throughout

12
The Earth System Coupling the Physical,
Biogeochemical and Human Components
13
High Risk for Instabilities
14
Does the cycle accelerate?
15
ORSZÁGOS MUSZAKI IRÁNYÍTÓ TÖRZS (OMIT)
Budapest - Parliament
2006. március 30 - április 17.
16
Major floods and droughts worldwide in 2002
Korea
China
Germany
???
Austria
Czech
USA
Russia
China
France
Afghanistan
USA
Korea
Turkey
Mexico
Nepal
Senegal
Bangladesh
Haiti/ Jamaica
Philippines
India
Ethiopia
Vietnam
Ecuador
Sri Lanka
Indonesia
Kenya
Micronesia
Peru
Kenya
Bolivia
Uruguay
There is pressing need to develop advanced
risk management on water hazard in order to
secure human life and ensure sustainable
socio-economic development and poverty
alleviation.
17
Water hazard as a major challenge

• Intensifying and increasing occurrence of water
  related hazard in many part of the world
• Serious concern on climate change such as extreme
  hydrologic events and sea level rising

18
(Source Herat, UNU)

• Urban expansion taking place downward ?
  Underground flood risk
• Recent developments ? Long term risks are not
  experienced

Fukuoka simulation

• Volume of water entered into underground space
• 2,017 m3 (simulated volume)
• 1,320 m3 (total pumped water station)

19
(Source MLIT)
Fukuoka Flood in 1999
20
Water Stress Changes to 2025

• 80 of future stress from
• population
• development,
• not climate change!
• Correct Priorities?
• (E.g. 85 US global change
• research funding to
• climate and carbon)

Vörösmarty et al. 2000
UNH
21
Human Fingerprint on Land-to-Ocean Linkages
--Intercepted sediments that nourish our
coastlines

• Coastal zone now gets 30 less sediment
• 700 increase in water held in rivers
• Tripling of river runoff travel times

UNH
Vörösmarty et al. 2003
22
GLOBAL FRESHWATER RESOURCES
Relation between water availability and
population
23
If the current trend continues, sub-Saharan
Africa will not reach MDG water target
Progress in drinking water coverage,
1990-2002 (UNICEF/WHO JMP)
24
Many countries not on track to reach MDG
sanitation target
Progress in sanitation coverage,
1990-2002 (UNICEF/WHO JMP)
25
(No Transcript)
26
From Potential Conflict to Co-operation
Potential Water for Peace a contribution
toWorld Water Assessment Programme
27
Rainfall affects growth.. the case of Zimbabwe
 
28
(No Transcript)
29
Infrastructure gap Water storage

Water storage per person (m3)
30

• High Technology Earth Systems Tools
• Satellite data
• Simulation models
• Geospatial analysis tools
• They show promise but

31
Second message

• LOOMING WATER
• CRISES

32

• ISSUES
• Global water resources problems
• LOOMING WATER CRISES ?
• How to deal with these issues in water education?

33

• WATER EDUCATION
• AND
• CAPACITY BUILDING

34
Water at UNESCO "The three plus one pillars"

• International Hydrological Programme
• UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
  postgraduate education for water professionals
• (Delft, The Netherlands)
• UN World Water Assessment Programme periodical
  compilation of the World Water Development Report
  two issues so far
• (Perugia, Italy)
• Network of 167 IHP Water Centers

35
(No Transcript)
36
The International Hydrological Programme (IHP)
Intergovernmental scientific programme on water
resources of the UN system Created in 1975
after the International Hydrological Decade
Member States define needs and plans of phases
Growing emphasis on management and social aspects
37
International Hydrological Programme

• United Nations Decade of Education
• for Sustainable Development (DESD)
• 2005-2014
• UNESCO was designated as the lead agency for the
  DESD
• Thematic Programme 8 of the DESD, focusing on
  Education for Sustainable Water Management
• IHP is the lead partner for Thematic Programme 8
• A comprehensive Work Plan for Water Education at
  all levels adopted

38
Transition of IHP phases continuity with change
1996-2001 IHP-VHydrology and Water Resources
Developmentin a Vulnerable Environment
2008-2013 IHP-VII Water DependenciesSystems
under Stress and Societal Responses
39
Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme

• Examples of water education activities under
  IHP-VI
• (2002-2007)
• Adoption of UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water
  Education as a UNESCO Institute
• A comprehensive work plan on Water Education at
  all levels developed for the DESD
• Materials on water education developed and
  published (e.g. Water and Education Guide for
  Educators from the Americas and the Caribbean,
  Blue Planet, )
• Training courses (e.g. on environmental flows,
  monitoring techniques of groundwater resources,
  water management for government resource persons
  ).
• UNESCO Water Portal and newsletter.

