WATER ISSUES - UPDATE January-2010

1. magazine unesco-ihe
institute for water education
december 2009 – january 2010
Spotlight
TheWaterChannel.tv
Interview
Professor András Szöllösi-Nagy
Education
100th PhD degree
Resources
Poo
UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010 | 1

2. COLOPHON contents
Editorial Board
András Szöllösi-Nagy
Joop de Schutter
Erwin Ploeger
Editorial Committee
Jan Herman Koster
Ann van Griensven
Henk Lubberding
Marco Schouten
SPOTLIGHT 4 TheWaterChannel.tv
Lindsay Beevers
COOPERATION 5 Guiding US investments in water
Editor in Chief
Alida Pham
COLUMN 7 Biofuels
Sub-editor
Theresa Stanton INTERVIEWS 8 András Szöllösi-Nagy
Graphic Design
Peter Stroo 16 Annemieke Nijhof
Print
Prints & Proms/Rotterdam 19 Iris Frida Josch de Kosak
Editorial Contributions HIGHLIGHT 21 St Maarten flood risks
Berta Fernández Álvarez, Cecilia Tamara Avellán, Jan Bartacek,
Maarten Blokland, Anne van Dam, Larry Elchuck, Abraham Mehari
Haile, Erick de Jong, Lenneke Knoop, Ewoud Kok, Laura Kwak, EDUCATION 12 100th PhD degree
Pieter de Laat, Piet Lens, Branislav Petrusevski, Christina Reed,
Bart Schultz, Maria Sorrentino, Klaas Schwartz, Assiyeh Tabatabai,
Stefan Uhlenbrook, Raymond Venneker, Zoran Vojinovic.
ALUMNI 18 Refresher Seminar Kenya
With special thanks to Richard A. Meganck, former Rector of
UNESCO-IHE. BACKGROUND 24 A pinch of salt
About the magazine E-LEARNING 28 New eCampus
UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education produces a biennial mag-
azine called UPDATE. We print 12,000 free copies per issue, which
is sent to our counterparts across the world. UPDATE features institu-
CAPACITY BUILDING 29 Iran
tional information related to water education, research and capacity
building activities undertaken by UNESCO-IHE, alumni and partners. RESOURCES 30 Online Water Resources
We have tried to make this issue of UPDATE Magazine as eco-friendly
as possible. The paper, Cocoon Offset, is a high-quality uncoated off-
set paper. The range is produced using ecological technology at the 32 Publications
company’s Greenfield S.A.S. mill in France from 100%-recycled and
FSC-certified de-inked pulp. The plastic that is used to cover UPDATE
Magazine is made of environmentally biodegradable polymers by the
company A.V.I. B.V. in Volendam, the Netherlands.
About UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
UNESCO-IHE is the largest international postgraduate water educa-
tion institute in the world and the only institution in the UN system
authorised to confer accredited MSc degrees and promote PhDs. The
mission of UNESCO-IHE is to contribute to the education and train-
ing of professionals and to build the capacity of sector organisations,
knowledge centres and other institutions active in the fields of water,
the environment and infrastructure, in developing countries and coun-
tries in transition. Since 1957, the Institute has provided postgradu-
ate education to over 14,500 water professionals from 162 coun-
tries, the vast majority from the developing world. Currently over 80
candidates are registered PhD fellows, and numerous research and
capacity building projects are carried out throughout the world.
Published by UNESCO-IHE
PO Box 3015
2601 DA Delft
The Netherlands
T +31 15 215 1715
F +31 15 212 2921
E info@unesco-ihe.org
I www.unesco-ihe.org
In UPDATE there is freedom of expression and opinion. Opinions need
to be expressed complete and clear content wise. It should also be
clear whose opinion the article represents. The Editorial Committee
reserves the right to refrain from publishing articles, editorial contri-
butions and letters to the editor or to publish them in consultation with
the author. Rajasthan’s rural revolution
The Editorial Committee encourages editorial contributions from
Rajasthan, India - Women working on a rainwa-
readers. The Column, Op-Ed, and Report from the Field sections are
intended to provide a platform for such contributions. Please note that ter harvesting project near the village of Paladi
editorial sections are subject to change. Bhopatan. The women work digging channels
for underground aquafers to direct water if/
UPDATE Magazine is interested in hearing more from the insti- when it rains. The area has been suffering from
tute’s alumni, especially about the projects they are currently a severe drought for the last eight years.
working on and the organisations they are attached to. Please
send your updates to the editor, Alida Pham at: a.pham@unesco- Photo: Panos/Robert Wallis
ihe.org.
