The Global Environment Facility is the major source of global financing in the area of International Waters. By 2003, GEF and its partners will have mobilized nearly a billion dollars to bring 50+ International Waters projects to life.

1. Building a global knowledge-sharing community
“…. an innovative inter-institutional partnership to build a Web- based
‘knowledge community’ among transboundary waters projects. The purpose is
to expand knowledge-sharing so that people who live in and manage
transboundary water systems can better learn from and teach each other.”
-- Project Document, GEF Council, February 2000
http://www.iwlearn.org

2. By 2003, GEF and its partners will have mobilized nearly a billion dollars to bring 50+
International Waters projects to life.
IW:LEARN is a new kind of GEF project – a project strengthens other projects by brokering their
knowledge sharing.
IW:LEARN provides training, building of relationships and technological infrastructure, and
promoting of synergies between IW projects.
The Global Environment Facility is the
major source of global financing in the area of International Waters.

3. The Vision . . . .The Vision . . . .
An evolving Knowledge Community ofAn evolving Knowledge Community of
International Waters projectsInternational Waters projects
Protection of the Rio dela PlataProtection of the Rio dela Plata
Reducing Caribbean
Pesticide Runoff
Reducing Caribbean
Pesticide Runoff
Yellow Sea Large
Marine Ecosystem
Yellow Sea Large
Marine Ecosystem
SAP for the Bay of Bengal
Large Marine Ecosystem
SAP for the Bay of Bengal
Large Marine EcosystemSenegal River Basin
Initiative
Senegal River Basin
Initiative
SAP for the Bermejo RiverSAP for the Bermejo River
Global International
Waters Assessment
Global International
Waters Assessment
Baltic Sea
Regional Project
Baltic Sea
Regional Project
Maluku Conservation
and Natural Resources
Management
Maluku Conservation
and Natural Resources
Management
Yellow Sea Large
Marine Ecosystem
Yellow Sea Large
Marine Ecosystem
Conservation of Mediterranean
Wetlands and Coasts
Conservation of Mediterranean
Wetlands and Coasts
TDA and SAP for
the South Sea
TDA and SAP for
the South Sea
Black Sea Agricultural
Pollution Control Project
Black Sea Agricultural
Pollution Control Project SAP and TDA
for Tumen River
and Environs
SAP and TDA
for Tumen River
and Environs
Lake Victoria
Environmental
Management
Lake Victoria
Environmental
Management
SAP for the Guinea Current
Large Marine Ecosystem
SAP for the Guinea Current
Large Marine Ecosystem
Nutrient Reduction Program
in the Danube River Basin
Nutrient Reduction Program
in the Danube River Basin

4. With $1.9 million in operational funding and the spread of Web technology,
IW:LEARN’s objectives are now to translate the vision into reality,
specifically:
:
Train individuals in the GEF IW community to use Web-based learning
technologies to promote their common interests
Help IW projects produce and share knowledge products
over the Web, reflecting day-by-day learning at the project level
Provide tangible and virtual “spaces” for the hands-on work of
knowledge-sharing and community-building
Articulate and demonstrate new methodologies for building
sustainable Web-based knowledge communities
Acrobat Document
See UNDP/GEF Project
Document

5. Built upon the objectives, IW:LEARN is implementing the following
Workplan Activities:
 Develop waters-related knowledge products – such as e-seminars,
distance learning courses, twinning projects and virtual technical forums – to be
tested, adapted and adopted by the Implementation Team
 Create globally accessible Web spaces – IW virtual offices, portable
classrooms, and knowledge centers – for community-wide coordination,
learning and knowledge sharing
 Train and mobilize a Web-based Implementation Team of GEF IW
community members to catalyze knowledge-sharing activities within and
among IW projects
 Expand knowledge-sharing capacity by engaging International
Waters Conference participants in works-in-progress and fostering knowledge
partnerships among their projects

6. http://www.iwlearn.org
Next Steps:
 Develop and deploy additional distance learning materials and
portable classrooms with content which addresses needs expressed
by IW Project Managers and the community-at-large
 Expand MyIWL virtual office space and knowledge centers
to include more GEF IW project managers, their projects and knowledge-
sharing partners.
 Complete and evaluate 5-week “River Basin Implementation Team” training
workshop (November 2000), prepare and implement “Coastal/Marine
Implementation Team” and web developers’ workshops (spring 2001).
 Invite you to participate in testing, evaluating, developing our
“stuff!”

7. http://www.iwlearn.org
Next Steps:
 Develop and deploy additional distance learning materials and
portable classrooms with content which addresses needs expressed
by IW Project Managers and the community-at-large
 Expand MyIWL virtual office space and knowledge centers
to include more GEF IW project managers, their projects and knowledge-
sharing partners.
 Complete and evaluate 5-week “River Basin Implementation Team” training
workshop (November 2000), prepare and implement “Coastal/Marine
Implementation Team” and web developers’ workshops (spring 2001).
 Invite you to participate in testing, evaluating, developing our
“stuff!”