Welcome to the October 2008 edition of the IWC eBulletin.

In this Issue

1. Message from the CEO
2. Part time Master of Integrated Water Management available Semester 1, 2009
3. IWC Africa, Water Research Node at Monash South Africa has been launched
4. 100 toilets in the Brisbane CBD - Masters students raising awareness
5. Water Leader Scholarship recipients selected
6. Creating Water Sensitive Cities in Australia workshops
7. Youth Encounter on Sustainability - YES Australia
8. Presentations by water and sanitation expert Mr. Bob Reed
9. Staff changes and new employees at IWC
10. Partner news: Professor Stuart Bunn appointed commissioner to National Water Commission
11. Partner news: IRF launches "River Journey"
12. Partner news: Invitation to Healthy Waterways Report Card Launch
13. Upcoming Events

Message from the CEO

IWC CEO, Mark Pascoe

Welcome to International WaterCentre’s quarterly newsletter! IWC remains engaged in a number of activities that lead the water sector locally, nationally, regionally and internationally. Among others, we are pleased to announce that IWC Africa, Water Research Node at Monash South Africa campus has been launched. Please note our new address and contact numbers on the bottom as the Brisbane head office has relocated.

In the last few months there has been noticeable growth in our education activities and we have welcomed a number of new staff members on the team, who have worked diligently towards the launch of the part-time option of the Master of Integrated Water Management program, which will be available Semester 1, 2009. Our scholarship call has closed and the applicants have been selected. Thirty two countries were represented in our applications, which indicates IWC’s global reach.

Read about IWC's upcoming workshops, events, and seminars, in efforts to create water sensitive futures…

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Part-time Master of Integrated Water Management available Semester 1, 2009

The Master of Integrated Water Management Program aims to build the capacity of future leaders in water management. It draws on the international expertise from our member universities in teaching and research across a wide breadth of disciplines, taking a multi-disciplinary and whole-of-water cycle approach.

The part-time course will run over a three year period, with students undertaking two course modules and associated problem based learning activities per semester for the first two years.
The final year will be devoted to an individual research project where students can specialise in a particular field of water management.

Most of the course will be conducted on-line; however, at the beginning of each of the first four semesters students will be required to attend a short residential period to participate in field trips and workshops together with full-time students.

Semester 1 starts March 2, 2009. Part-time students will be required to attend a residential period from Monday March 2, to Friday March 6. This period will include program orientation, intensive workshops and a field trip to North Stradbroke Island.

Students enroll at The University of Queensland and upon graduation will receive a co-badged qualification from all four universities.

Applications for Semester 1, 2009 should be submitted to The University of Queensland by 16 February 2009.

Graduates of the program will be qualified to apply for high-level management positions in the public, private and NGO sectors.

Download your application now!

Contact us for more information or call 07 3123 7766.

Learn more about the Master of Integrated Water Management part time option.

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From left: Prof Dirk Roux (IWC South Africa, Managing Director), Mark Pascoe (CEO, IWC), Prof Dina Burger (Deputy Pro Vice- Chancellor: Research at MSA) and Prof Tyrone Pretorius (Pro Vice Chancellor and President of MSA).

International WaterCentre and Monash South Africa (MSA) have launched the IWC Africa, Water Research Node at Monash University, South Africa.

The vision of the IWC Africa Node is to be a leading research and education unit for building capacity to facilitate a transition towards a more sustainable water future in the context of contemporary Africa. The Water Research Node will promote understanding of and appropriate behaviour regarding more sustainable pathways through research, education and community engagement.

Through the establishment of this Water Research Node, IWC and MSA wish to contribute “capacity for the creation of new capacity” towards the sustainable management and governance of water resources.

The Water Research Node is located at the campus of MSA in Johannesburg and has the dual roles of being an African portal of IWC and an integral part of MSA’s Research Directorate. Dr Dirk Roux will be leading the activities at the Africa Node.

