International Charter for Water Education Endorsed at UNESCO-IHE
Some 17 dignitaries of leading water and environment knowledge centres around the world signed the Partnership for Water Education and Research (PoWER) Charter on 21 November at the new UNESCO-IHE Institute for water education in Delft, the Netherlands. The PoWER partners aim to produce professionals in the field of integrated water resources management to support capacity building in developing countries. The use of appropriate technology, satellite and other advanced ICT in distance learning and education delivery play a key role in carrying out the partnership's activities. The partnership's targets are ambitious, with the first 300 professionals to be qualified by the end of 2003. This figure is set to double by 2005 through an 18 month joint Masters programme. The partnership is an action-oriented reply to the urgent appeals of the UN Millennium development goals of the World Summit in Johannesburg, where water was placed high on the political agenda. With the signing of this Charter, 17 partners are eligible to carry the name 'Collaborative Centre of UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education'.