Water is at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and for the health and prosperity of people and planet. However, the progress on water related goals and targets remains off track. There is a global need for education and capacity building on water.
UNITAR contributes to this global need through a series of educational and training activities with the ultimate goal to contribute to SDG 6, the Water Action Agenda and other high-level related discussions.
The Water Initiative is comprised of:
- Water Academy
- Conferences
- Training activities
1. Water Academy
UNITAR
The “Water Academy” as an education platform seeks to:
- Forging skills and knowledge such that water management practices can be replicated and scalable.
- Forging awareness and a water culture based on ethics and a responsible attitude towards water.
Areas of work
Created as a multi-stakeholder collaboration with York University (Canada) as Academic Lead, the “Water Academy” seeks to tackle diverse aspects of the water sustainability crisis by innovating with academic institutions and private sector partners to:
- Promote knowledge transfer and capacity sharing
- Offer a hybrid way of learning
- Develop scientifically based water solutions that inform water policies and programmes
- Measure and monitor the impact and promote replicability of water management practices
- Facilitate conversations and partnerships to enhance understanding of water issues
- Support capacity building of sustainable management of water especially in distressed areas and for Indigenous communities and marginalized/equity-deserving groups.
It will serve a broad audience including government officials, private sector and civil society representatives – key agents of societal change – on sustainable water management practices.
2. Conferences
UNITAR
SIDE EVENT: PROMOTING WATER CULTURE THROUGH LEARNING & ACTION - WEDNESDAY 22 MARCH 2023
Academic partners: York University, Canada; Nova School of Business and Economics, Portugal; Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.
Time: 9:30 to 10:45
Format: Roundtable Dialogue – Conference room 7, UNHQ, New York
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SIDE EVENT: SUSTAINABLE CLIMATE ACTION FOR WATER CRISES - THURSDAY 23 MARCH 2023
Partners: Permanent Missions of Bahamas, Morocco, and Tajikistan in association with World Youth Group
Time: 14:00 to 15:15
Format: Panel Discussion – Trusteeship Council Chamber, UNHQ, New York
SIDE EVENT: WATER SECURITY, DISASTERS, AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE: CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND SOLUTIONS - FRIDAY 24 MARCH 2023
Partners: York University, Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center, Colorado Water Center, Global Water Promise, mWater, Newcastle University and Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Stockholm International Water Institute, Toronto Metropolitan University
Time: 12:30 to 13:45
Format: Panel Discussion – Room B, UNHQ, New York
3. Training activities
UNITAR
UNITAR
Sustainable Maritime Operations Course
By: CIFAL City of London; MLA College, England.
Date: January – April 2023.
Location: Online
This course combines the skills of critical thinking, analysis and communication required by a senior manager with an academic examination and appreciation of the important strategic and technological issues in today’s maritime industry.
UNITAR
Professional Course on Water Governance
By: CIFAL Philippines; University of the Philippines, Philippines.
Date: January - June 2023.
Location: Online
The Professional Course on Water Governance (PCWG) provides a holistic framework that addresses the issues surrounding water sustainability and its relations to integrated water resource use. The course aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation deals with the complex issues of water governance and explores how adaptive solutions might be explored and pursued in the local context. The course is a continuing education for professionals, particularly those whose work or responsibility relates to or is involved with water supply, sanitation, and hygiene promotion, as well as comprehensive development planning.
Link: https://cifal.up.edu.ph/courses/professional-course-on-water-governance/
UNITAR
Ocean Network Canada: Oceanographic Water Properties Training Program
By: CIFAL Victoria – University of Victoria.
Date: February 2023.
Location: Victoria, Canada
Canada’s advancement of ocean science and innovation continues to go from strength to strength with the expansion of Ocean Networks Canada’s world-leading deep sea and coastal ocean observatories and partnerships. Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), an initiative of the University of Victoria (UVic), operates observatories in the deep ocean, coastal waters, and the land of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic coasts of Canada, delivering continuous, real-time, and archived open-access ocean data.
Link: https://www.oceannetworks.ca/news-and-stories/stories/advancing-canadas-science-and-innovation-for-ocean-protection/ https://www.uvic.ca/about-uvic/cifal/index.php
UNITAR
Humanitarian Water Engineering Course
By: CIFAL York; University of York, Canada.
Date: February - April 2023.
Location: Online
The Humanitarian Water Engineering Intensive Course offers participants an opportunity to gain essential knowledge and skills in supplying safe water to populations in precarious situations. The course covers the theoretical fundamentals and practical considerations on the design and operation of water supply systems in humanitarian settings including source selection, water quality, water treatment, distribution and the safe water chain, and outbreak preparedness and response. For twelve weeks, participants will engage in a rich, multifaceted online learning experience consisting of curated readings, knowledge-testing quizzes, lectures from experienced engineering practitioners and faculty, and small group problem-based learning (PBL) activities guided by talented facilitators. The course is structured into five units which provide a comprehensive overview of key technical areas of safe water supply in emergencies including Water source development (groundwater and surface waters); Water quality characterization and risk assessment; Water treatment methods, process selection, and design; Safe water supply chain (distribution and delivery); Waterborne disease outbreak preparedness and response.
