Multilevel Water Governance

Photo by Ermir Hoxhaj on Unsplash

Introduction

The world is facing many water-related challenges, including shortages, pollution, flooding, and unequal access to safe drinking water. Climate change is making these problems worse, threatening people’s safety, economies, and the environment. Local governments and communities are at risk from droughts, floods, and other water disasters. In the face of these challenges, governments have the responsibility to develop strategies to manage water resources and provide drinking water and sanitation, in partnership with communities and the private sector.

In this course, we will review internationally recognised principles and frameworks for good water governance and then focus on their implementation in different country contexts. We will explore water related challenges and innovative solutions across multiple sectors, such as agriculture, energy, housing and urban development as well as finance and public investments. We will also pay attention to water allocation, conflicts around water, disaster risk management, and instruments for financing water services. Furthermore, we will discuss the design of stakeholder engagement strategies that support communities and ecosystems. Moreover, participants will experience the rich history and best practices of Dutch water management with real-world insights from urban settings and agricultural landscapes.

Key Information

This course is intended for policy makers and technical staff of organisations responsible for water governance and management at different levels. Participants come national, regional and local governments, water authorities, service companies, NGOs and donor and development organisations.

The course fee is € 3,895*. This includes all training related costs as well as drinks and warm lunches during the training days. Group discounts are available if you participate with three or more colleagues.

After this course, you will receive a professional certificate of completion from The Hague Academy for Local Governance.

*Professionals working in local government or for local NGOs on the DAC list of ODA-recipient countries (OECD) may qualify for a reduced course fee. Contact us for details.

Learning objectives

This course will help you:

• Increase their knowledge about the concepts and principles of integrated, multilevel water governance;
• Gain insights into the legal, political and institutional frameworks affecting water governance in their own country;
• Identify instruments for increasing social and financial accountability of water governance and water services;
• Become acquainted with innovative solutions for dealing with water related challenges in the field of resilience, ecosystem services, and nature based solutions;
• Learn about approaches to engage stakeholders and tools to resolve conflicts around water;
• Broaden your knowledge of Dutch and international best practices in the field of multilevel water governance.

Experience

During study visits to innovative examples of water management participants will observe real-world solutions to address water challenges. They will go deeper into the Dutch experience during a visit to the Green Village at the  Technical University (TU) Delftand a walking tour through the sand dunes that contribute to the treatment of drinking water at Dunea. Moreover, participants will learn from sustainable innovations in urban climate adaptation and water management through a walking tour of the city of Rotterdam.

This course is intended for policy makers and technical staff of organisations responsible for water governance and management at different levels. During the course, participants will bring their personal experience, engage in exercise and have lively debates with international experts and fellow participants. Participants will be exposed to different views and expectations, learning how to effectively articulate and defend their perspectives. They will test new tools and be challenged to rethink their approaches to water management.