Certificate in Water Resources Management

Description of the Qualification

This qualification is developed to prepare students for related career paths in the water sector, including technical and non-research career in water resources management. The qualification provides a common curriculum to meet the educational needs of the next generation of water scientists and managers. Many of the courses provide hands-on experiences in an outdoor setting to learn about water resources. Protecting long-term ecological health of our water resources is an important national goal; yet our society has ever-increasing demands for inexpensive supplies of high-quality water. Managing the world’s precious water resources requires professionals to have multidisciplinary knowledge and an integrated approach, involving ecological, scientific, political, hydrological, and planning skills. This qualification is therefore intended to train students to manage our scares water resources for the maximum benefits of the country and world’s population, while at the same time preserving the ecological integrity of aquatic resources.

The qualification will contribute to the national efforts of protecting and managing natural resources; to promote sustainable utilization of natural resources as articulated in Chapter 5 of the Vision 2030 and Article 95 of Namibia’s Constitution. The qualification will also assist the Government of the Republic of Namibia to achieve a sustainable water resource management regime that contribute to social equity, economic efficiency and environmental sustainability in the country as outlined in the Integrated Water Resources Management Plan for Namibia This qualification acts as a bridging course that aims at strengthening skills and understanding of students in foundation modules such as English, Basic Sciences, I.T Skills and introducing foundation modules related to Water Resources Management.

Admission / Entry Requirements

Students will be admitted if they hold a Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) or Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advance Subsidiary (NSSAS), a combination of both or equivalent qualification(s), provided that the candidate has passed a minimum of five (5) subjects including English at D. A student must have a minimum of 20 points on the IUM’s evaluation scale, normally in not more than three examination sittings. In addition, students may enter through Mature Age Entry as stipulated in GR 4.1.1/prior learning with relevant years of experience in various fields of water resources management or related fields. A recognized qualification in related fields may also qualify a student into this programme.This Qualification will allow students to proceed to a Diploma in Water Resources Management (Level 6) offered by IUM or any other related qualification at NQA Level 6 offered by other higher education institutions.

Career opportunities

Employment opportunities may be found in the following public and private entities such as Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism; Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform; Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources; Ministry of Mines and Energy; Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development (a subsection on environmental related); Ministry of Higher Education (subsection on research); Namwater; Nampower; AgriBank; Banks (Green products); Namibia Commission of Research, Science and Technology; Benguela Current Commission; International University of Management; UNAM; NUST;UNDP; Environmental Investment Fund; NACSO; IRDNC; CUVECOM; OKACOM; KAZ; WWF; Mines; Municipalities and local authorities; and many organizations both locally and internationally. Important of all opportunities is research and consultancy.

Qualification structure