News from Berlin - Germany’s first UNESCO Water Institute is about to start operating. The new UNESCO Water Institute aims to strengthen global cooperation in policy, research and education about water resources and global change.

The treaty was signed in Berlin on July 9th by the representatives of the German Federal Government and the UNESCO. The German Federal Government was represented by the State Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Böhmer and General Director Wendy Watson on the side of UNESCO.

Minister of State Böhmer explained that with the new center, Germany takes over another piece of responsibility and that this creates an important platform for the benefit of present and future generations. The Minister of State added that the UNESCO Water Institute can draw on the many years of German experience in research environment and development cooperation: "It will complement the German activities in the field of water foreign policy ideally," added Böhmer.

The new UNESCO Water Institute aims to strengthen global cooperation in policy, research and education about water resources and global change. In order to better understand the global context, the Institute will gather experts from around the world-and train and engage them in joint research projects. In addition, water databases from Germany to be more accessible to the international research community. One focus is on cooperation with developing countries, especially Africa.

The Institute has its headquarters at the Federal Institute of Hydrology in Koblenz. It cooperates with the German National Committee for the Water Research programs of UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Worldwide, there are now 27 UNESCO Water Institutes and Germany now operates one of them.

News from Berlin- Berlin Global