THE CENTRE is primarily a knowledge-based, application oriented think tank, having activities in many areas, both in terms of issues and geographical coverage. The Centre focuses on four specific areas of knowledge: knowledge generation, knowledge synthesis, knowledge application and knowledge dissemination. All these four areas of knowledge are equally important to the Centre. The main areas of current interest can be seen in the Current Activities Section.

THE CENTRE is an unique institution in the water sector, in terms of its philosophy, its inter-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach to identify the nature of the current and the future water-related problems, and to seek their implementable solutions. These are based on the following assumptions:

• The water management processes will become increasingly more and more complex in the coming years.
• Tomorrow's water problems cannot be solved on the basis of analyses of yesterday's problems and using day before yesterday's solutions.
• Increasingly, many of the emerging water problems and their solutions will come from outside the water sector, on which the water profession is likely to have very little control.
• Implementable solutions have to be case specific. For example, solutions that are feasible in France, Germany, UK or USA may not be applicable in China, India, Egypt or Mexico, because of differing climatic, physical, economic, social, environmental, legal and/or institutional conditions.
• A single paradigm, irrespective of its conceptual attractiveness, may not be equally valid, or operationally applicable, for all countries of a non-homogenous world, at different stages of socio-economic development, or at any specific point in time.

THE CENTRE works on the basis of its extensive networks with the most appropriate institutions and/or individuals from different countries of the world. Once a decision is made to work on a specific issue in a specific geographical location, the Centre selects the best institutions and experts available to analyse and solve that problem. It then executes a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the institutions/individuals concerned to carry out the specific tasks. For example, to formulate the sustainable development framework for the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basis, it signed MoAs with Bangladesh Unnyan Parishad, Dhaka; Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, India; and Institute for Integrated Development Studies, Katmandu, Nepal. The Centre has now worked closely with institutions and experts from over 30 countries.

The core staff members of the Centre develop specific activities, identify the best institutions/experts available, raise the necessary funds to carry out the studies and disseminate the results, provide intellectual inputs to develop appropriate solutions and co-ordinate the studies. The Centre is not a funding agency. Its work is financially supported by numerous Foundations, bilateral aid agencies and multilateral development institutions.

THE CENTRE is incorporated in Mexico as a non-profit, tax-exempt, policy-oriented and knowledge-based institution. However, nearly 90 percent of its work is outside Mexico. Since a main goal of the Centre is in terms of knowledge generation, synthesis, application and dissemination, all its activities and results are readily available, in terms of books from major international and national publishers, papers in refereed journals, and its own publications. As a policy, the Centre does not accept any funding for a project, unless the results can be disseminated without any restriction.

THE CENTRE sponsors focused workshops in specific topics. For example, the Centre organised five sessions during the Second World Water Forum in the Hague, 2000, as well as five sessions at the Third World Water Forum, in Japan, in 2003. Both at the Second and the Third World Water Forums, the Centre organised the highest number of sessions. It regularly sponsors workshops during the annual Stockholm Water Symposia, and also at important global events like the World Water Congress in Madrid in 2003.

In addition, the Centre convenes meetings to distil and synthesize knowledge and experiences on specific issues and/or regions. These are mostly invitation-only meetings, to which about 20-30 leading experts and decision-makers are invited in their personal capacities. For more information visit our Centre-associated Meetings Section.