2 | UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010

3. 12
4
TheWaterChannel.tv
100th PhD degree
8
30
Poo
András Szöllösi-Nagy
Editorial Welcome to the first issue of UPDATE Magazine, the We hope to have sufficiently shared with you that
Adapting to Changes first 32-page magazine produced by UNESCO-IHE this new design was driven by editorial concerns,
to keep you up-to-date with institutional informa- not by design alone. The Magazine now provides an
tion related to water education, research and capacity increased opportunity to share with you the institu-
building activities undertaken by UNESCO-IHE and tional developments, thoughts and announcements
its alumni and partners. by the board and management, news from alumni
“Redesigning a magazine and moving its informa- and partners and our perspectives on emerging is-
tion and ideas into a new form feels like building a sues in the water and development sector. Beyond
new home and moving,” was said by Mark Winz in this, we aim to encourage global discussions on water
Folio, the Magazine for Magazine Management. Loyal issues through relevant opinion pieces, provide in-
readers are familiar with former editions of UPDATE spiration, encourage public spirit amongst UNESCO-
that previously appeared in a newsletter format. The IHE counterparts and offer an UPDATE where one
reason we chose to redesign UPDATE, starting with can read about water issues from a different perspec-
this December 2009 issue, is to commemorate and tive, thereby maintaining a vast and expanding net-
celebrate a series of events: the arrival of our new work in the international water sector and beyond.
Rector, Professor András Szöllösi-Nagy, the celebra- We very much welcome your input and hope you
tion of our 100th PhD degree to be awarded in 2010 enjoy reading this issue.
and a change in editorship among many other rea-
sons. On behalf of the Editorial Committee,
Alida Pham
Editor in Chief
UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010 | 3

4. spotlight | TheWaterChannel.tv
www.thewaterchannel.tv is an online video channel on water. Launched in early June, the
website received over 20,000 views in November alone, counting around 380 videos rang-
ing from instructional videos to Public Service Announcements from various sources. The
footage is presented in different categories, including climate change, agriculture and sani-
tation & hygiene, among others. The website caters to a large audience, including educa-
tors, policy makers, high-school and university students, media professionals, companies
and organisations with an interest or active involvement in water issues. TheWaterChannel
is a collaboration between MetaMeta, UNESCO-IHE, Cap-Net and Nymphaea.
TheWaTerChannel.Tv makes a wide range of video material
available for a large public to create awareness and encourage de-
bate. To this end, TheWaterChannel.tv team seeks various initiatives
with other organisations. Recently, a DVD with a collection of videos
from TheWaterChannel.tv was produced for educational purposes
to be used in the project: ‘Strengthening Ethiopian Universities in
TheWaterChannel.tv Integrated River Basin Management Programme’ commissioned by
takes you on a multi- the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher
media tour around Education (NUFFIC). Possibilities to further develop such thematic
the world of water DVD productions for other organisations is currently being explored.
Theme siTes Currently online is the www.thewaterandclimate-
channel.org, a theme site developed as part of TheWaterChannel.
tv. The site shows the vital links between water and climate change
through videos and documents. In addition, the Arab Water
Council and TheWaterChannel.tv developed the thematic site
‘TheArabWaterChannel’. This online resource is meant to be a window
on water in the 22 countries that make up the Arab World. It aims to
support education and awareness raising activities on all levels with re-
December Statistics gard to water management in the region.
410 uploaded videos
24 categories heTWaTerK anaal , is a Dutch spinoff of TheWaterChannel.tv
500 registered members and is a Dutch interactive platform for videos on water related topics in
21,000 visitors (of whom over and about The Netherlands. This Dutch version of the concept was de-
10,000 unique visitors) veloped in cooperation with TheWaterChannel.tv and will be launched
Most visits from: Mexico, The Netherlands, through the website in the coming month. TheWaterChannel team
United States, India and Canada encourages readers of UPDATE Magazine to upload quality visual ma-
terial on water related topics to ensure it finds an audience. As a special
service, VHS tapes can be sent in for digitalisation and uploading.
¡ thewaterchannel@metameta.nl
W www.thewaterchannel.tv and subscribe to the newsletter.
