Global Water Security
United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) has partnered with CATHALAC to develop a knowledge based, online training course on water security. The Global Water Security course is being developed as a response to the growing need to understand the complexities of water security issues outlined in UN-Water’s Analytical Brief: Water Security & the Global Water Agenda (2013).
Course Start
Apr 15, 2024
Course End
Apr 15, 2025
Duration
100 hours
Certificate
No
About this Course
The Global Water Security course will provide a general and international approach to the ongoing issue of water security, with an overarching goal of educating professionals on the processes and conditions needed for safe, secure, sustainable and sufficient water for community development.
Using UN-Water’s conceptual framework on water security as a basis, we have structured our course to include eight thematic modules, and an introduction and conclusion module. The course will be about 100 hours in duration and presented in an modules format.
What you will learn
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- What is water security and why it is important for planning sustainable water management and building community resilience
- Understand the basic elements of water security conceptual framework proposed by UN Water (2013) and distinguish multifaceted aspects in water management beyond the hydrological dimension
- Gain knowledge of different ways in which water security understanding can contribute to implementation of water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Course Outline and Schedule
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Course Outline
Introduction
- Definition of Water Security
- Importance of Water Security
- Components of Water Security
Governance
- Definition of Good Governance
- Levels and types of governance
- Legal regimes and secure water situations
- Government policies for water security
- Building institutional capacity (and services)
- Infrastructure for water security
Transboundary Cooperation
- Introduction to transboundary cooperation
- History and theory of transboundary water management
- Analysis of key factors influencing transboundary water management
Financing
- Examples of Innovative financing of Water Security
- Funding sources/schemes: Public & Private; Micro-financing
- Financial partnerships
- Water security funding requirements
Peace and Political Stability
- Definition/example of peace and political stability
- Conflict and water: connection and types of conflict
- Political stability and secure water
Safe Water
- Concept of WASH
- Global Status
- WASH and Health
- Water related diseases
- Sanitation and Health
- Financing
Ecosystems
- Water and ecosystems
- Ecosystems impact: fresh water delivery
- Ecosystems impact: community and economy
- Maintaining water friendly ecosystems
Resilience
- Resiliency
- Water-Related Hazards
- Climate Change
- Building and Maintaining Resiliency
The Economics of Water
- Economics of Water
- Water’s influence on food, energy production, industry, transport, tourism
- Building Water Security in cities
Summary
- How everything works together
- Summary
Course Developed by
Nidhi Nagabhatla
Principal Researcher: Water Security
United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health