Free Flow

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low

development goals, including those explicitly seeking to attain

gender equality. Means include:

• identifying gaps in gender equality through use of gender

analysis and sex-disaggregated data

• raising awareness about gaps and building support for change

through advocacy and alliances/partnerships

• developing strategies and programmes to close existing gaps

• putting adequate resources and the necessary expertise into place

• monitoring implementation

• holding individuals and institutions accountable for results.

In the water sector, gender mainstreaming means integrating the gender

equality perspective into the design, monitoring and evaluation of water

resources management, water governance and educational, training

and capacity-building activities; developing capacities on water-related

issues and women’s empowerment; and fostering research projects to

meet the global water challenges defined by the MDGs and beyond.

The implementation of the IHP is supported by cross-cutting

programmes and initiatives, some of them conducted jointly with

other UN agencies (e.g. WMO, UN-ISDR and UNU) and organi-

zations (e.g. IAHS, IHA): Hydrology for the Environment, Life

and Policy programme (HELP), Flow Regimes from International

Experimental and Network Data programme (FRIEND),

International Flood Initiative (IFI), International Drought Initiative

(IDI), International Sediment Initiative (ISI), From Potential

Conflict to Cooperation Potential (PCCP), Joint International

Isotope Hydrology Programme (JIIHP), Internationally Shared

Aquifer Resources Management (ISARM), Global Network on

Water and Development Information in Arid Lands (G-WADI),

Urban Water Management Programme (UWMP), International

Initiative on Water Quality, World Hydrogeological Map

(WHYMAP) and Groundwater Resources Assessment under the

Pressures of Humanity and Climate Change (GRAPHIC).”

The broad range of IHP initiatives is always based on the principles

of human solidarity, compassion and internationally agreed ethical

standards, and promotes water cooperation through

scientific research and education. It aims at raising

awareness about water in people’s minds and soliciting

their ethical reference system to pave the way for sustain-

able management decisions and solutions.

Two IHP initiatives focus specifically on the sound

management of transboundary water resources, both

groundwater and surface water: ISARM and PCCP.

Grounded in a multidisciplinary approach which incor-

porates scientific, legal, economic, political and social

aspects, both programmes address challenges and

opportunities related to shared water resources.

Internationally Shared Aquifers Resources

Management Programme (ISARM)

When it comes to considering regional and global water

policy issues, the physical status and quality trends of

groundwater resources have yet to be taken adequately

into account. Because geological formations have no

regard for water catchments or national boundaries,

resources in many aquifers are shared by adjacent

states and require transboundary management. ISARM

creates tools comprising detailed technical guidelines,

examples of legal and other institutional frameworks,

mappings, a fully referenced database and extended

assessments and case studies for example with the help

of various partners, like the International Groundwater

Resources Assessment Centre (for details see the article

of IGRAC in this book, for example).

From Potential Conflict to Cooperation

Potential (PCCP)

In 2000, UNESCO launched the PCCP project to foster

peace, cooperation and development related to the

management of transboundary water resources. PCCP

is an associated initiative of IHP and WWAP, which

uses research and training as entry points to build confi-

dence, trust and dialogue between users of shared water

resources. PCCP facilitates multilevel and interdiscipli-

nary dialogues. Under the umbrella of non-threatening

and constructive joint work in research and education,

it offers a forum for key players involved in the manage-

ment of transboundary waters in order to shift them

away from potential conflicts, towards cooperation

potential. Such Track II avenues for water diplomacy

lay the foundation for actual political cooperation and

negotiations: when the level of trust is mature enough,

and if all parties concerned are willing, UNESCO can

use its intergovernmental leverage power to bring the

dialogue to another level of negotiations.

Since its inception, PCCP has developed general train-

ing material as well as material adapted to the regional

specificities of Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe and

the Middle East with trainers from across the selected

regions and a variety of disciplines. When finalized the

material is made available to local training institutions

for further use and dissemination. The initiative has

developed and produced an unprecedented series of

publications and online databases that support water

The Vaal dam, South Africa: scientific understanding of hydrological processes and

phenomena is key to socioeconomic development