Deadline: 4-Jan-21
The Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation, part of Wageningen University & Research, is seeking applications for the 2021 Water Stewardship in Action for Water and Food Security Course.
Wetlands play an essential role in supporting food security, in making water resources management sustainable and in adapting to climate change impacts. How do they prevent that wetlands continue to disappear in the same rate as in the past and that these valuable ecosystem services are lost? This course is dedicated to water stewards, who can advocate the value of wetlands.
They have learned that restoring and maintaining wetlands is often cheaper than man-made solutions to guarantee water and food security. Without wetlands, the water cycle, carbon cycle and nutrient cycle would be significantly altered. Did you know for instance that 40% of wetland habitats have been lost over the last 40 years?
Ramsar COP12 opened with this reminder, challenging delegates to address long-standing misperceptions in many sectors about the services wetlands provide to humans and about the need to value wetland services for improved decision making. Investing in your wetlands, thus reinstalling their often degraded functions and services, might financially even be very attractive and benefit local or national economies.
The course will build on the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management Water and will make the ecosystem services concept explicit. The course will trigger discussions and support participants to think broadly about how to best utilize water especially in view of a growing demand for food, increasing pressure on fresh water resources and in the context of climate change.
Course Details
- The course will build on the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management Water and will make the ecosystem services concept explicit. The course will trigger discussions and support participants to think broadly about how to best utilize water especially in view of a growing demand for food, increasing pressure on fresh water resources and in the context of climate change.
- Making the best use of water asks for more than thinking of and knowledge about global challenges around food security and water security. It requires individuals who are good communicator across cultures and sectors, who dare to speak up, who are eager to work with others and ensure that partnerships can function more smoothly. It also requires people to reflect on the actions being implemented so that necessary changes are being incorporated into plans and operations. The course will support participants to improve these skills necessary to plan wisely and act responsibly.
- The course is highly interactive, combining presentations illustrated by case studies and shaped by innovative tools, with groups work. A one-week field work will put the participants in a real-life case where they will put in action the necessary skills for water stewardship.
What will you learn?
Upon completion of the course you will:
- Have a greater understanding of the essence of integrated water resources management and water stewardship;
- Have a better understanding of the interactions between agriculture and wetlands;
- Have improved your skills to facilitate multi-stakeholder processes and be familiar with supportive tools;
- Have improved your communication, negotiation, lobby and advocacy skills;
- Know better how to deal with conflict.
Course Date
- Date: Mon 17 May 2021 until Tue 27 July 2021
- Duration: Part-time, 12hrs per week (10 weeks)
- Venue: Facilitated online sessions
Eligibility Criteria
This course has been designed for wetland managers; for river basin and land-use planners; for policymakers, consultants, researchers, NGO and company staff involved with IWRM, wetlands and food security; and for those who wish to become a (better) water steward.
You need to:
- Have at least a Bachelor level qualification or equivalent educational background;
- Have at least two years of professional experience in water management and/or food security and/or climate change resilience;
- Be currently involved in water management and/or food security and/or climate change resilience;
- Be fluent in spoken and written English.
Application Procedure
- Register for the course of your interest by clicking the ‘apply’ button on the webpage of this course. A registration form will open;
- Fill in the required fields of the registration form. Please note to write your date of birth without a zero (e.g. 1-5-1980 instead of 01-05-1980);
- Before you submit, check your details on the final page of the registration form;
- After submitting, you will receive a confirmation email. Make sure to directly click on the link in the email to confirm your registration. Without your confirmation, your registration cannot be processed;
- If you apply as an OKP or MSP-scholarship candidate, you will receive a registration letter for the scholarship at the beginning of the scholarship cycle.
- If you apply as a self-funded participant: they will forward your request for acceptance to the course leader. This can take some time as it depends on the coordinators’ schedule (1-3 weeks);
- If you’re accepted into the course programme, they’ll send you an admission letter by e-mail;
- You receive all required travel documents from us after you are selected for the scholarship (OKP/MSP-scholarship candidates) or when they’ve received your payment (self-funded participant).
For more information, visit https://www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Research-Institutes/centre-for-development-innovation/online-learning/show/Water-Stewardship-in-Action-for-Water-and-Food-Security-1.htm