You will study the management of water resources conflicts, focusing on negotiation, mediation and decision-making processes, in order to prevent, manage and resolve water conflicts.

Starts: Annually in October
Duration: 18 Months
Location: UNESCO-IHE, Delft, the Netherlands

The Water Conflict Management specialization was initiated by and developed with UNESCO’s Potential Conflict to Cooperation Potential programme on transboundary water management and conflict resolution (PCCP). UNESCO-IHE offers this programme in collaboration with the University of Dundee in the UK, the renown Clingendael Institute of International Relations, The Hague, and UNESCO’s PCCP programme.

Prospective Students

The programme is designed for water managers as well as for institutional, legal international relations experts interested in local, national and international water management.

Learning Objectives

After completing this specialization, graduates will be able to:

  • Name and explain principles, concepts and instruments of main national and international water and environmental legislation and common and desired institutional and management arrangements;
  • Design and apply models for institutional development with emphasis on water policy development, functional decentralisation and good governance;
  • Design and facilitate inclusive consultation, negotiation, mediation and decision-making processes between water users and their representatives, water managers, politicians and other decision makers;
  • Identify and critically assess the different functions of the water resources system and the, often competing, interests of the various water using sectors.
Application procedure

Please click here for the application procedure for the UNESCO-IHE MSc programmes.

Programme Structure & Contents

This specialization consists of 14 modules covering a total of 12 months, this is followed by a 6-month research and thesis phase. Graduates of the programme will be awarded 106 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits.

A detailed table of all specialization modules that comprise the Master's Programme in Water Management is available here. The specializations are found in the top row and their relevant modules are found directly below.