Engineers and scientists of the 21st century must be prepared to consider water resource management as an increasingly global concern. This includes understanding how water resources are managed in other parts of the world under vastly different social, political, and environmental circumstances.

To introduce students to new perspectives in water management, IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering offers a three-week study abroad program, International Perspectives in Water Resources Planning. The annual program allows students to visit a country or region of the world for in-depth exposure to historical, cultural, social, economic, ethical, environmental, and political conditions that impact water resources projects in the area. For the last five years, the traditional IIHR course was organized in cooperation with Department of Geography and UI International Programs, under the title Development of Resilient and Sustainable Agricultural Watersheds. Our hosts in India was the Sehgal Foundation.

Course Details

International Perspectives starts with preparatory lectures on the University of Iowa campus. The trip is conducted between semesters, led by one or more IIHR faculty members with academic appointments in the UI Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. During the trip, students attend seminars by local water resources experts, with special emphasis on socio-economic and environmental impacts; planning; rehabilitation programs and problems; and legal, cultural, and institutional aspects of water resources projects. The group also visits operational water resources projects, gaining firsthand appreciation of the country’s water-related problems and solutions. Following the trip, participants complete post-visit written reports.

The most recent offering of the University of Iowa Winterim Program coincided with several anniversary events at the home and host institutions:

• The sixth offering of the water resources India Winterim Course
• The 11th offering of the India Winterim Program, rewarded with the Institute of International Education’s prestigious Heiskell Award
• Sixteenth year of activity for the Sehgal Foundation (our course host in India)