[LUM#16] The CHARM of water
Water is one of the three topics offered to students inthe CHARM-EU European master's program. The UNESCO Chair in Water, Women, and Decision-Making, based in Abidjan, is partnering with this upcoming class, which will have to take the plunge to tackle a very real societal challenge.
Abidjan, Ivory Coast. You live in a poor neighborhood located a few meters from the riverbed. In a few days, the rainy season will arrive, bringing with it convective storms similar to those sometimes seen in the Mediterranean region. Except that here, the rain and runoff last for several weeks, and the inhabitants are neither prepared nor equipped to deal with it. How would you go about getting your family and neighbors to safety? Additional information: you are a woman.
This is one of the challenges that could be set for students on the next European Charm-EU master's program. There are no lectures here, "but real societal challenges to be tackled in relation to sustainable development issues, whether in the North or, as here, in the South," explains hydrologist and teacher Valérie Borrell*. To this end, the researcher, who is already associated with the Icireward center, had the idea of calling on Euphrasie Kouassi-Yao, holder of the UNESCO Chair inWater, Women and Decision-Making in Abidjan , and its general administrator Alexis Tchiakpe.
Promoting women's empowerment
This chair, created in 2006, promotes a system integrating research, training, and awareness-raising with the aim of involving women, who are the primary users of water, in resource management in Africa. "This involves training women in the management of water facilities in villages, for example. It gives them a recognized place in society and contributes to a form of empowerment," explains Valérie Borrell.
The chair also offers a master's degree dedicated to water professionals in Africa who wish to learn about gender issues in order to better identify the levers to be activated. "In certain areas, Charm-EU students will join these African students via videoconference to work on concrete problems," says Valérie Borrell. Students enrolled in the university diploma program Digital Expertise for the Protection of Populations and Environments in Southern Metropolises could also be involved in this challenge, contributing their technical engineering skills.
Learning to listen to stakeholders
How will these African, European, and international students be invited to develop solutions? "Through collaboration and sharing experiences. It's not about imposing your point of view, but listening to each other in order to innovate together," says the researcher. To get people involved, students will also need to equip themselves with tools such as brainstorming and serious games. The innovative teaching methods promoted by Charm-EU open the door to a wide range of possibilities in line with the living lab approach.
"If we take the case of flooding, we can design a serious but accessible game that will allow young women to express themselves on these issues," continues the teacher. How do they experience flooding? What are their observations? How would they raise awareness among their families about protective measures? Our goal is to enable women to envision themselves in a role they want to play, one that is useful to society, and to teach our students to work together to develop innovative and equitable solutions."
*HSM (University of Montpellier – CNRS – IRD)
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