UNESCO counts with a vast network of Chairs and UNITWIN Networks specialized in the Natural Sciences, with unique expertise and potential.

The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work. The Programme supports the establishment of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks in key priority areas related to UNESCO’s fields of competence.

• UNESCO Chair in Science Education with Emphasis on Natural Sciences
  Belarusian State University - Professor Oleg Ivashkevich (Chairholder)

• Chaire UNESCO en sciences de l'énergie et de l'environnement
  Djibouti University - Professor Ali Ahmed Ramadan (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair in Energy for Sustainable development
  Politecnico di Milano - Professor Emanuela Colombo (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair on the prevention and sustainable management of geo-hydrological hazards
  University of Florence - Professor Paolo Canuti (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair on Geoenvironmental Disaster Reduction
  Shimane University - Professor Wang Fawu (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair on Water, Energy and Disaster Management for Sustainable Development
  Kyoto University - Professor Takara Kaoru (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair on Climate Change and Sustainable Development and Healthy Lifestyles
  Autonomous University of the State of Morelos - Dra Laura Ortiz Hernández (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair for Ophiolote Studies
  Sultan Qaboos University, Earth Science Research Center - Professor Nasir Sobhi (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair on Geoparks, Regional Sustainable Development and Healthy Lifestyles
  University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro - Professor Artur Agostinho de Abreu e Sá (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair in Environmental Dynamics and Global Climate Change
  Yugra State University - Professor Sergey Pikunov (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair on Karst Education
  University of Nova Gorica - Dr Martin Knez (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair on water-related disaster risk reduction
  University of Ljubljana - Professor Matjaz Mikos (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair in Geohydrology
  University of Western Cape - Professor Yongxin Xu (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair in Water Resources
  Omdurman Islamic University - Dr Abdalla Abdelsalam Ahmed (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair in the Development of a Sustainable Geo-environment
  Cardiff University - Professor Thomas Hywel (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair on Geoscience and Society
  University of Plymouth - Professor Iain Stewart (Chairholder)

• UNESCO Chair on Coastal and Continental Shelf Geoscience
  Universidad de la República - Dr Felipe García-Rodríguez (Chairholder)