SHORT NEWS | Waterpass Foundation SHORT NEWS | Changes PAST EVENTS | UN KSIM
mou waterpass board members unesco-ihe hosts un
foundation IHE Delft Foundation Board Wim Deetman, former Minister of
Education and Science was appointed UNESCO-IHE Foundation Board
libraries meeting
n Services
UNESCO-IHE signed an MoU with the member. Wim Kuijken, Secretary-General of Ministry of Transport, The UNESCO-IHE Library and Informatio
Agency
Waterpass Foundation. This foundation Public Works and Water Management, was appointed UNESCO-IHE hosted the annual United Nations Inter-
mation
was newly established by Jan Stuit, the Foundation Board member. Bert Keijts, former Director General Meeting on Knowledge Sharing and Infor
former Chair of the Royal Bank of Scotland of the Directorate Public Works and Water in the Netherlands, Management (UNK SIM) at the end of September.
UN agen-
in the Netherlands, with the aim to sponsor recently retired as member of the IHE Delft Foundation Board. Around 40 Participants from various
develop
UNESCO-IHE MSc fellowship extensions cies attended the meeting to build and
ammes.
to allow excellent UNESCO-IHE students Governing Board The UNESCO-IHE Governing Board comprises Know ledge Management networks and progr
to write a publication or develop a business a total number of 13 representatives of ministries, universities and Among other topics, special attention was given to
rty issues.
proposal (i.e. for use in their home coun- the private sector, all appointed by the Director General of UNESCO. the development of intellectual prope
tries). The foundation pledged an initial Annika Söder, Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agricultural
€23,000 and will raise more funds. Organization (FAO) was appointed UNESCO-IHE Governing Board
¡ Patricia Darvis, p.darvis@unesco-ihe.org
member in July 2009. John Verbakel, Vice president R&D Europe at
Unilever also joined UNESCO-IHE’s Governing Board since July 2009.
4 | UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010

5. cooperation | USAID
Guiding US Investments in Water
UNESCO-IHE recently initi- articulated in international agree- The Global Water for Sustainability (GLOWS) programme is a consortium financed by the
ated advisory and capacity-build- ments and guidance documents, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) working to increase social,
ing activities directed at staff of few possess a detailed knowl- economic, and environmental benefits to people of the developing world. GLOWS works
on-the-ground to implement water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services,
the US Agency for International edge of the many resources in the
improve water management practices, and build local capacity.
Development (USAID). UNESCO- IWRM toolbox and how to apply The GLOWS Consortium is led by Florida International University and includes CARE,
IHE is contributing to the devel- them,” he explains. “Practitioners WaterAid America, Winrock International, World Vision, and the World Wildlife Fund
opment of a USAID Water Guide must be able to evaluate their own (WWF). Together the partners possess skills and worldwide experience in water supply/
to assist agency project officers management goals in an IWRM sanitation/hygiene, water productivity, and water resources management. UNESCO-IHE
in water project design and im- framework and then design a step- is a training partner within the consortium.
GLOWS is the freshwater component of USAID’s Global Programme for Integrated
plementation around the world. wise strategy to accomplish these
Management of Coastal and Freshwater Systems (IMCAFS), which also features
These activities are an outgrowth goals. the Sustainable Coastal Communities and Ecosystems (SUCCESS) programme.
of UNESCO-IHE’s involvement The training modules that SUCCESS emphasises coastal resources, aquaculture, and fisheries management,
as a partner in the USAID Global GLOWS and UNESCO-IHE is under the leadership of the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Center.
Water for Sustainability (GLOWS) jointly developing will be custom-
consortium, which is lead by ised for USAID project officers,
Florida International University who are tasked with programming
in Miami. In addition to its role an increasing water budget within
in the development of the Water the agency.
Guide, UNESCO-IHE is develop- Dr. Sharon Murray, Water
ing training modules for USAID Resources Programme Manager
on Integrated Water Resources on the USAID Water Team, based
GLOWS Project Sites
Management and Climate Change in Washington DC, visited the
Adaptation and assisting in a Institute in June to learn more Mara River Basin (Kenya/Tanzania) During the dry season, the Mara River is the
USAID-funded Public-Private about UNESCO-IHE programmes only source of water to the Mara-Serengeti ecoregion and its spectacular migration of
wildlife. GLOWS is supporting the governments of Kenya and Tanzania in integrated
Partnership Iniciative in collabo- and activities. She also briefed vari-
water resources management to meet the water needs of developing human communities
ration with the Confederation of ous departments about the work while protecting water needed for Masai-Mara National Reserve and Serengeti National
Indian Industries, USAID funding that USAID is doing and new US Park. Project activities extend to Lake Victoria, and its artisanal fishing communities.
