UNESCO and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have signed an agreement establishing the UNESCO International Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM) in Alexandria, Virginia. The ICIWaRM is now the 13th member of UNESCO’s global network of water centres. The new centre would notably increase support to developing countries, especially in Africa, but also in Latin America and the Caribbean. The overall mission of the new centre is “the advancement of the science and practice of integrated water resources management to address water security and other water-related challenges by regional and global action, through new knowledge, innovative technologies, collaborative interdisciplinary scientific research, networking, training and capacity development within the framework of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme.”

Besides the USACE which acts as the lead organisation and host of the UNESCO ICIWaRM, other participating institutions include USAID, the Nature Conservancy, the U.S. State Department, U.S. Geological Survey, University of Arizona, Oregon State University and the International School for Water Resources at Colorado State University (CSU).

Web site: Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM)

Source: UNESCO, 29 Oct 2009 ; CSU, 03 Dec 2009

Tags: africa, capacity development, latin america & caribbean, technology, water resources management