UNITAR
Water Security, Disasters, and Resilience in a Changing Climate: Challenges, Opportunities, and Solutions (Side event – United Nations Water Conference 2023)
By CIFAL York, University of York, Canada.
Date: 24 March 2023.
Location: New York, USA.
This side event aims to highlight some of the key challenges that water insecurity poses to communities in Canada and around the globe, including contextualizing legal, cultural, historical, political, scientific, technological, and Indigenous insights into why hundreds of Indigenous communities in Canada continue to be unable to access clean drinking water in a country with over 9 million lakes and over 20% of the world’s freshwater supply, how to develop sustainable management plans for resources in the Congo Basin, and how to manage the water crisis in the Colorado basin. Moreover, we offer scientific, technological, and natural solutions to improve the resilience of freshwater systems, including the use of UV, advanced oxidation processes, and nanotechnology applied to water purification and water treatment in remote and Arctic communities, machine learning and artificial intelligence to maintain water quality, empowering women and providing education for children to safeguard water supplies, and developing policies around water cooperation across stakeholders and sectors. Our aim is to use our side event as an opportunity to contextualize trans-disciplinary research and lived experiences to shed light on freshwater security against the backdrop of global efforts to boost ambition, transdisciplinary, and cross-boundary action on adaptation to the impacts of planetary stressors on freshwater security.
UNITAR
The Spring Rain
By: CIFAL Hubei; HopeChase Foundation, China.
Date: April 2023.
Location: Online
This course is developed by CIFAL Hubei, Hubei Education University and Future education academy for primary and secondary school students. By explaining the importance of water resources to urban development, and teaching students to analyze the water samples from the rainfall and the water in lakes, rivers, and canals in cities, students can understand how the pollution of water resources in their cities could affect human life and urban development. Enhance students' sense of urgency to protect water resources. Students will be encouraged to disseminate the urgency of protecting water resources to the public through public welfare publicity activities.
UNITAR
Report for the Sustainable Development Goals 6, 11 and 14
By: CIFAL Hubei; HopeChase Foundation, China.
Date: July - August 2023.
Location: Online
This course is a compulsory course jointly developed by CIFAL Hubei and the Environmental Engineering College of Tongji University. Through the detailed explanation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially the SDG goals related to water resources protection, such as Goals 6, 11, and 14, the course allows undergraduate students to conduct field surveys and complete the sustainable development research report related to sustainable development in their hometown cities. Use real data to show society the impression of water pollution on the sustainable development of cities, the health of residents, and the damage to aquatic organisms. Urge the local government and relevant departments to pay attention to the protection of water resources and take action on it.
UNITAR
Wastewater Treatment for SDGs 2030
By: CIFAL Hubei; HopeChase Foundation, China.
Date: September 2023.
Location: Online
The course is developed by CIFAL Hubei, Tongji University, and Chaoyang High School for secondary school students. In this course, the participants will learn the basic concept of water pollution and wastewater treatment and practice in the university-level laboratory using professional water analysis and treatment equipment. The course also will be recorded and shared on the internet for free.
UNITAR
Blue Carbon and Ocean Water Protection
By: CIFAL Hubei; HopeChase Foundation, China.
Date: July - August 2023.
Location: Online
This event will be organized by CIFAL Hubei, Tongji University, Narwhal Ocean Research Center, and Hainan Wanning's local government. The project will let the participants understand the basic knowledge of blue carbon through sampling and analysis of seawater quality and investigation of mangrove status. Understand that the destruction of marine organisms and mangroves caused by seawater pollution will lead to a significant decline in the capacity of the ocean to deal with carbon emissions. It also advocates more social organizations and government agencies to pay attention to the pollution of seawater and reduce the pollution of seawater by sewage discharge.
UNITAR
Safe Water for a Healthy Life
By: CIFAL Ecuador; CONGOPE, Ecuador.
Date: November 2023.
Location: Online
The Safe Water for a Healthy Life Technical Meeting, an event organized by CONGOPE (Consortium of Provincial Autonomous Governments of Ecuador), and CIFAL Ecuador, seeks to promote awareness of the importance of water as an essential natural resource for life and health, highlighting the need for its proper, efficient and responsible use; create awareness among decision-makers and public opinion about the urgency of promoting the fight against contamination of water sources, promoting actions for the conservation, preservation, and protection of water resources, to guarantee sustainable management and access for the population to safe water; promote the fight against water pollution, the control of bacterial and parasitic diseases transmitted by water and encourage local governments and other actors in society to take advantage of working together to improve sanitary conditions, universal access to safe water and sanitation and quality of services.
Link: https://unitar.org/about/offices-training-centres-around-world/cifal-ecuador
UNITAR
Conference on Adaptation to Climate Change in Cities: Water (series)
By: CIFAL Málaga; Málaga City Hall, Spain.
