UNESCO to Organize Open Water Symposium in Rabat on 28-31 Oct

Paris – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will organize the Open Water Symposium on 28-31 October, 2019, in Rabat.

The event, dedicated to African and Arab countries, aims to foster the access and use of free and/or open-source software, as sustainable tools for water resources management, UNESCO said in a press release.

During this symposium, several specialists will showcase open and/or free software dedicated to various aspects of water resources management, and will provide training sessions to selected participants (decision-makers, government representatives, students, professors and researchers, etc.).

This Open Water Symposium is in line with the work of the Global Open Water Network, which aims at promoting Joint Research, Development and Education on Open Source software and Open data for Integrated Water Resources Management.

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) promote openness in content, technology, and processes, and as such are trusted as a tool to broaden access to information, knowledge and technologies, the source added.

They also provide an affordable sustainable solution to support water resources management in countries where license costs may be difficult to overcome, while also contributing to greater transparency and accountability in the water sector.

As such, free and open source software support the sound management of water resources, and overall sustainable water security and peace.