Read more

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INSANITATION - Master of Integrated Water Management students raising awareness about water and sanitation

Two Master of Integrated Water Management students, Kristal Burry and Diane Cousineau are passionate about doing something to raise awareness about the urgent global sanitation situation. They had an idea that has grown into a Brisbane-wide event - INSANITATION. 100 decorated toilets and a few information stands on facts about global sanitation will be displayed at the Queen Street Mall and Radcliff Place in the Brisbane CBD on November 19 – the World Toilet Day.

Kristal Burry says "Essentially the idea is to raise awareness about the lack of sanitation in the world, and highlight the importance of good sanitation to the health and well being on those without sanitation. Diseases caused by poor sanitation and un-safe water have some of the highest mortality and morbidity rates around the world."

Diane Cousineau added "So often, those most affected by these diseases are young children and women in developing countries. The impacts from these diseases can greatly be reduced with some simple technologies, hygiene promotion and access to a safe water supply."

If you are interested in volunteering for the event, please contact International WaterCentre at 07 3123 7766.

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With 89 applications from 32 countries, the IWC Water Leader Scholarships to study Master of Integrated Water Management program has closed and the recipients now have been selected. The 2008 round drew many quality applicants. The task of selecting applicants for the 5 full time scholarships and 10 bursaries was difficult.

After a thorough review, scholarships and bursaries were awarded to 13 promising future water leaders on the basis of academic merit, professional experience, leadership qualities and potential impact. The full scholarship recipients came from Thailand, Philippines, Uganda, USA and Australia. Bursary offers went to students from Kenya, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, The Netherlands, Malawi, Philippines, Zimbabwe, Puerto Rico and China.

Apply for Master of Integrated Water Management Program

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Creating Water Sensitive Australian Cities - Research Dissemination and Capacity Building Workshops

In an effort to address the current institutional and social barriers preventing progress towards water sensitive cities in Australia, International WaterCentre and the National Urban Water Governance Program, Monash University, will host a series of informative knowledge sharing and capacity building workshops for industry professionals involved in all facets of the urban water and development sectors. Two-day workshops will be held in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra in February and March 2009.

The workshops will be followed by policy roundtables for CEOs and senior decision makers in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth, concluding with a national policy forum in Canberra, where the National Water Commission and senior government policy officials will have the opportunity to debate and discuss the outcomes from the workshops.

Workshop participants will have the opportunity to:

* Hear and discuss the most recent analysis of a survey conducted by Monash University and comprising over 1000 Australian urban water practitioners on the institutional barriers and future opportunities for more achieving more sustainable urban water management in Australian Cities.

* Learn from Australia’s leading researchers and industry experts who will present the latest science on the urban heat island effect and its water resource and public health implications for cities.

For more information visit http://www.watersensitivefutures.org or email International WaterCentre.

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Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) - hosted in Australia by IWC

International WaterCentre has the privilege of partnering with ETH Zurich to host the inaugural
Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) Australia course at Noosa, Queensland. Forty participants from Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East will arrive in January 2009 to explore the economic, ecological and human aspects of sustainable development.

The goal of YES is to bring together a diverse group of motivated future leaders for intensive discus-
sions on the global challenges and opportunities of sustainable development. The program creates
platforms for future leaders from diverse backgrounds to exchange experiences, build networks and
gather knowledge through a practice-oriented approach.

The Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) program began in 2000 in Braunwald, Switzerland. Since then, over 700 postgraduate and upper-level undergraduate students from 91 different countries have participated in these unique educational courses. In 2007, there were 5 YES courses conducted around the world. The YES program was begun by the Alliance for Global Sustainability – a partnership between ETH Zurich, Chalmers University, University of Tokyo and MIT.

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Presentations by water and sanitation expert, Mr. Bob Reed

IWC sponsored a series of 3 seminars in Brisbane, Melbourne and Canberra entitled “Inclusion and Vulnerability in the Water and Sanitation Sector” presented by Bob Reed from Loughborough University, UK. Mr Reed is a specialist in public health engineering and an expert in water supply and sanitation for low-income communities and refugee camps.

Mr Reed’s well received presentation highlighted the sanitation obstacles faced by vulnerable groups in low and middle income countries. The presentation raised important sanitation issues that are often overlooked by practitioners and planners. Mr. Reed offered simple and practical solutions to improving access for vulnerable groups such as installing railings and ramps, designing wider doors and bigger cubicles. If you would like a DVD copy of the Brisbane presentation please contact the IWC.