is also providing partial support investments in water develop-
Pastaza River Basin (Ecuador/Peru) The Pastaza River Basin drains an
for the thesis projects of three MSc ment. “Encouraging people in Andean subcatchment of the larger Amazon River Basin, in one of the world’s
students working in East Africa. USAID through supporting higher most biologically and culturally diverse regions. The lives and livelihoods of ba-
Dr. Michael McClain, Director education in developing countries, sin residents are intimately linked to the ecosystem services provided by rivers,
of GLOWS and Head of the resources and programmes that especially water supply, wastewater assimilation, and fisheries. GLOWS is work-
Water Engineering Department exist is very important. Also, I can ing with government agencies and local communities to protect freshwater eco-
system services and promote integrated management of water resources.
at UNESCO-IHE explains that imagine that linkages with US uni-
the lack of capacity and practi- versities in capacity building and Wakal River Basin (India) A semi-arid, extremely seasonal climate charac-
cal training are major obstacles to development will be established as terises the Wakal River Basin in southern Rajasthan state, India. Groundwater
resources help sustain human communities in the basin, as do centuries-old rain-
the application of IWRM in many one of the results of this partner-
water harvesting techniques that facilitate storage of rainwater for use during dry
areas of the world. “ While many ship. There are parallel efforts in periods. GLOWS is supporting local efforts to increase awareness of integrated
institutions and practitioners have mutually supporting each other in water resources management as a means for promoting sustainable use of ground-
a general knowledge of IWRM as the water sector,” Murray said. water and appropriate implementation of rainwater harvesting techniques.
UNESCO CENTRES | ICIWaRM
first unesco category 2 centre on aegis of UNESCO, around half of which are in the field of freshwater. “Promoting more
sustainable freshwater management has been a top priority of my tenure at UNESCO. The
freshwater in the us creation of this new centre will significantly bolster our implementing capacity in this area”,
Mr Matsuura underlined, stating that the new centre would notably increase support to de-
veloping countries, especially in Africa.
On Thursday 29 October 2009, the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, Major General Don T. Riley congratulated Mr Matsuura on his remarkable achievements
signed with Major General Don T. Riley, Deputy Commanding General of the United at UNESCO. “You can leave knowing that you have made a very big difference to the lives
States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), an agreement establishing the UNESCO of millions. And with the creation of this new centre, UNESCO will go on to help millions
International Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM) in more”, the Major General affirmed.
Alexandria, Virginia. Dr Robert Pietrowsky underscored the importance the US attached to UNESCO’s work
Also present at the signing ceremony was Dr Robert Pietrowsky, Director of the USACE in freshwater, noting that collaboration in this area had significantly expanded following
Institute of Water Resources and member of the UNESCO-IHE Governing Board, and Dr the country’s return to the Organisation in 2003. He referred to the new centre as an op-
Eugene Z. Stakhiv, Technical Director of UNESCO-ICIWaRM. portunity to further reinforce this partnership, explaining that good relations had already
“Today, we establish the first category 2 centre in the US. It is a very important moment. been established between ICIWaRM and other UNESCO category 2 centres, as well as
For UNESCO to expand its freshwater programme we need the involvement of the US UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education. The Director-General said that this outreach
science community – we need its expertise, its creativity and its entrepreneurship,” the was “a very good indicator of the centre’s future success”, adding that he very much looked
Director-General said on signing the agreement. He went on to explain that ICIWaRM forward to hearing of ICIWaRM’s achievements.
would join a powerful global network of over 40 category 2 centres operating under the W www.iwr.usace.army.mil/iciwarm
UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010 | 5

6. FELLOWSHIPS | IWA/UNESCO-IHE congress | Biological Wastegas Treatment
water supply and sanitation
fellowships launched
IWA President Dr David Garman and Professor Damir Brdjanovic of
UNESCO-IHE signed an agreement on IWA/UNESCO-IHE Water
Supply and Sanitation Fellowships at the first International Water
Association (IWA) Development Congress, held in Mexico City from
15 till 19 November 2009. The agreement is an important milestone
in the cooperation between IWA and UNESCO-IHE. Dr Garman invited
potential donors to contribute to the fund and set up a target of 50 fel-
lowships for the next two years. Fellowships will be divided between the
three water supply and sanitation related specialisations at UNESCO-
IHE, namely Sanitary Engineering, Water Supply Engineering and Water
Services Management.
