UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security

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.

Upcoming Events

November

2026

Meeting of the Extended Advisory Board

Meeting of the Extended Advisory Board of the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security at the Institute of Environment at FIU

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

Today, water systems are faced with several challenges, which can be categorized as technical, institutional, political, financial and information-related. These challenges are compounded by global and regional change pressures and associated risks and uncertainties. Water security is an increasing concern particularly to the developing world, considering population growth, uncontrolled urban expansion, increased water infrastructure decay, land use changes, water quality degradation, growing impact of extreme hydrological events and other effects of global change.

In effectively dealing with complex, rapid environmental and demographical changes and challenges, holistic, multidisciplinary and environmentally sound approaches to water resources management and protection policy need to be sought to attain sustainability. Furthermore, the deterioration of hydraulic infrastructure is requiring a level of investment which poses a challenge even to developing countries and is critically impacting the sustainability of water security enterprises and operations.

Despite these challenges, there are opportunities to be tapped effectively to transform unsustainable water systems to sustainable. Some of the key opportunities include: strategic planning processes, integrated water management, sustainable, flexible and resilient technologies, emerging economic development, emerging urban centers in developing countries and green economy (UNESCO IHP Strategy, 2012).

Read more about IHP-VIII: Water Security or learn more on the challenges and actions undertaken by UNESCO to attain water security by visiting the UNESCO Water Portal.

The mission of the UNESCO Chair on Water Security at the FIU Institute of Environment is to bring together university-wide research and educational programs to address regional, national and global water security issues, through innovative interdisciplinary research and partnerships for sustainability. This statement coincides with UNESCO's Mission Statement in reference to the pursuit of sustainable development and poverty eradication through education, the sciences, knowledge and information sharing. In addition, operating within the FIU gender equality policy, while the implementation of activities will be in an equitable manner including both men and women, special attention will be devoted to incorporate women in all activities of the programmatic agenda of the Chair.

The long-term development objective of the Chair is to contribute to sustainable development goals by supporting equitable availability and sustainable management of water.

Specific short-term objectives:

Coordinate and contribute to research, science and technology development, innovation and policies related to sustainable water security.
Foster national and international scientific cooperation and integrated scientific approaches to managing and conserving water resources.
Build human and institutional capacity at all levels to support sustainable water security.
Advocate for, strengthen, and participate in global partnerships to bridge the science-policy interface.

Institutions and Organizations

Non-U.S.-based Universities and Research Centers

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

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