The effects of climate change are causing significant social and economic issues throughout the Asia and Pacific region. Digital technologies are proving crucial in building climate and disaster resilience and enhancing environmental sustainability through tools like water monitoring systems, smart remote metering, adaptation solutions, and other water management innovations that can be applied from local to regional scales. These technologies are rapidly evolving, and water managers need to be aware of the range of technologies that can be adopted.

The Asia-Australia Online Short Course: Digital Technologies for a Climate Resilient Water Sector aims to build the capacity of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) project teams and developing member country (DMC) counterpart staff in the knowledge and use of digital technologies to improve water management and inclusive participation in decision-making, in turn contributing to water security and climate change resilience.

The course is funded by the Government of Australia through the Australian Water Partnership and supported by the Asian Development Bank and is free to successful applicants.

Duration: 6 weeks, 6 hours of online learning per week.

Commencing: 31 October 2022

Objectives

By the end of this course participants will have gained:

• Exposure to Australia’s experiences and expertise in the application of digital technologies for the water sector, in particular, how these technologies contribute to planning, allocation and governance decisions, across different geographical scales, governance structures, institutional levels, and water users
• An understanding of climate change risks and vulnerabilities to water management in the Asia and the Pacific
• An understanding of the use of digital technologies in urban water and sanitation; regional water resource management, including groundwater and dam level monitoring; river and ecosystem health monitoring; and rural water supply and sanitation
• Capacity to apply digital technologies in the context of their own work, organizations, and water-related challenges. This includes having the capacity to engage their team members and management, and other relevant stakeholders, to develop and adopt digital technologies to enable more inclusive participation in decision-making and climate change adaptation
• Capacity to implement change projects in their workplaces which aim to leverage the knowledge and capacity gained from the short course to help address a priority water planning, allocation, or governance challenge, and drive innovation within participants’ teams and organizations
• A network of peers who work in similar areas and face similar water-related issues across Asia and the Pacific region
• Strong connections with Australian counterparts and presenters throughout the short course program and will have access to collaboration opportunities for further developing the capacity of ADB’s DMC teams and partner organizations in the use of digital technologies.

Target participants

This online course is designed for ADB operational department staff and DMC counterpart staff who would benefit from upskilling and expanding their knowledge of the use of digital technologies to manage water in urban and regional settings.

The course is suitable for practitioners, policy makers, decision makers, utility directors, and employees of water associations involved in ADB-funded water management projects.

Participants are sought from all of ADB’s developing member countries.

How to register

Individuals who wish to join or nominate a colleague can do so by submitting an application through the Griffith University website.