Development Aspects Impressum Editors

Dimensions of capacity

At each of the different levels described in section C1, there are various dimen- sions of capacity for safe wastewater use in agriculture (UNDP, 1998):

1. 
   At the system level, dimensions of capacity include the policies, laws, regulations and standards that provide a framework for safe wastewater use in agriculture, as well as the mechanisms for management, communication and coordination among the different organizations involved
   
2. 
   At the organizational level, the mission, structure, operational procedures and culture of organizations involved in wastewater use in agriculture are important dimensions of capacity, in addition to their human resources, financial resources, information resources and infrastructure
   
3. 
   At the individual level, knowledge, skills, competences, experience and ethics are all part of capacity
   

These dimensions are the core characteristics or features of capacity. Some of these dimensions are cross-cutting and exist at each of the levels. For instance, the over- all human resource capacity of an organization will obviously depend on the num- ber of individuals within the organization, as well as their qualifications and skills, and the external environment in which they operate.
Considering capacity in terms of these different levels and dimensions is use- ful because it takes account of the relationships between them, and allows for the possibility that the root cause of weak capacity at one level may be found at a different level.

4. 
   Global capacity development initiative
   

The UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) brought together, in a multi-year project under UN-Water, the Food and Agricul- ture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations University Institute on Water, Envi- ronment and Health (UNU-INWEH) to start a global initiative aimed at developing national capacities for the promotion of safe use of wastewater in agriculture in developing countries and countries in transition. At a later stage, the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) and the International Water Man- agement Institute (IWMI) joined the initiative, contributing significant additional expertise available within the group of UN-Water members and partners.

The initiative is playing a significant role in increasing the understanding of the links between wastewater and health, ecosystem functioning and the potential benefits of wastewater reuse in contributing to development and improved well- being. It also encourages the engagement of stakeholders in all sectors and the im- provement of intersectoral collaboration through the development of professional skills and institutional capacities.

1.