40
The Core Programme Themes formulated for IHP-VII
THEME 1 Adapting to the Impacts of Global
Changes in River Basins Aquifer Systems
THEME 2 Strengthening Water Governancefor
Sustainability
THEME 3 Ecohydrology for Sustainability
THEME 4 Water and Life Support Systems
THEME 5 Water Educationfor Sustainable
Development
41
The three pillars for IHP-VII
Key Theme I
THEME 1 Adapting to the Impacts of Global
Changes in River Basins Aquifer Systems
THEME II Strengthening Water Governancefor
Sustainability
THEME III Ecohydrology for Sustainability
THEME IV Water and Life Support Systems
THEME V Water Educationfor Sustainable
Development
42
IHP Cross-Cutting and Associated Programmes
Other UN system organizations and programmesand
international and national associations WWAP -
WMO - FAO - IAEA - UNECE - UNESCWA - UNU - WHO -
UNEP, UNEP GEF, UNEP GEMS/WATER - WWAP - IAHS
International Association of Hydrological
Sciences - CPCW Cooperative Programme on Water
and Climate, The Netherlands. - PUB Prediction
in Ungauged Basins Project - IGRAC
International Groundwater Resources Assessment
Centre
THEME 1 Adapting to the Impacts of Global
Changes in River Basins Aquifer Systems
Cross-cuttingIHP programmes - HELP - FRIEND
Associated IHP programmes - IFI - ISI - PCCP -
JIIHP - ISRAM - G-WADI - UWMP - WHYMAP
THEME II Strengthening Water Governancefor
Sustainability
THEME III Ecohydrology for Sustainability
THEME IV Water and Life Support Systems
THEME V Water Educationfor Sustainable
Development
43
Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme

• IHP Phase VII (2008-2013)
• Water Dependencies Systems Under Stress and
  Societal Response
• Theme 1 Adapting to the Impacts of Global
  Changes on River Basins and Aquifer Systems
• Theme 2 Strengthening Water Governance for
  Sustainability
• Theme 3 Ecohydrology for Sustainability
• Theme 4 Water and Life Support Systems
• Theme 5 Water Education for Sustainable
  Development
• Focal area 5.1 Tertiary water education and
  professional development
• Focal area 5.2 Vocational education and
  training of water technicians
• Focal area 5.3 Water education in schools
• Focal area 5.4 Water education for
  communities, stakeholders and mass- media
  professionals

44
How we got here?
UNESCO Governing Bodies Work Plan for Water
Education / DESD Action Plan Survey and
prepare case studies Analyze case studies and
prepare guidelines UNESCO Functions (laboratory
of ideas standard-setter clearing house
capacity-builder catalyst for international
cooperation)
45
World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)
The State of The Worlds Freshwater Resources
46
(No Transcript)
47
(No Transcript)
48
Where do we go from here?
UNESCO Regional Workshops on Water
Education (Prepares case studies and
guidelines) (Experts level) (October 2008 to
February 2009) - 5th World Water Forum - UNESCO
World Conference on Education For Sustainable
Development (General feedback) (March
2009) Consultations within UNESCO (Examines
guidelines) (ESD Platform) (April 2009 to May
2009)
49
Where do we go from here?
Consultations with other UN bodies (IGOs
level) (April 2009 to May 2009) Consultations
with National Governments (Governmental
level) (June 2009 to October 2009) Issue of
Recommendations and Guidelines (2010) Piloting
of Recommendations (January 2010 to December
2011)
50
Some Key Issues

• Is it co-ordination of different levels of
  education desirable / needed? If so, how can it
  be done?
• How can we facilitate communication among policy
  makers, education practitioners and research
  scientists?
• How can we address the enormous needs in
  manpower in the water sector?
• How can we promote the interdisciplinarity
  among university and professional development
  courses?
• Do we need a paradigm shift from disciplinary
  education into thematic (issue oriented)
  education?

51
The challenge we all have

• How to put water in the mindsof people?