Sustainability awareness has received higher priority in the UAE agenda in recent years. In addition to the recently developed governmental structures, many non-governmental environmental groups have been established over the last decade. A clear assurance exists now amongst federal bodies, individual agencies and non-governmental organizations, together with their domestic and international alliances, of the need for environmental protection and resources sustainability.

Environmental legislations have been recently passed or currently underway either at a federal level or at an individual emirate level. This fast-growing environmental sustainability awareness coupled with the necessary legal support is not accompanied with a similar pace of education in the country. Benchmarking is one of the most recent methodologies that has emerged in corporate attempts to gain and maintain competitive advantage. The historical development of concepts suggested by Watson (1993), designated that benchmarking is moving from an art to a science, and it has traversed distinct generations of development.

In learning and teaching benchmarking is an evidence-based process that encourages comparison with other organizations to enhance good practice and improve performance. The process of benchmarking is a continuous and systematic process of comparing yields, facilities, courses and outcomes with other organizations, for the purpose of successful outcomes by identifying, adjusting and applying best practice methodologies. As a result of good benchmarking, university leaders would identify how their organization rates in certain areas in comparison with others, establish their good situation relative to others, and correspondingly know how their organization can be enhanced McKinnon et al. (2000). The process of making comparison involves focusing on the issue of how learning can be made and systematically incorporated into the organization.

Watson (1993) highlights that the process of benchmarking involves asking four key questions:
(1) What should we benchmark?
(2) Whom should we benchmark?;
(3) How do we perform the process?;
(4) How do they perform the process?

A comparison of environmental water resources graduate programs in the United Arab Emirates with other similar program in well-known universities is conducted in this paper. This comparison is conducted to assess the performance of UAE educational institutes and improve practice involving both quality assurance and quality enhancement. This study endorsing that the UAE includes programs of good global standing that provide multidisciplinary and high-quality higher education in the field of environmental water resources engineering.

References:
[1] McKinnon, K. R., Walker, S. H., & Davis, D. (2000) Benchmarking: A manual for Australian universities. Canberra, Australia: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Higher Education Division.
[2] Watson, G.H. (1993), Strategic Benchmarking: How to Rate Your Company’s Performance against the World’s Best, Wiley, New York, NY.

Keywords: Water resources, graduate programs, sustainability, higher education, benchmarking, United Arab Emirates.