UNESCO-IHP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science at University of Dundee
- The Centre and UNESCO IHP HELP
- The Centre and UNESCO IHP PCCP Programme
- The Centre and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education Collaboration
The Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science is building a new generation of water leaders through excellence in research and teaching.
The Centre, which was created in 2006, is located within the Postgraduate School of Management and Policy at the University of Dundee. It is the first UNESCO ‘category II’ centre to be established in the UK and operates under the auspices of UNESCO. The Centre works with stakeholders both within Scotland and throughout the world.
UNESCO Category II centres exchange information, perform research, advanced training, contribute to the execution of UNESCO's programmes, and increase the participation of national and regional institutions in UNESCO's work. These centres are independent of UNESCO and are associated with the Organization through individual arrangements as approved by the UNESCO General Conference. Category II centres have UNESCO representation on their governing board. There is currently a global network of over 40 category II centres operating under the auspices of UNESCO, around half of which are in the field of freshwater.
The Centre provides water law inputs for IHP programmes, such as HELP and PCCP. It is a world leader in its field and works to find new ways of effectively integrating law, policy and science to address water challenges of the 21st century. It undertakes a wide breadth of research and consultancy, recognising that if water law is to effectively implement integrated water resource management and help the international community reach international development targets three essential elements must be considered: water rights, frameworks for allocation, and institutional mechanisms.
For further information about the UNESCO Centre in for Water Law, Policy and Science and its work visit its website.
The Centre and the UNESCO IHP HELP (Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy) Programme
The Centre is part of the UNESCO IHP HELP (Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy) Programme, which adopts a new approach to integrated catchment management. The HELP Programme provides a framework within catchments (which include not only aquatic but also related terrestrial ecosystems) for water law and policy experts, water resource managers and water scientists to work together on locally defined water-related problems. The programme has established a global network of basins for this purpose and and the UNESCO Centre in Dundee acts as the Regional Coordinating Unit for the 20+ HELP basins in Europe.
The Centre and the UNESCO IHP PCCP (from Potential Conflict to Cooperation Potential) Programme
Members of the Centre have authored a comprehensive study of the role of international water law in helping transform potential conflict into cooperation potential. These materials are an important resource for UNESCO's PCCP Programme. They focus on actual case studies and, through examination of contemporary state practice and detailed analysis of the 1997 UN Watercourses Convention, demonstrate how water resource experts from a range of backgrounds can make transformative impacts for river valleys globally where issues of international water law have not previously been addressed.
The Centre is also collaborating with UNESCO and the UNESCO-IHE Institute to create a new Masters Programme in Water Management, specializing in water conflict management.
The Centre and the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education Collaboration, Delft, Netherlands
The Centre has a longstanding and productive collaboration with the UNESCO-IHE Institute in Delft, the Netherlands. The two institutions co-deliver an LLM in Water Governance and Conflict Resolution and students study in both countries. The programme provides a unique opportunity for students from a law, policy or social science background to study the technical aspects of water resource management as well as conflict management and water law.
