The natural setting of Western Australia's magnificent South-West will provide an extensive open-air lab for post-graduate students to undertake a new water management course at The University of Western Australia's Albany Centre.

The Master in Integrated Water Management program will be launched in Perth today by WA Water Minister the Hon Bill Marmion MLA for UWA students to study water issues linked to mining, agriculture and community engagement in Indigenous and non-Indigenous settings.

The masters program will enable students to develop skills to resolve conflict, mediate between cross-cultural groups and grasp complex scientific concepts while investigating how land-use relates to the water cycle.

Students will examine the effects of water resource management and allocation, and participate in problem-based learning, case studies and field-work with staff and fellow students in UWA Albany's Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management (CENRM).

CENRM Director Professor Peter Davies said the hospitality of local residents and the beauty of the region made Albany a fantastic higher education destination.

A special specialisation stream - ‘Water, land and people' - will be offered exclusively at the UWA Albany Centre from the start of next year.

The new course forms part of a suite of programs coordinated by the International WaterCentre - a joint venture involving four leading Australian universities - UWA, Queensland, Monash and Griffith. It has national and international networks and provides a breadth of expertise and experience in modern and complex water management issues connected to climate change and population growth.

Today's UWA launch is at 5:30pm at the UWA University Club.  For further details regarding the launch, please contact Delphine Gonchond (0406 970 091).

Media references

Professor Peter Davies (UWA Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management)  (+61 8)  9842 0836
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783