Estuaries Water Management Cooperation

n the 25th of November, the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education hosted a seminar in cooperation with the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (V&W). Both organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2006. The seminar was held to evaluate the cooperation between the two organisations in the framework the MoU, and to explore the way forward. The MoU has the specific object to implement educational water management activities in delta areas around the world.

Both V&W and UNESCO-IHE find it important to share knowledge and enable the exchange of information and experience on water management in deltas.

The seminar was attended by András Szöllösi-Nagy, Rector (UNESCO-IHE), Joop de Schutter, Deputy Director (UNESCO-IHE) and Luitzen Bijlsma, Director Waterdienst (V&W), as well as staff members of the two organisations that were involved in the implementation of projects with MOU funds.

During the seminar participants discussed the outcome of projects implemented in the framework of the MOU, and strengths and weaknesses of the cooperation's current setup. A special focus of the seminar was exploring new modalities of cooperation, new topics that could be added in addition to existing topics, and possible new beneficiary countries.