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Staff changes and new employees at IWC

IWC’s Executive Manager Bronwyn Powell is on one year maternity leave effective 10 October 2008. We are pleased to announce that in her absence, Fiona Chandler will assume Bronwyn’s responsibilities as the Executive Manager.

IWC wish Bronwyn all the best during this exciting time!

Fiona Chandler	Executive Manager
	Prior to joining IWC in September 2008, Fiona was the Executive officer and Team Leader for the Water Cycle Policy and Stakeholder Management Team with the Water Resources Branch, Brisbane City Council. She has extensive experience in strategic planning, and developing and implementing integrated water cycle and sustainable water management policy across various levels of government and institutional arrangements, and at a range of spatial scales. Read more on our website!
Peter Wegener	Education Design Specialist
	Peter’s main role at the International WaterCentre is to develop education and training products, in particular the Master of Integrated Water Management Program, into flexible modes for part-time, external and short course delivery. Read more on our website!
Nathanial Matthews	Education and Research Officer
	Nate is involved in the IWC’s research agendas and helps coordinate and facilitate the IWC’s education and training projects. Read more on our website!
Tania Norori	Education Support Officer
	Tania works at IWC as an Education Support Officer. In this role Tania is responsible for the coordination of logistical and administrative aspects of IWC education and training projects and programs. Read more on our website!
Jennifer Ball	Office Coordinator
	Jennifer’s provides support to the Executive Assistant and Marketing Officer and IWC staff and maintains functional office systems. Read more on our website!

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Professor Stuart Bunn

IWC congratulates Professor Stuart Bunn, Director of Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University and member of the IWC Advisory Committee, who has been appointed by Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, as one of the state and territory commissioners to the National Water Commission.

The National Water Commission oversees the shared commitments agreed to in 2004 by Commonwealth, state and territory governments under the National Water Initiative – Australia’s enduring blueprint for water reform. Lead water agencies in the states and territories have primary responsibility for water resource planning and management.

Read more

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River Journeys

International Riverfoundation (IRF) has recently launched its book “River Journeys” at the International Riversymposium (1 – 4 September 2008) in Brisbane. Marking the 10th anniversary of the Thiess Riverprize, the book features insightful and inspiring interviews with Australian and international prize winners and celebrates their long and challenging river restoration journeys over the past decade. “River Journeys” showcases the human face of award-winning river restoration projects worldwide and provides insights into how we can live with rivers more sustainably in the future. It features stunning landscape photography by commissioned photographer Kerry Trapnell who is well-known for his work in the Cape York Peninsula region.

River Journeys is available online
ISBN 978-0-9805546-0-1
104 pages, hard cover
AU $39.95

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Healthy Waterways invite you to attend your local launch of the 2008 Ecosystem Health Report Card results on 22 October.

The Ecosystem Health Report Card provides 'A to F' health ratings for the waterways of South East Queensland and is released annually by the SEQ Healthy Waterways Partnership. It is the culmination of twelve months of scientific monitoring at 389 freshwater, estuarine and marine sites throughout the region.

The Report Card will be released at four launch events across South East Queensland on 22 October at 11.30am:

Central - Riverlife Centre (former Naval Stores at the base of Kangaroo Point Cliffs, Brisbane)
Southern - Gold Coast Arts Centre (135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise)
Western - Gatton Research Station (Warrego Hwy, before Gatton, opposite the UQ Gatton College)
Northern - Sails Restaurant and Function Centre (Marine Parade at Suttons Beach, Redcliffe)

Please rsvp by Friday 17 October by phoning (07) 3403 4206 or email Healthy Waterways nominating which event you wish to attend.

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Knowledge Hub Regional Meeting 15 - 17 October 2008

Healthy Waterways Report Card Launch 22 October 2008

Sanitation and Water Conference 27 -29 October 2008

Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) Australia February 2009

Creating Water Sensitive Cities in Australia workshops February 2009

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