Course description
Freshwater scarcity, stress, and crisis are increasing worldwide. More than a billion people live in water-scarce regions, and 3.5 billion could experience water scarcity by 2025. These pressures disproportionally affect vulnerable and marginalized people, including those living in poverty and displacement. Rising pollution levels accelerate the crisis by reducing water availability for human use and impacting aquatic life in rivers, lakes, aquifers, and the oceans.
Transboundary basins account for roughly 60% of freshwater resources, serving 2.8 billion people, or 42% of the world’s population. Complex shared transboundary freshwater and ecosystems cut across myriad sectoral needs, themes, and political boundaries. Setting effective policy goals, coupled with investments, means working at multiple scales with a range of public and private stakeholders throughout the watershed, from source to sea and beyond.
This course presents multiple facets of governance for transboundary freshwater security – from financing mechanisms to negotiation skills – while emphasizing the urgency of sustainable development and cooperation at many levels. It extends from basic building blocks and concepts to advanced thinking about transboundary governance, and applies theory to practice through examples and case studies. Topics covered in six modules range from the fundamentals of transboundary water security to international water law, water diplomacy, negotiations, institutions, management tools, and sustainable finance.
The course is designed for professionals who manage and make decisions about transboundary waters within line ministries and river basin organizations; managers of transboundary water projects and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) International Waters Portfolio; the GEF IW:LEARN Network; NGOs, academics, and private sector actors working on basin management; development practitioners; young professionals and future leaders in transboundary waters, including undergraduate and graduate students; and anyone else who is keen to learn about the topic.
This MOOC was produced by the Global Water Partnership in collaboration with GEF IW:LEARN and its partners. Over 80 water professionals from around the world brought their experiences to lectures and case studies. Modules are coordinated by United Nations University, Northumbria University, Stockholm International Water Institute, IHE-Delft, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and the Global Water Partnership.
What you will learn
- Basic understandings of transboundary freshwater security
- Fundamentals of transboundary water cooperation
- Concepts, roles, and functions of different tracks of water diplomacy
- Key approaches to negotiation, including inter-personal skills and techniques
- Principles of international water law
- Case studies of international water law in application
- Transboundary water institutions’ roles, functions, establishment processes, and success factors
- Management tools on transboundary water: including decision support tools, transboundary diagnostic analysis (TDA), and strategic action programme (SAP)
- Conjunctive management of surface water and groundwater
- The source-to-sea approach in a transboundary water context
- Stakeholder participation approaches and tools
- Various options for financing transboundary water cooperation
Course logistics and requirements
Learners can complete the course materials at any time through August 31, 2024, at 23:59 UTC (use this time converter to figure out your local time).
A note on dates: For self-paced courses, edX suggests due dates for assignments and exams as a way to help you stay on track. These due dates are suggestions to help you plan and pace your studies. You can submit assignments or take the exams at any time up until the end date of the course. Learn more about edX suggested due dates.
Structure
The content remains accessible for the duration of the course. All course components can be completed at any time.
You can pace yourself for this course; it is fine to browse and watch to the extent that your time and interests permit. We encourage you to participate actively in discussions and any online sessions, as they provide an excellent opportunity to interact with a larger audience invested in the field of water, and therefore get some great insights. Details of online sessions will be announced throughout the course period.
Estimated time commitment: Four to six hours per module if you go through all lectures, reading materials and engagement activities.
Requirements: An internet connection.
Pre-requisites: None.
Course components include:
- Pre-recorded lectures and case studies
- Lectures are designed to provide you with key principles and theories related to the topic.
- Case studies are designed to bring you real-life examples and illustrate how topics from the lecture videos apply in a specific context.
2. Reading materials
- Core reading: These are designed to supplement your key understanding from the lecture videos. If you are taking Verified Certificate course, some of the assessment questions may be based on these core reading materials.
- Additional reading materials and key web sites: These are designed to provide you with further information and understanding of the topic highlighted within the module.
3. Discussion forum: There are several discussion forum prompts designed for you to exchange views with other learners; they provide an avenue for peer-to-peer learning.
4. End-of-module questions: These are designed for you to self-assess your understanding of key aspects of each module.
5. Mid-term and final exams: These are for Verified Certificate learners to assess their understanding of the course. You must achieve a 70 percent overall average grade to receive a Certificate.
6. Pre- and post-course surveys: These are important for us to understand learners, and allow us to design additional online engagement sessions according to the learners’ needs. They will be also important inputs for further improving the course.
Certificates
Certificates are available for learners who have paid for Verified Certificate Track and have taken both mid-term and final exams successfully. You must score an average of 70 percent or more on the graded components of the course (details on the Grading page). If you started the course on Audit track, you can decide to pay for a Verified Certificate up to ten days before the course closing date
As a reminder, edX offers financial assistance to learners who need it.
Course language
The language of this course is English, and text transcripts can be shown to scroll adjacent to the videos by clicking on cc in the lower-right-hand corner.
Questions? Concerns?
Please be sure to direct any technical questions about the course to edX using the Help button at the top of your page.
Questions about the course content or the SDG Academy in general should be addressed to courses@sdgacademy.org
About the Course Partners
This MOOC was produced and financed by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and Global Environmental Facility/IW:LEARN. GEF IW:LEARN is a global project that aims to strengthen transboundary water management. GEF IW:LEARN is funded by the Global Environmental Facility, implemented by UNDP and UN Environment, and executed by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
Modules are coordinated by following partners: Global Water Partnership (GWP), United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Northumbria University, Stockholm International Water Institute/UNESCO International Centre for Water Cooperation, and IHE Delft.
Disclaimer
- The contents of this course are indicative, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Global Water Partnership or GEF IW:LEARN, or any of the partners of this course, or the governments they represent. The partners do not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of the partners concerning the legal status of any territory, or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries.
- The content and views expressed during interactive sessions associated with this course, including the discussion forum and live online sessions, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Global Water Partnership or GEF IW:LEARN, or any of the partners of this course, or the governments they represent.
- The materials provided on this site are provided “as is” and the Global Water Partnership and GEF IW:LEARN specifically do not make any warranties or representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any such materials.
- This site may contain links and references to third-party websites. The linked sites are not under the control of the Global Water Partnership or GEF IW:LEARN, and the Global Water Partnership and GEF IW:LEARN are not responsible for, nor do they necessarily endorse, any of their content.
- Please note that all information presented in the course have been finalized in August 2020 and might not reflect any changes that have occurred after the launch of the MOOC.