The ICCE

The creation of the International Centre for Coastal Ecohydrology (ICCE) was proposed by the Portuguese government to UNESCO in January 2008. The proposal was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science Technology and Higher Education, Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Regional Development and by the University of Algarve, being approved at the UNESCO General Conference in October 2009. This centre, under the Auspices of UNESCO, will integrate the worldwide network of 24 UNESCO centres in the field of water sciences, being the only one specifically dedicated to coastal areas.

During this initial phase of installation, several institutions gathered around this project to support the establishment of the centre in the Algarve region (south Portugal), having had a crucial role in the creation of the fundamental conditions required by UNESCO. These institutions are: the Regional Hydrographic Administration of Algarve (ARH Algarve), the company ALGAR (Treatment and valorization of wastes), the Municipalities of the cities of Albufeira, Faro, Olhão, Tavira and Vila Real Santo António and the University of the Algarve. The facilities of the centre are located in the cities of Faro and Olhão. At this initial phase of the ICCE, following the mandate as an UNESCO international centre, we are focusing our efforts mostly in building networks in the area of coastal ecohydrology, in different regions of the world.Such networks are made available to the scientific and educational communities, from Portugal and worldwide, with whom the centre is seeking to establish close partnerships. Thus, the International Centre for Coastal Ecohydrology, under the Auspices of UNESCO, will act as a platform both bringing UNESCO programs and networks to the scientific and education communities, but also taking expertise from such communities to the UNESCO member states. Based on such exchange of experiences and expertise, the ICCE-UNESCO role will be to contribute and support the creation of knowledge and the promotion of education and capacity building in the area of Coastal Ecohydrology (addressing the Millennium Development Goals and the Decade for Education of UNESCO, among other UNESCO programs), as a basis for achieving the sustainable use of water and coastal ecosystems worldwide.

We are welcoming the participation and collaboration of institutions and colleagues from all regions of the world, for the successful achievement of the objectives proposed by Portugal to the 193 member states of UNESCO.

About ICCE