Topic outline
This course introduces the concept of water tenure and explores the main types of water tenure arrangements, whether deriving their legitimacy from statutory law or from social, cultural, or religious customs, as well as the bundle of water rights and associated responsibilities established through these arrangements.It also explains what a water tenure assessment is, how it supports improved water governance, and outlines the main phases of the water tenure assessment process.
Finally, the course examines how adopting a water tenure framework can strengthen water governance and presents 12 draft Principles for the Responsible Governance of Water Tenure currently under discussion as part of the Global Dialogue on Water Tenure.
This course is open to anyone interested in how water allocation and use systems function in law and in practice. It is particularly aimed at practitioners, decision-makers, researchers, rights defenders and other individuals working on water governance, water law, agricultural water management, and natural resources management or sustainable development. These are:
- United Nations agencies or intergovernmental organizations working on water allocation, water resource management, irrigation, and related areas.
- State representatives, such as decision-makers and their staff in national ministries and other state institutions, as well as parliamentarians.
- Members of civil society organizations, academia, and human rights defenders.
- Private sector professionals.
- The concept of water tenure and its scope.
- The different types of water tenure arrangements, their sources of legitimacy, and the bundle of water rights they establish.
- The water tenure assessment and its process.
- The “Global Dialogue on Water Tenure” and the 12 core elements of Responsible Governance of Water Tenure under discussion.
This course consists of five lessons of approximately 20 to 45 minutes duration each:
- Lesson 1 – Water security challenges and the need to improve water governance
- Lesson 2 – The concept of water tenure
- Lesson 3 – Exploring water tenure: arrangements and rights
- Lesson 4 – Water tenure assessment: a tool to strengthen water governance
- Lesson 5 – Towards responsible governance of water tenure
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Digital certification
This course offers certification. You will get your digital badge upon passing a final exam after completing the course and achieving a grade of at least 75%. Please click on the button below to complete the exam, or refer to our Certification section to learn more.
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