The UNESCO-IHE Global Partnership for Water Education and Research  is a global coalition of knowledge centres with the mission to build capacity for the sustainable management of water and environmental resources and delivery of water and sanitation services.

The Partnership was founded in November 2002 with the signing of the Partnership Charter. In 2008, the Partnership counts 18 member institutions from 15 countries and over 40 affiliated MOU partners.

The Partnership operates in the context of the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, as an important mechanism for the institute to fulfil its functions. The Partnership takes up a special place in the broad family of institutes associated with UNESCO-IHE, next to the affiliated variety of UNESCO programs, organisations and institutes concerned with water.

Worldwide, the partners turn out 1,000 post graduate students in 45 master programs, 3,000 participants in short courses and reach over 500 decision makers through seminars and networks. Together the partners have an extensive portfolio of research projects and PhD degrees. The partners are actively involved in water sector related networks and provide professional services.

An international partnership of knowledge centres dedicated to building capacity for the sustainable management of water and environmental resources in order to improve the quality of human life and the environment in developing countries and countries in transition.

To combine the strengths of all partners and enhance the capacity of each partner in order jointly to:

(i) Deliver capable professionals in the water and environment sectors,
(ii) Find innovative solutions for water and environmental challenges, and
(iii) Build up the capacity of institutions and communities with respect to better management of water and environmental resources.

The partnership strengthens the partners through jointly developing and delivering educational content  and programmes, through collaborative research supported by staff exchange and staff development  and building technical capacities in a world where information and communication technologies are advancing very fast. Partner institutions participate in creative and innovative leaning workshops. Staff members from partner institutes jointly develop on-line learning modules.

The Partnership serves water and environmental professionals from all over the world through educational programs, tailor made training and life-long learning facilities, which contribute to improved scientific, technical and managerial skills in a very broad field of water and environment related themes.

The Partnership addresses national, regional, and international policies through providing a proper enabling environment to learn from each other, through the design of research and educational programs, provide access to documentation and by taking an active stance in water forums, conferences and professional organisations.

The world water sector has become increasingly aware that “working in partnership” is essential for achieving its ambitious mandate and fulfilling its wide range of functions.

Experience shows that well established partnership approaches give substance to the concept of “ global knowledge, local solutions ”. Networks and local ownership have proven to deliver a higher quality and relevance of programmes, and have proven to increase local publications on contemporary water issues based on a better formulated research agenda. They provide unprecedented opportunities for a much better access and use of local contextual knowledge and capacity.

Experience also shows that partnership and network approaches are the best means to establish demand driven, applied oriented, highly accessible capacity building mechanisms that strengthen education and research capacity in developing countries. Networks eliminate discriminatory aspects of many capacity building programs, leading to application oriented capacity building through transferring responsibilities. It establishes south-south relationships and brings north-south institutional relations on a more equal footing.

As a consequence it appears that well functioning partnerships and networks are important means to support water sector reform on the ground and to enhance collaboration among water sector professionals and institutions; nationally and regionally, strengthening the pillar “professional cooperation” as one of the three pillars underpinning international water management, the others being the “political” and the “juridical” pillar.