The Ministry of Environment has invited its specialist officials to apply for three training courses offered by the Dresden University in Germany.

The invitation comes despite the European economic powerhouse grappling with a Covid-19 outbreak, with its Chancellor Angela Merkel in self-isolation after a doctor who vaccinated her tested positive for Covid-19.

Germany has recorded over 57,000 coronavirus cases and 455 deaths, according to the Robert Koch Institute for disease control.

The training courses are co-organised by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Unesco and Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

The ministry’s announcement dated March 23 and seen by The Post on Monday said the programme consisted of three essential skills including Integrated Water Resources Management, Sustainable Mobility and Environmental Management for Developing Countries.

The Integrated Water Resources Management course will be conducted from August 26 to September 22, Sustainable Mobility from November 13 to December 9, and Environmental Management for Developing Countries from January 13 to July 15, 2021.

“Round-trip air tickets and accommodations, including daily expenses and health insurance, is under the responsibility of the German government,” the announcement said.

The courses are designed for senior management specialist officials who make and execute political decisions as well as decision-makers at public institutions, the university said on its website.

Also eligible are decision-makers at non-governmental organisations in developing countries (including emerging industrial economies) that are working on water resources protection, as well as senior management specialist officials with a technical background in urbanisation.

Ministry of Environment secretary of state and spokesman Neth Pheaktra told The Post that the courses would help strengthen civil servants’ competency in line with technological advances in environmental management.

He said while officials had expressed interest after the announcement, he was not sure how many had registered for the courses.

“The strengthening of environment officials’ capacity is not necessarily dependent on overseas training.

“Within the national framework, the environment ministry has collaborated with the Ministry of Civil Service’s Royal School of Administration to provide training courses for officials at national and sub-national levels since 2015,” he said.