FRANK WATER INSTITUTE · EAST AFRICA · 2026

Certificate in
Applied Water Resource
Management

A professional development programme for water sector practitioners across East Africa. Grounded in IWRM principles, delivered by world-class faculty, and completely free to attend.

Government Private sector NGOs Development organisations Free to attend
Register now — it's free View modules
ONLINE MODULES
28 Apr – 04 May 2026
NAIROBI MASTERCLASS
13 May 2026 · Hybrid ★
TOTAL LESSONS
26 lessons · 5 modules
CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY
Frank Water Institute, UK
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
ARUP ACWADAM
5
Modules (4 online · 1 Nairobi)
26
Total lessons with case studies
4
Expert faculty instructors
Free
No course fee charged
Frank Water Institute
United Kingdom · Advancing water security through knowledge and practice
PARTNERS Arup East Africa ACWADAM, India
CURRICULUM

Course modules

Five modules spanning the full arc of water resource management — from hydrological foundations to investment-grade planning — with real East African case studies throughout.

Water tower — Module 1
M1
OnlineFree
Understanding Water Resources & WRM Foundations
28 Apr 2026 · 2 hrs
  • Hydrologic Cycle (Surface & Groundwater)
  • Aquifers & Drainage Units (ACWADAM)
  • Watershed Management Logic
  • IWRM Principles
  • Water–Climate–Food–Energy Nexus
  • Case Study: Makueni County Sand Dams, Kenya
8 lessons→
Open well — Module 2
M2
OnlineFree
Water Resources in Regional Context: Governance & Allocation
30 Apr 2026 · 2 hrs
  • Regional Hydrological Context
  • Governance Systems: Laws, Institutions & Regulation
  • Water Allocation Frameworks
  • Case Study: Athi WWDA, Kenya
  • Case Study: Rufiji Basin Water Board, Tanzania
  • Case Study: Awash Basin Authority, Ethiopia
7 lessons→
Water health centre — Module 3
M3
OnlineARUPFree
Water Security Planning: Tools & Methods (WASH Basins Toolkit by ARUP)
02 May 2026 · 2 hrs
  • Six-Stage Planning Process
  • Data Collection Workflows
  • Water Security Plan Lifecycle
  • Case Study: Jal Jeevan Mission — Groundwater Dashboards
4 lessons→
Water filters — Module 4
M4
OnlineFree
WASH, Climate Impact & Cross-Sectoral Integration
04 May 2026 · 2 hrs
  • WASH Infrastructure & Climate Change Impacts
  • Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience
  • Role of State & Markets in Climate Mitigation
  • Case Study: Turkana County — Conflict, Drought & Water
4 lessons→
Filling jerry can — Module 5 Masterclass
M5
In-person · Hybrid ★Free
Masterclass: How to Make an Investment-Grade Water Security Plan
13 May 2026 · Nairobi (travel optional — hybrid available)
  • Components of a Water Security Plan
  • Financing & Implementation Strategies
  • Elements of an Investment-Grade Water Security Plan
3 lessons · Ikigai, Riverside Drive→
FACULTY

Course instructors

Led by practitioners and researchers who have designed and implemented water security programmes across South Asia and East Africa.

JS
Jon Shepherd
Lead Instructor · Water security planning and IWRM
FRANK WATER INSTITUTE
HK
Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni
Groundwater systems, aquifer science and HDU methodology
ACWADAM, INDIA
PS
Philip Songa
East Africa water governance and policy frameworks
ARUP EAST AFRICA
GM
Geoffrey Mwangi
WASH infrastructure and climate adaptation, East Africa
ARUP EAST AFRICA
SCHEDULE

Course timeline

All online sessions run as 2-hour live webinars. The Nairobi Masterclass is hybrid — in-person participation is optional and not required for certification.

28 Apr 2026
Online
MODULE 1
Understanding Water Resources & WRM Foundations
8 lessons · incl. ACWADAM-led groundwater sessions
30 Apr 2026
Online
MODULE 2
Water Resources in Regional Context: Governance & Allocation
7 lessons · 3 East Africa case studies
02 May 2026
Online
MODULE 3
Water Security Planning: Tools & Methods (WASH Basins Toolkit)
4 lessons · Led by ARUP
04 May 2026
Online
MODULE 4
WASH, Climate Impact & Cross-Sectoral Integration
4 lessons · Turkana case study
13 May 2026
Nairobi ★
MODULE 5 — MASTERCLASS
How to Make an Investment-Grade Water Security Plan
3 lessons · Ikigai, Riverside Drive · Hybrid available
CERTIFICATION

Certificate & assessment

Participants who meet the attendance and assessment thresholds receive a certificate issued by Frank Water Institute, UK.

FINAL ASSESSMENT
Certificate of Completion
Awarded by Frank Water Institute upon successful completion. A final quiz tests knowledge across all five modules.
20
Total marks
8
Minimum to pass
  • Attend a minimum of 4 out of 5 modules to be eligible for certification
  • Complete the final quiz with a minimum score of 8 out of 20 marks
  • Module 5 (Nairobi Masterclass) is hybrid — in-person attendance is not compulsory
  • Travel costs to Nairobi cannot be supported by the organisers
  • The course is completely free — no course fee is charged to participants
  • Certificates issued by Frank Water Institute, UK upon completion
REGISTRATION

Register for the course

Open to water sector professionals from government, private sector, NGOs and development organisations — primarily from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi and Rwanda.

Questions? Contact: stiwari@frankwater.com

FWI
Certificate in Applied Water Resource Management
Frank Water Institute · April–May 2026 · Free
Register now — it's free →
The course is offered by Frank Water Institute, UK, in partnership with Arup, East Africa and ACWADAM, India.

The course is free of cost to attend. There is no course fee charged to participants for this course.

The organisers will not be able to support travel costs of participants to attend the Masterclass in Nairobi. However, the Masterclass is hybrid, and participants will be able to attend it online. In-person participation is not compulsory for completion of the course and qualifying for the completion certificate.