Date: January - March 2022.
Location: Online
This conference delves into SDG 11: "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable"; and aligns with both the United Nations New Urban Agenda (paragraph 79), which includes the commitment to promote climate action at all scales, including the local scale, including adaptation to climate change and building resilience; and with the European Union Urban Agenda and the Spanish Urban Agenda. Climate change adaptation strategies are necessary at all levels, but it is at the urban level where they are implemented to avoid or minimize damage, a task that must be complementary to mitigation efforts.
At this conference, the focus was the availability of templates the sources of funding for their development, and the availability of support tools. The fight against climate change is not only a challenge but can also be understood as an opportunity to bring about a change in lifestyle that allows the development of a fairer and more balanced world, where the patterns of progress refer to solidarity, equity, cooperation, participation, and respect.
Links:
UNITAR
Global Vision Summit - Water is Life
By: Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, CIFAL Honolulu; Chaminade University, USA.
Date: 5 March 2022.
Location: Hybrid
Nowadays, it is crucial to reflect on how water is an essential part of our lives and how we often take it for granted. Society should question the understanding of the issues related to water globally and in our community, and how our actions impact waterways for future generations. It is important to highlight the historical perspective of how water was viewed and protected by our ancestors. The significance of water and the impact of its scarcity on our lives should be always considered. The PAAC explores various issues related to water and becoming water protectors in their community.
As recognized by the United Nations, "Water will be the primary medium through which we feel the effects of climate change." At GVS, experts led conversations on topics including marine ecology, conservation biology, water crisis management, the health of nearshore ecosystems, and a Polynesian lens on the sacredness of water.
Links:
UNITAR
World Water Day: A Solutions-Driven Workshop on Climate Impacts on Freshwater
By CIFAL York; University of York, Canada.
Date: 22 March 2022.
Location: Online
This event is part of a series of knowledge-exchange dialogues on Climate, Nature, and People spearheaded by CIFAL York. The first in the series was held on October 20-21, 2021. This event is co-organized collaboratively as a Joint Provostial Fellow / CIFAL event to mark World Water Day. To share knowledge and experiences from researchers and generate discussion within York University. Water as a catalyst for adaptation to impacts of climate change and ecosystem degradation. The impacts of climate change and ecosystem degradation are experienced in local communities regionally. The experiences are inequitable but region-specific.
Experiences from Africa, south-east Asia, and Indigenous voices in Canada are represented. World Water Day is an opportunity to contextualize these experiences concerning global efforts to boost ambition on adaptation action, and strengthening inter-regional and cross-boundary adaptation to the impacts of planetary stressors - e.g. food systems, water, agriculture and fisheries, energy - with special focus on human and environmental health.
UNITAR
Water Treatment Training Certificate Programme in the Sustainable Development Goals
By: CIFAL Hubei; HopeChase Foundation, China.
Date: 5-12 May 2022.
Location: Online
During the epidemic, teachers and students were unable to communicate face to face, to learn more about the United Nations' sustainable development goals. Together with universities, research institutions, and Shanghai Chaoyang Middle School, we have designed and produced video courses related to sewage treatment knowledge and technology. It was also piloted in Shanghai Chaoyang Middle School. To design a set of courses related to environmental protection and sewage treatment, all courses were made in video formats and made into online courses. All the learners around the world will be free to learners in less developed and rural areas.
Content and Structure: Water and Human life, Magical water cycle, Water pollution, Sewage disposal, Introduction to water quality inspection, Brief introduction of water eutrophication, Water sampling, preservation, and pre-treatment, Detection of suspended substances in river water, Ammonia nitrogen detection test in river water, Water purification, Rational utilization of rainwater.
UNITAR
UN-Water Futures
By: CIFAL Victoria; University of Victoria, Canada.
Date: 13 November - 15 December 2022.
Location: Hybrid.
In response to the increasingly dire planetary and environmental situation, as well as the ongoing failure of the Trudeau government to form an independent Canada Water Agency, the Centre and its partners invited the expert Robert Sandford to participate in an exciting panel discussion. Sandford holds the Global Water Futures Chair in Water and Climate Security at the United Nations Institute for Water, Environment, and Health. In his talk, Sanford spoke persuasively about the need for political leadership to create a more sustainable and climate-resilient Canada. He also spoke in depth about the tangible benefits an official Canadian Water Agency and updated Canada Water Act would provide. In doing so he relied on both the most recent scientific research and language that can be meaningfully translated into public policy. Oliver Brandes, Co-Director of the POLIS Project, and Crystal Tremblay, Acting Director of CIFAL Victoria, joined the conversation as discussants, offering astute commentary and providing their expertise on the critical question of water conservation in Canada.
This event had the objective of raising awareness of the need to stop pushing planetary boundaries beyond points of no return; To discuss the need to create a more sustainable and climate-resilient Canada through leadership, political reforms, and the creation of a vibrant, independent Canada Water Agency.