News Flash

Mr Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, is pleased to announce the winner of the 2009 Great Man-Made River International Water Prize, Dr Bellachheb Chahbani of the Institute of Arid Regions in Médenine in Tunisia.

Information about this year’s prize winner.

The Prize recognises the achievements of an individual, group of individuals or research institution having made fundamental and substantial contributions to the assessment, development, management and/or use of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas. More particularly, it rewards remarkable scientific research, studies or discoveries in the field of exploration of groundwater and surface water usage in arid zones subject to drought and desertification and contributing to environmental and human development.

The Prize is awarded biennially by the Director-General of UNESCO and comprises a certificate, medal and financial award.

The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya has proposed and sponsored the establishment of the Great Man-Made River International Water Prize for "Water Resources in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas" presented by UNESCO.

The Prize recognizes the achievements of an individual, a group of individuals or a research institution having made fundamental and substantial contributions to the assessment, development, management and/or use of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas. More particularly, it rewards remarkable scientific research and scientific studies and discoveries in the field of exploration of groundwater and surface water usage in arid zones subject to drought and desertification and contributing to environmental and human development.

The Prize is awarded biennially by the Director-General of UNESCO and comprises a certificate, a medal and a financial award.