The UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security at the Institute of Environment is charged with bringing together research and education to address regional, national and global water security issues, through innovative interdisciplinary research and partnerships for sustainability.

logo-unesco-chair-at-fiu.jpg

Featured Events

save-the-date-for-website_conference-2023_mexico.jpg

Conference Water Security for a Sustainable Future

Join us for the Conference Water Security for a Sustainable Future, which will take place on October 18-20, 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico. More information about the event to be provided in the coming days.

Explore the Conference 

Nile Talk Forums

Join us once a month for a conversation bringing experts in Nile and other transboundary river issues of the world to discuss experiences in diffusing tensions, sharing the common good, build trust and develop collaboration and cooperation.

Explore the Forums 

About the Chair

Dr. Maria C. Donoso is the founding Chair-holder. Under the guidance and coordination of the Chair-holder, the Chair is to serve as a vehicle to further expand and share the experience gained over the last decade by the institute in water security and sustainability through programs such as GLOWS (Global Water for Sustainability), led by FIU and executed in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Caucasus.

Dr. Rita Teutonico is the vice-chair. 

Coordinating Unit and Host: Institute of Environment

Co-hosts: Applied Research Center, Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy

Advisory Board | Theme Coordination Committee

Results

A results-based management approach is used to monitor and guarantee the success of planned activities and mainstream results within the institution and abroad.

Overall Activities

  • Integrating applied research
  • Supporting development of innovative technologies and methods for sustainable water security
  • Provisioning capacity-building actions and training, workshops, conferences, knowledge sharing cooperation, and publications
  • Promoting, building and strengthening partnerships for water security
  • Bridging the science-policy interface
  • Additional activities through the International Program

Ongoing Activities

  • Contributing to a Special Publication on the 50 years of UNESCO- IHP in the Americas
  • Coordinating and facilitating negotiations for the establishment of the dual Ph.D. Program FIU-Univ. Florence
  • Supporting and facilitating the establishments of MoUs  and subsequent joint applied research and/or academic programs with universities in Ecuador (Escuela Politecnica del Litoral - ESPOL), Mexico (Universidad Nacional de Mexico – UNAM),  Portugal (University of Algarve), India (Manipal Academy of Higher Education – MAHE)
  • Facilitating the establishment of an applied collaborative research program between FIU and Ecuador
  • Coordinating the organization of the InWe Conference on Water and Environment Security
  • Facilitating the establishment of a UNESCO Graphic monitoring site in Belize.

Accomplished Activities

  • Co-Authored the WWF8 report for SA
  • Coordinated and edited an Aqua-LAC Special Number on Haiti
  • Coordinated the Establishment of MoU FIU-Univ. Perugia, based on UNESCO Chairs cooperation
  • Coordinated the Establishment of MoU FIU-UPUCMM (Dominican Republic)
  • In collaboration with a private foundation supported the Bi-annual Meeting of IHP-LAC
  • Presentation of the Chair in Dom. Rep, Bahamas, Mexico, Haiti, Italy, Private Sector France

Contact

Dr. Maria C. Donoso
UNESCO Chair-holder
Institute of Environment
College of Arts, Sciences & Education
Florida International University
3000 NE 151 St, AC1 200
Miami, FL 33181 USA
Tel. +1-305-919-4115
mcdonoso@fiu.edu