Water resources management is at the very core of sustainable development, critical to the survival of people and the planet. The Sustainable Development Goal for water, SDG 6, does not only address drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, but also the quality and sustainability of water resources worldwide. To successfully meet this goal, there is a need to develop new skills for water managers at the country level. UN Environment is taking a leading role in this work, with a special focus on targets 6.3, 6.5 and 6.6, aiming at ensuring good water quality, implementing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), and protecting water-related ecosystems, respectively.
As part of this work, two new training manuals are now being launched together with Cap-Net UNDP to contribute to developing the necessary skills. The training manuals are targeted towards water managers in particular, but also trainers, academics, government officials in relevant sectors, and representatives of non-governmental and administrative bodies that have a stake in development planning and can influence policy.
The Water Pollution Management training manual is focused on access to clean and risk-free water, and the major threat water pollution poses to the global ecosystem. The training manual provides an understanding of water pollution drivers, stakeholder involvement, and strategic planning for pollution prevention and management. The manual builds capacities especially for indicator 6.3.2, “Percentage of bodies of water with good ambient water quality”, but also partly for the implementation of IWRM and the protection of water-related ecosystems. The manual has been developed by Cap-Net UNDP, UN Environment, Cap-Net UNDP, UNEP-DHI, Nile IWRM-Net and Cap-Net Sri Lanka.
The Ecosystem Functions and Services training manual focuses on the hidden values provided by freshwater ecosystems, including flood control and wastewater purification. These values are seldom estimated or taken into account in decision-making, which can lead to decisions that jeopardise water security and development. The manual builds capacities especially for indicator 6.6.1, “Percentage of change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time”, but also partly for the implementation of IWRM and improved water quality. The manual has been developed by Cap-Net UNDP, UN Environment, UNESCO-IHE, REDICA, Cap-Net Bangladesh and SIWI.
You can access the manuals through Cap-Net UNDP’s website or through the Cap-Net mobile application.
Cap-Net UNDP is an international network for capacity development in sustainable water management. It is made up of a partnership of autonomous international, regional and national institutions and networks committed to capacity development in the water sector. Cap-Net UNDP serves as a partner for the GEMI project, a monitoring initiative established in 2014, and is producing a series of training packages on the GEMI assessment methodology in the coming year. For more information about the work of Cap-Net UNDP or how you can become a part of the network, visit https://cap-net.org/. ')}
