|
|
Contact:
|
Michael Campana, (505) 277-3269
Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821 Marcia Macomber, (541) 737-1205 |
|
|
May 31, 2002 UNM PART OF NEW CONSORTIUM TO ADDRESS GLOBAL WATER CONFLICTS Michael E. Campana, director of the University of New Mexico’s Water
Resources Program and professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, recently
attended an international meeting in Oregon as part of UNM’s plan
to join nine other universities across five continents in an initiative
called the Universities Partnership for Transboundary Waters (UPTW). The partnership will direct the expertise, educational and technical
potential of academia towards conflicts and environmental degradation
in the world’s shared river and ground-water basins. “It’s an unparalleled opportunity to be paired with nine top
universities in the world and a real feather in our cap at the University
of New Mexico,” said Campana. “It demonstrates that UNM has
a tremendous reputation in the various aspects of water resources management.
It’s particularly good because transboundary waters are moving to
the fore these days.” Representatives of the new group met at Oregon State University in Corvallis,
Ore., which is one of the lead institutions helping to coordinate the
new partnership. At the organizational meeting, working plans were drafted
and created a curriculum for graduate instruction in transboundary water
resources management. The nations participating in the group include the U.S., South Africa,
Zimbabwe, Thailand, China, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Costa
Rica. Funding to organize the new consortium is being provided by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
and the U.S. Geological Survey. The long-term goal of the partnership is to bring the capabilities of
some leading institutions of higher “About 60 percent of the renewable fresh water in the world has
its origin in 261 international Shared water sets the stage for conflict between countries and between
user groups within countries. That conflict can interfere with progress
in managing water resources sustainably and equitably, she said. “Currently, there are three billion people in the world without
access to sanitation and over one billion without safe drinking water.
Land degradation and rapid urbanization add increasing urgency to these
problems. As the global population increases, the potential for conflicts
will only become more intense. This will require a better understanding
of the dynamics of shared, or transboundary water resources,” Macomber
said. Familiar examples of water disputes, Macomber said, include tensions
between India and Pakistan in the Indus Basin, and between the U.S. and
Mexico over Colorado River and Rio Grande water. Officials say the consortium will help expand traditional training for
water resource professionals. It will provide an interdisciplinary understanding
of water conflicts and promote creative approaches to avert and resolve
conflicts before they become costly and counterproductive. Academic representatives in the partnership have expertise in science,
engineering and the social sciences. Activities will include collaborative
research, professional and graduate education, and information technology
programs. The graduate training, a key program of the new partnership, will help
20 students every two years from partnership universities attain certification
in transboundary water resources management. This should eventually form
a cadre of well-trained professionals to help resolve conflicts at local,
regional and international levels, Campana said. Campana and Marilyn O’Leary, director of the UNM School of Law’s Utton Transboundary Resources Center, will serve as UNM contact points for the UPTW. # # # |
||
|
Please let us know what you thought of this article. Comments to: paaffair@unm.edu |
The University
of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981