DUPC3: IHE Delft Partnership Programme for Water and Development
The third phase of the Water and Development Partnership Programme focuses on stimulating and catalysing transformations to socially inclusive and ecologically sustainable water management practices. The programme aims to achieve this by strengthening capacities in non-European, low- and middle-income countries through joint research, education, and knowledge sharing within inter- and transdisciplinary projects on actual water challenges.
The programme in brief
Transformations to socially inclusive and ecologically sustainable practices are key to ensure a bright future. The third phase of the Water and Development Partnership Programme focuses on stimulating and catalysing such transformations within the water sector. In particular, the programme supports a broad range of organizations in non-European, low- and middle-income countries to obtain knowledge, experiences and capacities to fulfil their roles and responsibilities in managing water in sustainable and inclusive ways.
To aid the envisioned transformations, the programme recognizes the need for improving and enriching the knowledge base on inclusive and sustainable water management practices. Joint learning in inter- and transdisciplinary teams on actual water challenges is therefore a key approach of the programme. As such, the programme invests in developing and strengthening partnerships and learning networks between various organizations involved in managing water. In particular, this phase of the programme will support and nurture inclusive ways of collaboration to redress historical inequities surrounding water. The partners involved in the programme jointly carry out projects that combine research and education, as well as capacity strengthening and knowledge sharing activities to facilitate the dissemination and uptake of research findings in the water sector.
The programme has a €46 million budget to implement and support activities contributing to making the water sector socially inclusive and ecologically sustainable, and runs from 2021 until 2027.
Introduction to the programme
Themes
In line with the strategy of IHE Delft, as well as priority areas of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the programme will support projects that address issues related to equity and ecological sustainability in three thematic fields, namely:
- Water and Health: This theme focuses on developing viable pathways to improve and upscale the provision of adequate, affordable and inclusive water and sanitation services, particularly to marginalized groups and/or areas.
- Water for Food: This theme focuses on developing viable pathways to more sustainable, and climate-change-resilient irrigation practices and agro-ecosystems to support the livelihoods of actors involved in small- and medium-scale agriculture as well as to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services.
- River Basins and Deltas: This theme focuses on developing viable pathways to more secure, equitable, and ecologically sustainable governance and management of (transboundary) river basins and delta regions, including coastal areas and aquifers.
Regions and countries
The activities carried out under the programme all aim to contribute to meaningful and viable solutions that contribute to the envisioned transformations. The programme particularly focuses on challenges faced in the following regions:
- The Horn of Africa, in particular Ethiopia, Kenya, Somali, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda.
- The Middle-East, in particular Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen.
- The Sahel, in particular Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria.

Programme document
Upcoming calls
Type of projects |
Budget |
Duration |
Expected launch date of call |
Expected deadlines |
Large-scale projects |
1 to 1.5 million euro |
3 – 5 years |
Nov 2021 |
Feb 2022 |
Medium-scale projects |
100 to 400 keuro |
1,5 – 3 years |
May 2022 |
Jul 2022 |
Small-scale projects |
20 to 100 keuro |
0.5 – 1.5 year |
Sept 2022 |
Oct 2022 |
Large-scale projects |
1 to 1.5 million euro |
3 – 5 years |
Nov 2022 |
Jan 2023 |
Medium-scale projects |
100 to 400 keuro |
1,5 – 3 years |
May 2023 |
Jul 2023 |
Small-scale projects |
20 to 100 keuro |
0.5 – 1.5 year |
Sept 2023 |
Oct 2023 |
Medium-scale projects |
100 to 400 keuro |
1,5 – 3 years |
May 2024 |
Jul 2024 |
Small-scale projects |
20 to 100 keuro |
0.5 – 1.5 year |
Sept 2024 |
Oct 2024 |
Small-scale projects |
20 to 100 keuro |
0.5 – 1.5 year |
Sept 2025 |
Oct 2025 |
FAQs
Do you have any queries in regards to the Third phase Water and Development Partnership Programme?
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page here.
Document(s) for project leaders
Annual reports and plans
Annual Reports and Plans will be uploaded as soon as they are available.
Programme Committee Members
- Dr. Amel Azab, Manager of the Nile Basin Capacity Building Network Foundation, Egypt
- Dr. Aymar Yaovi Bossa, Lecturer and Researcher, Department of Water for Agriculture and the Society, National Institute of Water, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin
- Dr. Hadi Jaafar, Associate Professor of Irrigation Engineering and Water Management, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Dr. Abebe Chukalla, Lecturer and Researcher Irrigation Engineering, IHE Delft
- Dr. Assela Pathirana, Associate Professor in Water Infrastructure Asset Management, IHE Delft
- Dr. Claire Furlong, Senior Lecturer in Sanitary Engineering, IHE Delft
- Dr. Gretchen Gettel, Senior Lecturer in Aquatic Biogeochemistry, IHE Delft
- Dr. Jeltsje Kemerink-Seyoum, Associate Professor of Water Governance and Justice, DUPC3 programme coordinator, IHE Delft
- Nadine Sander, Policy Officer, IHE Delft
Programme Management Team
- Jeltsje Kemerink-Seyoum, Programme Coordinator
- Nadine Sander, Policy Officer
- Anna San Llorente Capdevila, Programme Support Officer
- Bhavna Bhasin, Communication Advisor
- Fadime Uzun, Office Manager
Contact us
In case of questions or if you want to discuss any item, feel free to contact the DUPC3 management team via secretariat_dupc3@un-ihe.org.
The Water and Development Partnership Programme 2022-2027 is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Dutch development/foreign policy.