Americas

Barbados

• Caribbean water initiative (CARIWIN)
• Community Partnerships and Women's Studies

Community Partnerships and Women's Studies

Project purpose: The project aimed to develop the capacity of women's studies specialists in Indonesia, the English-speaking Caribbean and Atlantic Canada to strengthen their community-based research and community development work.

Key results to date: As a result of the project, the profile of women's studies has improved at each of the participating institutions. The ability of women's studies specialists in the participating institutions to work in their universities and communities has improved, as they have much more knowledge of the international situation for women and can convey this to their students. New materials were developed and are being used in women's studies curricula in all three regions; all materials have been translated into Indonesian. Participating faculty learned a great deal about interactive pedagogic approaches, and the curriculum materials developed by team members reflect a broader range of pedagogic strategies than were in use at the outset of the project. The project also provided new opportunities for participating faculty to become familiar with the people, interests, culture and needs of women's studies specialists in the three regions and to continue to strengthen their capacity to work together successfully.

Caribbean water initiative (CARIWIN)

Project purpose: The purpose of the project is to refine the training and analytical capacity of the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) as it pertains to the management of water resources. The Institute will train leaders capable of managing water resources in an economically productive, socially acceptable and environmentally sustainable manner while meeting the needs of all stakeholders, particularly the most vulnerable.

Key results to date: CARIWIN has provided training to the personnel of the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) in principles of integrated water resources management (IWRM), including policies and practices. The delivery of educational programming at CIMH now includes IWRM. The library and laboratory have been improved, thus enhancing the capacity at CIMH to act as a training and information centre. The purchase of water quality testing equipment has enhanced the training and research infrastructure by providing a means of data collection previously unavailable. New curricula and training materials were developed for three short courses on IWRM. CIMH is now providing essential training to government representatives from its member countries and is already emerging as a regional reference in IWRM. Research carried out in Barbados has resulted in a report on water, gender and equality in water management. To date, 58 project documents related to best practices in IWRM have been made available on the project website.