Water education is a cross-cutting theme across all development areas tackled by the IHP in its medium-term strategic plan (Phase Eight, 2014-2021). This phase includes a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach aimed at building and improving the capacity of teachers and informal educators to better understand water issues at the local, regional and global levels and urging them to commit to water ethics. This approach includes the development of water-related activities in schools as well as eco-clubs for children, sport clubs, explorers’ groups and others.

Within this framework, since 2006 the IHP-LAC has been promoting a regional programme on water education based on an education guide that includes practical, amusing and creative didactic activities around three axes; Re-cognizing Water; Water, Life and Health; Water Management. It facilitates educational work by generating awareness and promoting the valuation, understanding, and responsibility in the use of water. This knowledge is expected to be transferred by educators to children in their educative environment.

After 9 years of continuous work in the LAC region, the programme is proud of having trained formal and non-formal educators in almost all the countries of the region, as well as having a sound network of Host Institutions that supports its regional expansion. This workshop is convening participants from: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Santa Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and Jamaica and is being held in Kingston, Jamaica from the 20th to 22th April, 2015, organized by the IHP-LAC through the UNESCO Kingston Office and the Jamaica Water Resources Authority. 

This activity is aimed at promoting the dissemination of the programme in the Caribbean while we continue working for proactive education for children and youth, contributing to an integrated and sustainable management of water in society in the future.