GEF IW:LEARN IT Workshop (Istanbul)

IW:LEARN Programme

Learning Activity Centre (ICT Workshop)

Thurs 19th and Fri 20th March 2009: 14.30 - 19.00

Title: How to create and manage a powerful internet-based content management system (CMS) with limited or no IT skills (i.e HTML, programming)

Description: The purpose of this course is to provide training for creating and managing a website that can serve as an information base and outreach mechanism. A show and tell approach will explain how to easily add content including the use of blogs, wikis, google maps, surveys and so on.

The course is appropriate for information specialists, IT managers and project members who are responsible for developing and maintaining a website.

Maximum number of participants: 20. All participants will need to bring their own wifi-enabled computer.

Our activities will be in Room no. 4 of the Learning Centre which is located at the Mahmut II hall of the  Feshane plan. Please see attached maps:

UN-Water Pavillion

Wed 18th March 2009: 10.00 - 12.00
Fri 20th March 2009: 10.00 - 12.00

Title: Implementing a Collaborative Network to Sustain Information and Knowledge Sharing
Description: This will involve a rich discussion of ideas on how to improve International Waters (IW) management through more strategic use of information sharing and knowledge management. It will highlight innovative initiatives that:

• Illustrate how to promote water resource management transparency, collaboration and learning through the Internet. Demonstrate how participants can access and share information through the environment information network.
• Describe the core elements and tools (based on free, open source software) of the GEF IW network.
• Identify benefits to participants in contributing to the growth of this collaborative network.

Please find attached map of where the UNEP section will be.

We invite World Water Forum 5 participants who are interested to take part in IW:LEARN activities to fill out this short survey. The purpose of this short survey is to learn which of you will be attending the WWF5 this March and gather input to shape our workshops, side events and consultations so that they are relevant to your interest. Proceed to the survey now.

The World Water Forum, organized every three years by the World Water Council in close collaboration with the authorities of the hosting country. It is the largest international event in the field of water aimed at putting water firmly on the international agenda. It primarily serves four main purposes:

• To raise the importance of water on the political agenda

• To support the deepening of discussions towards the solution of international water issues in the 21st century

• To formulate concrete proposals and bring their importance to the world's attention

• To generate political commitment

The successive editions of the World Water Forum have served as stepping-stones towards global collaboration on water problems. The Forum offers the water community and decision-makers from all over the world the unique opportunity to make recommendations for ensuring the security of water resources in the different parts of the world.

This is the 5^th World Water Forum, with the 1^st held in Morocco (1997), the 2^nd in the Netherlands (2000), the 3^rd in Japan (2003), and the 4^th in Mexico (2006) with 20,000 participants.

Official WWF5 website: http://www.worldwaterforum5.org/

General information about Turkey

Weather forecast

Currency and exchange rate: Turkish Lira (TL).
1 EURO = approximately 1.84 TL

and US$1 = approximately 1.4 TL

Time zone: GMT +2 for the entire country (seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time).

Electricity: 220 volts AC throughout Turkey

Transportation in Istanbul

Buses will be operating between the congress centres and hotels, as well as between the airport and the hotels, on a regular basis and throughout the week.

Mornings, 07.00 – 10.00, evenings, 17.00 – 20.00, every 30 minutes, and from 10.00 to 17.00 every one hour, buses will be providing the transportation, as the ferry boats will be within the same timing schedule.

Ferry boat transportation will enable passengers to travel from/to Kadıköy, Yenikapı, Kabataş to/from the two ports of the venue, Sütlüce and Feshane, while at the same time continuous ferry boat service between Sütlüce and Feshane will be available as well.

Click here for more information on transport 

Participants during the workshop:

• William Okello   National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI), Junja, Uganda
• Wolfgang Seis   Technische Universitat Berlin
• Christian Susan   UNIDO
• David Moody   Beaver Wood Associates, USA
• Jeanne Moody   Beaver Wood Associates, USA
• Barbara Lopi   SADC Groundwater & Drought Management Project
• Chuck Chaitovitz   Global Environment & Technology Foundation / Good Practices and Joint Collaboration for Nutrient Reduction on CEE
• Adedayo Musk-Adeyemi   Ogun State Works Corporation, Nigeria
• Michael A.  Kehinde   Ogun State Water Corporation, Nigeria