Water Education for Public Servants of Developing Countries in the post COVID-19 world

Abstract

After the COVID-19 pandemic, hand hygiene has become more important to prevent and reduce infection. To manage and provide water to ensure safe handwashing, water governance and the role of public servants are also getting critical. Many organizations have given their priority to capacity building of public servants. In the Strategic Plan for the ninth phase of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (2022-2029), ‘Water education in the Fourth Industrial Revolution’ is included as a priority. In Korea, ODA in the field of water and sanitation is emphasized in Korea’s 3rd Mid-term Strategy for Development Cooperation (2021-2025). Also, KOICA and various water-related organizations have been organizing water education programs for developing countries. This study presents the direction for water education for public servants in developing countries in the post COVID-19 through the education program cases of the International Centre for Water Security and Sustainable Management established by the agreement between the Korean government and UNESCO in 2017. The study suggests that water-related organizations should cooperate with each other to prevent duplication of water education contents. It also suggests that blended learning should be actively utilized for the improvement of education program effectiveness. Lastly, the study emphasizes that education demand for the water technologies related to the fourth industrial revolution and smart water management is increasing, which should be considered when water-related organizations create online content or design education programs.