- Level Foundation
- Duration 10 hours
- Course by University of Geneva
-
Offered by
About
Water management today is faced with new challenges such as climate change or the effects of human activity. Public and private stakeholders who are active in this field must develop new ways to better manage the water cycle "as a whole". The objective of this MOOC is to develop an understanding of the problems related to water management. Firstly, this course will define a resource and, more specifically, the resource of water. It will look at how water is used and the activities associated with it as well as any potential conflicts. The course will look at water management in detail through the analysis of the different types of rights and obligations associated with, for example, the development of a multi-sectorial regulation system or a watershed management approach. By the end of this course, our aim is to enable you to: 1) Identify the main issues and strategies linked to water resource management 2) Acquire the key reading material needed to understand the many variables (environmental, institutional and political) which affect water and which, in terms of management, may require adjustment. This course was developed by the Geneva Water Hub. Alongside researchers from the University of Geneva from a range of faculties, researchers from other universities and research centres will be involved in this course. Practitioners who deal daily with the political dimension of water management will also input into the course. This MOOC is designed for all those interested in the water sector. Prior training is not necessary to follow our program. The findings presented in this course can be easily reapplied to different contexts and to different scales of analysis. This MOOC is supported by the Geneva Water Hub and the University of Geneva along with the MOOC in « Ecosystem Services: a Method for Sustainable Development » (www.coursera.org/learn/ecosystem-services) and the one in "International Water Law" (www.coursera.org/learn/droit-eau). This course is funded by the Global Programme Water Initiatives of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). This course is also available in French : www.coursera.org/learn/gestion-eauModules
General Introduction
1
Videos
- General Introduction
1
Readings
- Course Plan
Introduction
1
Videos
- 1.1 Introduction to Module 1
Water Resources and Governance Challenges
4
Videos
- 1.2 The Main Challenges in Water Governance I: Uses, Rules and Territories
- 1.3 The Main Challenges of Water Governance II: Multisectoriality, Funding and Management Modes
- 1.4 The Concept of Resource (Use, Scarcity and Rivalry)
- 1.5 The Resources Types, their Uses and Pressure
Regulation of Public Goods
6
Videos
- 1.6 Common Goods: the Water Example
- 1.7 The Tragedy of the Commons and the Problems of Collective Action
- 1.8 The Governance of Common Goods. Between the State and the Marketplace
- 1.9 Common Pool Resources Institutions (CPRI)
- 1.10 Case study I: Community Water Management in Latin America
- 1.11 Case study II: Networking Actions of Community Organisations in Latin America
Conclusion to module 1
1
Videos
- 1.12 Conclusion of Module 1
Quiz of Module 1
1
Assignment
- Module 1 Quiz
Introduction
1
Videos
- 2.1 Introduction to Module 2
Institutional Resource Regimes (IRR)
6
Videos
- 2.2 Institutional Resource Regimes I: Theoretical Framework
- 2.3 Institutional Resource Regimes II: Theoretical Framework
- 2.4 Institutional Regimes Ressources III: the Swiss Case
- 2.5 Institutionnal Regimes Resources IV: the European Case
- 2.6 Water Regulation in the European Union according to the Water Framework Directive (WFD)
- 2.7 From Institutional Resource Regimes to the Implementation Studies
Beyond the rules
3
Videos
- 2.8 Beyond the Rules I: Opening the Black Box
- 2.9 Beyond the Rules II: Law Activation Strategies and Localized Regulation Arrangements
- 2.10 Case Study: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystem in the Canton of Valais (Switzerland)
Conclusion
1
Videos
- 2.11 Conclusion of Module 2
Quiz
1
Assignment
- Quiz of Module 2
Introduction
1
Videos
- 3.1 Introduction to Module 3
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
3
Videos
- 3.2 The Multi-Sectorial Nature of Water
- 3.3 The Concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
- 3.4 Management of the Rhone River: from Mono-sectoriality to Integration
The Water-Food-Energy and Ecosystem Nexus
4
Videos
- 3.5 Moving Beyond IWRM for the Water-Food-Energy and Ecosystem Nexus
- 3.6 Thinking water security with the Nexus
- 3.7 Navigating the Nexus in the Mekong River Basin
- 3.8 Hydropower Production and Protection of the Ecosystem on the Columbia River (USA)
Conclusion
1
Videos
- 3.9 Conclusion Module 3
Quiz
1
Assignment
- Quiz of Module 3
Introduction
1
Videos
- 4.1 Introduction of Module 4
The Evolution of Watershed Management
2
Videos
- 4.2 From Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) to Watershed Management
- 4.3 Beyond Watershed: the Functional Regulatory Spaces (FRS) Beyond the Watershed
Practices of Watershed Management in Switerland
2
Videos
- 4.4 Watershed Management in Switzerland I: History and Methods
- 4.5 Watershed Management in Switerland: Practical Experience
Watershed Management in the Rhine River Basin
1
Videos
- 4.6 Pollution Management in the Rhine River Basin
Watershed Management: a General Vision
1
Videos
- 4.7 Political Challenges When Implementing Watershed Management
Conclusion
1
Videos
- 4.8 Conclusion of Module 4
Quiz
1
Assignment
- Quiz of Module 4
Introduction
1
Videos
- 5.1 Introduction to Module 5
Water-Related Conflicts
5
Videos
- 5.2 Water Wars: Debates and Limits
- 5.3 The Framework of Hydro-Hegemony and Transboundary Interactions
- 5.4 The Case of the Nile Basin I: the Development of Egypt’s Power in the Nile
- 5.5 The Case of the Nile Basin II: the Recent Changes Affecting Egypt’s Power in the Nile
- 5.6 The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: a Source of Conflict or a Basis of Cooperation in the Nile Basin?
Water as a Source of Cooperation
3
Videos
- 5.7 Water Cooperation
- 5.8 Cooperation in the Senegal River Basin: the Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS)
- 5.9 Cooperation in the Mekong River Basin: the Mekong River Commission
The emergence of international water law
3
Videos
- 5.10 The Emergence of International Water Law and Its Role in Preventing Water-Related Conflicts
- 5.11 The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and international Lakes from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
- 5.12 The Issue of Responsibility and Liability for Transboundary Watercourse Pollution
Conclusion
1
Videos
- 5.13 Conclusion of Module 5
1
Readings
- To go further
Quiz
1
Assignment
- Quiz of Module 5
Auto Summary
"Water Resources Management and Policy" is an essential course for those interested in understanding and addressing the challenges of water management, including climate change and human activity impacts. Offered by Coursera and developed by the Geneva Water Hub and the University of Geneva, this foundational course spans 600 hours and is accessible to all, requiring no prior training. Learners will explore water use, management strategies, regulatory systems, and conflict resolution. The course features insights from researchers and practitioners, making it suitable for anyone in the water sector. Subscription options include Starter and Professional.

Christian Bréthaut

Géraldine Pflieger