During the opening ceremony the representative of the national EU Delegation in Uganda, Mr. Jean-Baptiste Fauvel noted that regional water resource management is one of the priorities of the EU’s flagship programme –transboundary water resources management. “Investing in human capacity, knowledge sharing, and transfer was a key aspect and thus CoE initiative is timely and welcome”, he added.

Ms Rosie Agoi, Secretary General of the UNESCO National Commission for Uganda noted that the CoE in water has linkages with UNESCO IHP-programme and is an avenue that will bring participation of more stakeholders in the water sector. The representative from UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, Mr. Jayakumar Ramasamy highlighted that there is need for cooperation towards sustainable development of water. He emphasized that water cooperation is about human dignity as much as it is about development. He stressed that there is need to emphasize the importance of groundwater resources and its mapping, if sustainable resource management is to be achieved.

The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University in Uganda, Prof B. Nawangwe, who was represented by Prof. Bernard Bashaasha noted that “Water is an important society resource and is a priority in the global development Agenda 2030”. He also commended the African Union/ New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AU/NEPAD) for initiating networks of centres of excellence focusing on water. He noted that networks help to leverage and optimize human resources and capacities. The CoE initiative would assist in developing Makerere University’s strategic goal, as set out in the university’s strategic framework.

The representative from the Ministry of Water and Environment in Uganda Mr. Joseph Epitu noted that the CoE is timely and would greatly contribute towards ongoing work of the ministry, including the launching of a water resources institute. The goal of this institute is to enhance technical capacity in water resources management. He pledged the ministry’s support in supporting the Central and Eastern African Network of Water Centres of Excellence (CEANWATCE) network all times.

The project is supporting the implementation of the African Water Ministers’ declaration urging African Union and NEPAD Centres of Excellence to develop a “Human Capacity Development Programme for junior professional and technician level capacity challenges in the water sector”. Under the UNESCO agreement with the European Union /Joint Research Center, UNESCO will implement part of the activities through an implementation partnership agreement with the NEPAD CoE. The project also foresees designing and implementing new courses addressing junior professional and technician level capacity development. Courses will also be designed for junior professionals and technicians (including the establishment of GIS and water quality analysis laboratories). Lastly, regional exchanges of personnel and students’ are foreseen to improve regional networking and collaboration.

About NEPAD African Network of Centres of Excellence on Water Sciences and Technology (II phase)

This project aims at supporting the establishment of a Human Capacity Development Programme of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) in the water sector in Africa through the NEPAD African Network of Centres of Excellence in Water Sciences and Technology (CoE). The main achievements of the pilot project were the creation of two NEPAD networks of Centres of Excellence in Western Africa and Southern Africa and a new Central and Eastern Africa CoE. The overall objective of the initiative is to support, through the sustainable development of the water sector, Economic Green Growth and Poverty Reduction in African countries for peace and security. The main purpose is to foster sustainable capacity development at institutional, higher education, technical, scientific and vocational level in the water sector through the NEPAD/Africa Union Networks of Water Centres of Excellence in Water Science and Technology.

Learn more about the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme