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WATER EDUCATION AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTTwo capacity development projects of UN-Water demonstratethe educational and capacity building aspects of water cooperation.In doing so, they highlight the importance of collaboratingat different levels and the varied forms of cooperation needed inthe water sector.Safe Use of Wastewater in AgricultureCompetition for water and the growing focus on food security, especiallyin urban and peri-urban areas, are increasing the pressureon (fresh)water resources exponentially. Wastewater is a resourcewhich can, when used safely, alleviate this pressure. But to makeuse of it safely, national policies and strategies need to be in place.Despite an interest in using certain wastewaters in agriculture, manynations have difficulties implementing the available guidelines anddeveloping the right strategies. At the same time, it is clear that thereis a large amount of unknown (or unreported) use of wastewaterin countries which might not understand the potential health andenvironmental risks associated with it.UNW-DPC, under the auspices of UN-Water, is addressingthis issue by bundling the competences and experiences of itsmembers and partners, entering into an intense dialogue withcountries from around the world. The Safe Use of Wastewaterin Agriculture (SUWA) project brings together and facilitatescooperation among experts from six UN-Water members andpartners from different fields including agriculture, water treatment,irrigation, health, environment and related themes. The sixentities involved are the World Health Organization, the Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), theUnited Nations Environment Programme, the United NationsUniversity Institute for Water, Environment and Health, theInternational Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, and theInternational Water Management Institute. SUWAfacilitates improved capacities among stakeholders,decision makers and experts by creating a commonplatform for the exchange of knowledge and experience.The aim of the project is to address issues relatedto wastewater use in agriculture with a sustainable,effective and less risky approach, to formulate acapacity development action plan, and to disseminatetraining materials and learning methods at thecountry level. To ensure success and sustainability forwater cooperation schemes, a common understandingof the needs and challenges surrounding the issue ofwastewater is required. Implementing SUWA entailsmultidimensional cooperation and concerted effortsfrom various disciplines.The level of cooperation required to execute a projectlike SUWA is considerable, not only between the partnersinvolved at the United Nations level, but alsobetween those at the national level. Indeed, addressingwastewater use in a safe and productive way foragriculture necessarily involves many partners andstakeholders who need to be engaged in the decision-makingprocess, across a range of sectors. It alsorequires different levels of cooperation between policymakers,communities and water use associations.Cooperation in SUWA: levels and dimensionsCapacity development in SUWA is understood as “theprocess through which relevant stakeholders, especiallythose from sanitation, agriculture, environment andImage: UNU-UNW-DPCImage: IRRIAddressing wastewater use in a safe and productive way for agriculture involvesmany partners and stakeholdersWastewater use in agriculture may be planned or unplanned – itssafe use requires capacity development and education[ 101 ]