In 2012, UNESCO launched the Hydro Open-source software Platform of Experts (HOPE) initiative.
The free and/or open source software platform, devoted to water research, water resources management, education and capacity building, targets experts that can assist African water authorities, teachers, university lecturers and researchers to elaborate water management models. The platform is a set of organizations (Universities, institutes, centers, etc.) and practitioners committed to opening development through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). It provides an alternative to the commercial specialized engineering software in the field of hydrology, e.g., water resources, rivers and groundwater; urban water modeling and geographic information system (GIS), collection systems, water distribution, flooding, wastewater treatment.
