There is an increased interest in capacity development at all levels An increasing number of initiatives and programmes on water education and capacity development that has potential for scaling-up and have an impact on the performance of the water sector. More multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary platforms and dialogues are taking place more frequently than ever before. Session 6.1 Current Trends

Quantity, quality, equality and accessibility of data and information relevant for policy making, capacity development and education at all levels Strive to have female professionals and stakeholders as full partners in all levels and not merely as a target group Education, knowledge and capacity development should be seen as a means to transform mentalities, lifestyles and attitudes towards a more sustainable and responsible use of water Reinforcing the values and principles that underpin integrated water management approaches Innovative and non-traditional means of communication and dissemination for capacity development Scaling-up of successful initiatives and long-term nature of capacity development interventions Session 6.1 Guiding principles for education, knowledge and capacity development

Efforts should be focused on changing attitudes. Water should be seen as a crucial part of development. It is the underlying principle in all interventions. More funding sources and alliances need to be explored. Water should be part of the general educational curriculum. Focus should be on action-oriented education, particularly targeting children and youth. International initiatives, such as the UN DESD and the UN Decade for Water, to promote water education should be intensified. Databases of high quality should be systematised in a way that can be used on different levels (e.g. primary, secondary school, research institutions). You cannot educate well if there is no good information available and accessible. Set up monitoring systems to check quality of data and educational materials to ensure objectivity and clarity, tailored to the needs of the stakeholders. Session 6.1 Recommendations

Carry out local needs assessments for capacity development prior to any major capacity development interventions. More focus should be put on action-oriented research that includes local stakeholders, in particular communities. Encourage science-based policy formulation Encourage a holistic approach to research programmes bringing multi- disciplinary and multi-stakeholders and inter-sectorial approaches to the issues Improve understanding about learning cultures and styles through multi- stakeholder platforms at various scales. Session 6.1 Recommendations

The various actors present have made a commitment to take the findings discussed here to various platforms through: -Conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Bonn, -Stockholm Water Week, -Commission on Sustainable Development New York -etc. The group will continue cooperation, networking and consultations in order to generate new initiatives and scale-up of existing ones. Session 6.1 Follow-up actions