Cogitations on the Education of Water Resources Managers

Stakhiv, Eugene Z.

doi:10.1111/j.1936-704x.2008.00011.x

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…The importance of interdisciplinary water training is widely acknowledged, although the extent of the focus of interdisciplinarity varies, with some articles emphasizing both natural and social sciences (Kirshen et al 2004;Bourget 2006;Fort 2008;Viessman 2008;Campkin and Neto 2013;and Pinter et al 2013), and others addressing integration solely across natural sciences and engineering (Graney et al 2008;Lettenmaier 2008;Stakhiv 2008). Recognizing the interdisciplinary nature of water challenges, numerous articles tackled the debate between depth versus breadth in education for water professionals.…”

Section: Interdisciplinary Water Education and Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recognizing the interdisciplinary nature of water challenges, numerous articles tackled the debate between depth versus breadth in education for water professionals. Many expressed that programs are becoming “watered‐down” in an attempt to cover more perspectives (Stakhiv 2008), while others acknowledged that traditional approaches were failing to train students to deal with contemporary challenges (Lettenmaier 2008). In contrast to a common theme that the technical quality of water professionals has declined over time, Layzer (2008) argues that most water challenges are not technical “water management” issues, but rather are “people management” challenges, and thus technical skills are not the most essential characteristics for water professionals.…”

Section: Interdisciplinary Water Education and Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bringing the Elephant into the Room: Integrating Risk into Interdisciplinary Water Programs

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Kuhl

2015

Contemporary Water Research

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Problems that require risk management are usually cross‐disciplinary in nature, which makes it difficult to educate students and professionals on common language, skills, and strategies. Recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of many water challenges in terms of quality, allocation, future supply, infrastructure, damages, etc. has led to the establishment of interdisciplinary graduate water programs. Motivated by experience in an interdisciplinary water program at Tufts University, this paper argues that explicit coverage of the subject of risk is an important component of an interdisciplinary water training program, and that understanding risk should be a core competency of a water professional. The literature on water education is reviewed, particularly regarding the core competencies of an interdisciplinary water professional. Existing interdisciplinary water graduate programs are also surveyed to identify if, and how, risk features in their program descriptions or curriculums. Our analysis found that risk was not mentioned as a core competency or key issue in any of the literature on interdisciplinary water education or training, and featured in only a few program descriptions or curriculums. Based on this analysis, we conclude that there is a significant need to address risk more centrally and explicitly in interdisciplinary water programs.

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Section: Interdisciplinary Water Education and Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Interdisciplinary Water Education and Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bringing the Elephant into the Room: Integrating Risk into Interdisciplinary Water Programs

Read

Kuhl

2015

Contemporary Water Research

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“…Stakhiv (2008), attempting to clarify the use of the terms, specifies that individual disciplinary research produces knowledge for that particular discipline, whereas interdisciplinary research or teaching projects 'provide a synthesis of knowledge that better address complex real world problems'. He then continues to make a distinction between multidisciplinary problem solving and synthesis versus interdisciplinary education and training.…”

Section: Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Research And Teachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is a multiplicity of definitions. For example, Stakhiv (2008) writes that a water manager implements policies and manages strategic planning choices, while contributing to the management of operating water infrastructure to provide reliable services. As management is performance-oriented problem-solving, he deplores the use of the term water management for policy analysts, researchers, data collectors, professors, and statisticians.…”

Section: Distinction Between Irrigation and Water Resource Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching irrigation science and water management: accepting professional diversity. Editorial

Kijne¹

2010

Irrig Sci

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Water matters in a world that will soon have to grow food for billions more people. In that context, how should we educate aspiring professionals in the field of irrigation and water resource management? Before attempting an answer to that question we need to explore how the practice and science of irrigation have changed in recent decades.First, we outline the history of irrigation development, identifying the important research issues that were characteristic for each period. The intent is to delineate major trends in the profession, highlighting those changes with implications for university curricula in irrigation and water management. The second part of the paper reviews selected curriculum reform literature and discusses the practicalities of changing from a disciplinary curriculum to multi-or interdisciplinary teaching and research in irrigation and water management. The final section discusses the desired difference between the irrigation curriculum and the water management curriculum.The history of irrigation science and practice with a focus on developing countries Irrigation expansionHalf a century ago, irrigation was considered one of the branches of civil engineering, rather than a scientific endeavor. Hydraulics, hydrology, soil science (mechanics, physics and chemistry), and economics constituted the scientific basis for irrigation engineering. The goal-the so-called 'hydraulic mission'-during this period, lasting from the end of World War II till about the 1970s, was the construction of irrigation systems. The design and construction of hydraulic control and measurement structures were based on hydraulic principles that facilitated controlled flow in open channels and closed conduits for piped distribution systems and sprinkler irrigation.1 Hydrology dealt with the study of rainfall patterns and runoff models and studied the loss of water through evaporation and transpiration from cropped land. Several algorithms were developed for the calculation of actual and potential evapotranspiration from sets of meteorological data. Together, hydraulics and hydrology were essential for the design of large dams and reservoirs for water storage to be used for irrigation and hydropower, especially in the US (for example along the Colorado River), but also in the Indian subcontinent. The construction of such dams required the study of soil mechanics.Chiefly in South Asia, this period also marked the beginning of an increase in water supplies for irrigation through public and private development of groundwater. Combined with other inputs of the green revolution, irrigated agriculture contributed much to achieving food security and poverty reduction in countries which hitherto had been plagued by periodic famines. The study of groundwater hydrology expanded with the development of groundwater as an additional source of irrigation water. Horst (1998), especially chap. 1 in which the author examines irrigation development over time in support of his proposition that the design of the physical canal system with it...

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It takes a community to raise a hydrologist: the Modular Curriculum for Hydrologic Advancement (MOCHA)

Wagener¹,

Kelleher²,

Weiler³

et al. 2012

Preprint

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Protection from hydrological extremes and the sustainable supply of hydrological services in the presence of climate change and increasing population pressure are the defining societal challenges for hydrology in the 21st century. A review of the existing literature shows that these challenges and their educational consequences for hydrology were foreseeable and were predicted by some. Surveys of the current educational basis, however, also clearly demonstrate that hydrology education is not yet prepared to deal with this challenge. We present our own vision of the necessary future evolution of hydrology education, which we implemented in the Modular Curriculum for Hydrologic Advancement (MOCHA). The MOCHA project is directly aimed at developing a community-driven basis for hydrology education. In this paper we combine literature review, surveys, discussion and assessment to provide a holistic baseline for future hydrology education

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Cogitations on the Education of Water Resources Managers

Cited by 3 publications

References 4 publications

Bringing the Elephant into the Room: Integrating Risk into Interdisciplinary Water Programs

Bringing the Elephant into the Room: Integrating Risk into Interdisciplinary Water Programs

Teaching irrigation science and water management: accepting professional diversity. Editorial

It takes a community to raise a hydrologist: the Modular Curriculum for Hydrologic Advancement (MOCHA)

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