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

PCCP Logo

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

Prospective Students

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

Learning Objectives

After completing this specialization, graduates will be able to:

  • Describe for a given water resources system the interplay between the main biophysical processes and social dynamics, in analyzing, anticipating, preventing and managing conflicts;
  • Describe and explain the main concepts and instruments for analyzing and influencing formal and informal arrangements over water for collaboration, including policies, laws and institutions, and by adopting a historical perspective;
  • Explain the key concepts for integrated, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary analyses of water systems and describe the challenges of such approaches at sector, intersectoral and trans-boundary levels;
  • Name and critically discuss theories, concepts and tools of conflict management and cooperation building techniques in the context of natural resources and water in particular.
Application procedure

Water Conflict Management Participant

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.