IWRM as a tool for adaptation to climate change - Cairo, Egypt

This training of trainers' course is part of a collaborative programme between Cap-Net/UNDP and APFM/WMO to capacitate water professionals, capacity builders, local authorities and other stakeholders to adapt to changing climatic conditions. The focus of that programme is on how sustainable water management can be instrumental in dealing with extreme climate variations in vulnerable areas.
Manifestations of climate change or extreme climate variability are expected to have substantial impacts on water resources and water availability. Present climate models show that anthropogenic emissions, particularly of CO2, have already generated significant variations in global climate systems and in particular in the hydrological cycle. Numerous climate modifications have been observed at the global, regional and basin levels, including changing temperature and changes in precipitation, salinity levels at the oceans, and increasing events of extreme climatic conditions.
The effects on people are most felt in vulnerable areas, such as in urban slums and coastal settlements. Floods, both urban and rural, as manifestations of changing conditions are becoming more frequent. Extreme droughts appear particularly in water stressed areas.
The purpose of the partnership programme is to adequately develop capacity building materials addressing real issues of water managers, local governments as well as communities in coping with extreme climate variability. The programme will also embark on training of capacity builders as well as communities and water managers, at different levels. The focus of the programme is on:
- understanding of the causes and effects of climate change, with special emphasis on consequences for uses and management of water resources;
- identification of opportunities for vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change
- build resilience to extreme climate variability
- development of strategies to cope
- adaptation of management systems to new conditions

It is within this framework, and contributing to capacity building towards these understandings, that Cap-Net/UNDP, HRI, and APFM/WMO organise a training of trainers' course. It is expected, that workshop participants -representing capacity building networks and other organizations- are committed to multiply and share learning's in these subjects in their own environments. Completing the workshop, a training package will be available to support and facilitate this process.

Objective
The aim is to ensure that water managers and local authorities are able to apply sustainable water management principles and instruments to adapt to climate variability manifestations. The immediate objective is to train capacity builders manage and water professionals in IWRM as a tool for adaptation to climate change.

Target group
The workshop will mainly target participants with capacity building responsibilities in order to ensure replication and scaling-up of programmes and impacts. The workshop will in particular target participants with knowledge and experience in capacity building and research in the field of climate variability and techniques and instruments for adaptation. In this context, participants are expected to come from multidisciplinary backgrounds. Participants will be experienced trainers (with experience in some aspects of climate change issues around water management) in a position in capacity building that allows them to take this training forward at the local or regional level. The expected number of participants is 25, respecting gender and geographic balance.

Methods
The workshop will use adult learning tools, focusing on participants sharing their own experiences, and guided by the introduction of new conceptual approaches and tools. There will be a combination of short lectures, practical exercises, group work and discussion. The course will be supported by training materials developed by REDICA (www.redica.net), APFM (www.apfm.inf), Cap-Net (www.cap-net.org), Rhama (www.rhama.net), and UNESCO-IHE (www.unesco-ihe.org). Contents will also be generated by other partners and course participants. Participants are encouraged (and expected) to bring in experiences with the application of water resources management for adaptation to climate variability. Modules will be supported by specific cases to be brought in by the capacity building networks. Each participant will be given the materials used in the training and pack containing useful resources introduced during the course.

Organisation
The course will be hosted by the Hydraulic Research Institute, host and member organisation of NBCBN. The course is part of Cap-Net global programme of action, of which NBCBN is an affiliated regional network. Coordination and content development are the responsibility of a team composed of NBCBN, UNESCO-IHE, WMO/APFM and Cap-Net.
The duration of the course will be five days and it will take place from 20 to 24 October 2008, in Cairo, Egypt.

For further information please contact:
HRI: Sherif El-Sayed s.el-sayed@hri-egypt.org Tel: +202 42188252
Cap-Net: Kees Leendertse kees.leendertse@cap-net.org Tel: +27 12 3309074
APFM: Joachim Saalmueller JSaalmueller@wmo.int Tel: +41 22 730 83 19