AWA’s first course takes place 28/6-2/7/2009: Water Governance for Future Leaders: Concepts, Practices and Analysis of Water Governance
Launched in July 2008, the Arab Water Academy (AWA) was created with the aim of becoming a regional ‘centre of excellence’ for executive education in water. AWA’s focus is on strengthening the knowledge and skills of the Middle East and North Africa’s decision-makers to address and manage effectively the region’s water challenges.
Initiated by the Arab Water Council, the Academy is based in the headquarters of the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD). Its management, administration and academic development is undertaken by the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), which is based in Dubai with an office in Abu Dhabi. Initial financial support for the Academy was provided by EAD, the Islamic Development Bank, and The World Bank. 
Module 1 in the AWA’s first course, Water Governance for Future Leaders: Concepts, Practices and Analysis of Water Governance, was held on 28th June to 2nd July at the Beach Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Funded by USAID and EAD, the course attracted 24 people in middle management positions operating in ministries, government agencies, the private and public sectors, and academic institutions in the water sector ranging across seven countries in the region.
After an official welcome by His Excellency Mohammad Al Bowardi, Secretary General Executive Council Abu Dhabi and Managing Director EAD and Dr Shawki Barghouti, Director General ICBA and Acting Director of the Arab Water Academy, the course participants from Morocco, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Oman, Palestine and Yemen were able to benefit in the presence of His Excellency Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General EAD and member of the ICBA Board of Directors, from the challenging interaction with regional and international experts, such as Julia Bucknall and Vijay Jagannathan from The World Bank, Dr Rachael McDonnell, Dr Francois Molle, Dr Esteban Castro, Dr Mark Svendsen and Dr Hakan Tropp. With skilled facilitation from Ziad Moussa, the course engaged the participants in developing an understanding of the concepts, roles, frameworks, and practices of effective water governance, in order to identify and analyze critical governance-related problems in the water sector, and develop ideas for change.
What next?
Module 2 Leadership in Water Governance Development will be held in November 2009 and Module 3 Water Governance – Context, Dimensions and Futures will held in February 2010 (both in Abu Dhabi). Refer to www.academy.ae for details about these two future modules.