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First University of South Pacific IWRM class graduates.
04 January, 2011
On December 3 2009, nine students became the Pacific’s first ever graduates in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The diploma course, run by the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Science, Technology and Environment Faculty, was adapted for the Pacific, based on a programme run by the United Nations University in Toronto , Canada
Dean of Science, Technology and Environment Faculty, Dr Angeela Jokhan said the graduation ceremony was highly significant with water being “one of the major issues facing the world today.”
“Water is the most basic human need, unfortunately one fifth of the world has no access to safe drinking water. Today almost 2 billion people are affected by water shortages in 40 countries, and every 8 seconds a child dies from water related disease,” Dr Jokhan said. “The IWRM course will upgrade the knowledge of water management concepts and practices of professionals in the water sector. This is essential in developing Pacific island countries, where there is little or no training in related aspects of environmental engineering.”
She hoped that the broad based coverage of the principles and practices of IWRM provided by the USP’s programme, had exposed the graduates to alternative approaches suited to the water management needs of their countries.
Projects like IWRM offer the prospect of greater efficiencies, water conservation, demand management and equitable sharing among water users, and of increased recycling and reusing of waste water to supplement new resource development.
Dr Jokhan stressed that the course was important to the Pacific and should continue.
“I feel that initiatives such as this should not end. We should try our best to continue them because there is a lot more training and capacity building needed in this particular area,” she said. "My plea to all the stakeholders is to try and see if together we keep this programme going.
Dr Kifle Kahsai, Associate Dean of USP’s Science, Technology and Environment Faculty, said that the nine students “did a fantastic job” completing the programme’s 10 courses and that the graduating class raised the capacity of the Pacific to deal with water management issues.
Graduate, Andre Sione of Niue, said that in terms of spreading the knowledge learned during the course that it was fortunate that Niue was currently implementing both a Global Environment Fund and European Union funded IWRM projects through the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC).
“These projects will certainly help us develop and put forward the ideas and knowledge gained through this course,” Mr Sione said. “It’s coming online, it’s good, and we hope to get better by the end of the process and maintain it over the years to come.”
“IWRM going to help coordinate development activities like expanding Niue ’s tourism industry, help deal with future climate uncertainties, and help our people understand the importance of water to life,” he said.
Erikson Sammy said his country, Vanuatu
The 2009 USP graduates in a diploma of IWRM are:
Miss Linda Yuen, Fiji
Mr Amini Loco , Fiji
Mr Robin Nataniela, Fiji
Mr Davendra Nath , Fiji
Mr Rinesh Ram , Fiji
Mr Erickson Sammy, Vanuatu
Mr Andre Sione, Niue
Mr Apete Soro , Fiji
Mr Villiame Tuimanu , Fiji
