UNESCO Chair
UNESCO Chair
UNESCO Chair at IZTECH
The UNESCO Chair in Mediterranean Water Resources Management was established in February 2026 at the İzmir Institute of Technology. Operating under the Department of International Water Resources (IWR) at the İzmir Institute of Technology (İYTE), the Chair focuses on the sustainable management of water resources in the Mediterranean basin, adaptation to climate change, and regional cooperation.
Message from the Chairholder
“Welcome to the UNESCO Chair in Mediterranean Water Resources Management, established at the İzmir Institute of Technology (İYTE).
The Mediterranean basin is currently one of the world’s most severely and directly affected regions by climate change. Rapidly rising temperatures, increasingly irregular rainfall patterns, and intense human pressure on the basin have placed our groundwater and surface water resources at greater risk than ever before, both in terms of quantity and quality. At a time when over 2 billion people worldwide are struggling to access safe water, safeguarding the Mediterranean’s water future is not merely a technical necessity but also an ethical and scientific responsibility.
Our department’s main vision is to develop data-driven, sustainable management models tailored to the Mediterranean basin by combining the strengths of diverse disciplines, including science, engineering, law, and planning. We aim to translate these efforts into societal benefits across a broad spectrum, ranging from monitoring groundwater recharge to simulating climate adaptation strategies using digital technologies.
As part of the UNESCO UNITWIN network, we aim to build an ecosystem that shares knowledge across borders and fosters international collaboration. Our goal is to become a leading center that manages every drop of water more consciously, using the most advanced scientific methods, mitigates the impact of natural hazards through technology, and leaves behind a water-resilient landscape for future generations.
Through our annual workshops, international conferences, and capacity-building programs, we aim not only to generate knowledge but also to create social awareness by sharing it with our local and global stakeholders. For this reason, I invite you to join this international vision under the IYTE roof to take a scientific stance against the global water crisis and protect the Mediterranean’s water heritage.
Together, we will build a sustainable future for water.”
Partnership
| Logo | Category | Name (s) | Links | Role(s)/contribution(s): |
| Government Entity | General Directorate of Water Management, Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, TÜRKİYE | https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/SYGM | Institutional Cooperation |
 | UNESCO Chair | UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Resources Management, An-Najah National University, Nablus, West Bank, PALESTINE | https://www.najah.edu/en/unesco-water/ | Institutional Cooperation |
| UNESCO Chair | UNESCO Chair/International Network of Water-Environment Centres for the Balkans on “Sustainable Management on Water and Conflict Resolution” (UNESCO/INWEB), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GREECE | https://www.auth.gr/en/university_unit/inweb-en/ | Institutional Cooperation |
| UNESCO Chair | Chaire UNESCO Femme, Science et Gestion Raisonnée de l’Eau en Afrique de l’Ouest, Université de Lomé, TOGO | https://univ-lome.tg/master_eau | Institutional Cooperation |
| UNESCO Chair | UNESCO Chair on International Water Cooperation, Uppsala University,Uppsala, SWEDEN | https://www.uu.se/en/ | Institutional Cooperation |
| UNESCO Chair | UNESCO Chair on Water Diplomacy, Water Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers, Tashkent, UZBEKISTAN | https://international.tiiame.uz/en | Institutional Cooperation |
| UNESCO Chair | UNESCO Chair in Water and Education for Sustainable Development, Universidad Nacional del Litoral,Santa Fe, ARGENTINA | http://www.unl.edu.ar/ | pending |
| UNESCO Chair | UNESCO Chair on Integrated River Research and Management,University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences,Vienna, AUSTRIA | https://boku.ac.at/ | Institutional Cooperation |
 | UNESCO Chair | UNESCO Chair on Integrated Water Resource Management, Piloto of Colombia University, COLOMBIA | https://www.unipiloto.edu.co/ | Institutional Cooperation |
| UNESCO Chair | UNESCO Chair on Knowledge Systems for Integrated Water Resources Management,COMSATS University Islamabad,PAKISTAN | https://cuiwah.edu.pk/UWC | Institutional Cooperation |
Committee members
Activities
 | As part of World Water Day on March 22, our head of department and Chair of the UNESCO Chair in Mediterranean Water Resources Management, Prof. Dr. Alper BABA, delivered significant remarks at the panel titled “Water for Life, Resource, Management, and the Future” organized by the Chambers of Engineers and Architects of Turkey (TMMOB) in Izmir. |
 | Prof. Dr. Alper BABA, Head of the Department of International Water Resources and UNESCO Chair in Mediterranean Water Resources Management, appeared as a guest on the “Shapers of the Economy” program. To watch the full episode:https://lnkd.in/dfqhnqc7 |
 | Prof. Dr. Alper BABA, Head of the Department of International Water Resources and UNESCO Chair in Mediterranean Water Resources Management, shared important insights on the future of Turkey’s water resources during the program he participated in. Such scientific contributions are of great importance for the protection, effective management, and preservation of water resources for future generations. You can access the full program here: https://lnkd.in/dY939z9d |
 | Comprehensive studies have been conducted as part of our “Nature-based Solutions on Existing Infrastructures for Resilient Water Management in the Mediterranean (NATMed)” project, which is supported by the Horizon Europe PRIMA Program and carried out in partnership with 14 international institutions and organizations. |
 | As part of the Learning Webinar Series organized by the Water Diplomacy Center, the topic of the effective use of groundwater resources and the importance of groundwater recharge for the sustainable development of these resources was discussed. |
 | Under the EU-Turkey Climate Change Grant Program (EU-TR CCGP), supported by the Directorate General for European Union and Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, the project titled “CCGP/114 – Urban Groundwater Sustainability for Climate Change in a Digital World (UGS4ClimateDW)” has been selected for funding. The project aims to serve as a model for the Mediterranean Basin in combating seawater intrusion. |
 | Our department made significant contributions to the 5th International Conference on Water Problems in Mediterranean Countries (WPMC-2025), hosted by Near East University and held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. |
Contact
Izmir Institute of Technology
Address: Gülbahçe Campus, 35430 Urla, Izmir, Turkey
Phone: +90 232 750 68 00
E-mail: iwr@iyte.edu.tr