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Abstract

Ensuring reliable access to water of acceptable quantity and quality in the face of increased urbanisation, climate change, and economic instability remains one of the foremost challenges and priorities of the SADC region. The SADC Water Development Framework and its supporting plans highlights that the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) offers solutions to deal with interlinked socio-economic, institutional, and ethical challenges by assessing and managing water resources through a transdisciplinary and multi-sectoral approach. However, currently, there is limited capacity to support a broad and integrated approach for sustainable water resources management and water security in the SADC region. In response to the human capacity building gaps, the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL), together with the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) established the SASSCAL Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water Resources Management (SGSP – IWRM). The programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and is implemented by NUST in partnership with the International Centre of Water Resources and Global Change (ICWRGC) based at the Institute of Hydrology in Koblenz Germany. The program aims to carry out impactful inter/multi/trans-disciplinary research to address water security challenges.This presentation will highlight the process of establishing an impactful North-South partnership program between universities in the SADC region and Germany. The program includes supervision from professors in Namibia, the SADC region and Germany. Students will be awarded their degrees from NUST and are expected to spend Three months in Germany.