This open online training course developed with support from FAO is intended to strengthen countries' ability to assess environmental flows (e-flows), implementing an integrated management approach for their land and water resources. E-flows describe the quantity, timing, and quality of freshwater flows and levels necessary to sustain aquatic ecosystems which, in turn, support human cultures, economies, sustainable livelihoods, and well-being. They are explicitly addressed under the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as single national estimates integrated into Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 6.4.2. This “water stress” indicator (SDG 6.4.2) provides an estimate of pressure by all sectors on the country’s renewable freshwater resources.
The course is open to anyone interested in the topic of e-flows, but has been designed for staff in relevant national agencies tasked with the monitoring of Indicator SDG 6.4.2 and the sustainable management of water and other natural resources. After this course you will be able to:
- Describe why securing environmental water requirements is essential to meet SDG Target 6.4 and thereby maintain aquatic ecosystem health and resilience;
- Explain the key aspects of hydrological, morphological and ecological science underlying e-flows;
- Compare different methodologies for the assessment of e-flow requirements; and
- Evaluate which measures to implement e-flows are most suited to your national situation.
The course content is divided into four themes. The time to devote to the course is 4 to 6 hours per theme, with a total of 16-24 hours of lessons. Learning modalities include 1) interactive lectures, 2) relevant readings, and 3) exercises. Quizzes (self-assessments) are also available to check your learning progress. A certificate of completion will be issued at the conclusion of the course.
Registration
Step 0. Have you already created an account to access IHE Delft Open Education?
If you created an account to access one of our open courses in the past, you can use the same username and password to login. Then, go to Step 2 - Register/Enrol Yourself in the Course. If you created an account in the past, but forgot your password, click on “Forgot Password?”.
Step 1. Create a New Account in the IHE Open Education website
Click on Create New Account, fill in your username, password etc., an 'account confirmation' email will be sent to you (check also in your spam e-mailbox, particularly if you have a Gmail account), use the 'web address' received to confirm your new account and login using your username and password
Step 2. Register/enrol yourself in the course
Click on the title, click on 'Enrol me in this course' (under the arrow in the upper right side/below your username), click on 'Enrol me' in the page 'Enrolment options' to complete the process (the course coordinator will send you an 'welcome' email and your name will be listed as course participant).
- Module/Course coordinator: Michael McClain