W www.iwahq.org
¡ Damir Brdjanovic, d.brdjanovic@unesco-ihe.org
AWARD | Keizo Obuchi
uruguayan wins fellowship
án from Uruguay with a Keizo
UNESCO awarded Cecilia Tamara Avell
Obuchi fellowship in 2008. Avell án recently used this fellowship to carry
d wetlands for use in Uruguayan
out research at UNESCO-IHE in constructe ved annually by
dairy farm waste waters. The research fellowship is recei
20 candidates worldwide to facilia te the exchange of scientific expertise.
mic role in Uruguay and a trend
“The dairy sector plays an important econo in the past
is noticeable wher eby milk production has notably increased
the
decade. Drastic changes in land use, such as increased herd sizes and
hand-in-hand with the uncontrolled
implementation of artificial pastures go
Also, increased irrigation activities
use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. have
Biotechniques for
as well as the lack of prope r sewage disposal systems of dairy farms
ic environments,” Avellán explains.
provoked severe deteriorations of aquat
uyan native plants (Juncus
She therefore studied the abilities of Urug ructed
acutus & Cortedeira selloi ana) vs. plants traditionally used in const
wetlands in Europe and the US (Phra gmites australis & Typha latifolia) to
r the COD and nutrient levels in the
release oxygen into the water and lowe well in this
artificial waste wate r. Uruguayan plant species performed very
short-term experiment increasing the oxygen concentration in the artificial
r rates than the traditionally used
sewage water more rapidly and to highe in natural treatment
plants. This open s up the prospect of using these plants
.
systems and constructed wetla nds to treat the effluents of dairy farms
The 3rd International Congress on Biotechniques for
Air Pollution Control was held at UNESCO-IHE end
September. Over 110 participants from universities and
NEWS | Capacity building in Addis Ababa industries discussed various innovative research aspects
of environmental chemistry, environmental engineer-
ing and bioprocess technology aimed at improving
waste gas treatment. The Congress was co-organised
by UNESCO-IHE and the Environmental Engineering
group of the University of La Coruña in Spain.
The city of Addis Ababa faces a number of challenges due to the vast ex-
pansion of the city, such as limited water resources and adequate prac-
tices in managing them. The Addis Ababa Water Supply and Sewerage
Authority (AAWSA) is trying to achieve its mission of good service de-
livery to its customers in the midst of these challenges.
A recent tailor-made training course conducted by UNESCO-IHE pro-
vided 23 AAWSA employees, from middle to senior level, with a new
skill-set to tackle water supply and sanitation issues. The training course
was held in collaboration with local partners Solomon Sisay in Ethiopia
and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in Uganda.
The AAWSA has already been able to implement its newly acquired
knowledge during a critical assessment which it made of a newly de-
signed plan for waste-water treatment. In addition, AAWSA recently
recruited a number of junior engineers in response to the huge expecta-
tions from its customers and to help it cope with the daunting challenges
ahead. During part of the training programme in Ethiopia, opportunities
Please see the website for presentation downloads:
were created to include a short training course for the junior engineers. http://www.unesco-ihe.org/Biotechniques-for-Air-Pollution-Control
Based on the huge demand for water and sanitation professionals in Copies of the proceedings will be available through the Taylor and Francis
the country, discussions are already underway concerning collaboration UNESCO-IHE series.
with Addis Ababa University to strengthen its postgraduate studies. ¡ Piet Lens, p.lens@unesco-ihe.org
¡ Kebreab Ghebremichael, k.ghebremichael@unesco-ihe.org
6 | UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010

7. Economic and public pressure Becoming self-sufficient Recovering useful by-products COLUMN | Biofuels
In recent years, energy and feed- Consequently, waste gas treat- Sustainable gas treatment con-
stock materials for the chemical ment has gradually been integrat- cepts are being developed and A greener planet
industry are in increasing demand. ed into process design. Instead can lead to the recovery of useful
With constraints relating to the of discharging their waste gases by-products such as energy in the requires a lot of water…
availability and use of oil, the into the atmosphere, industries form of biogas, hydrogen or elec-
energy and chemical industry is can opt to treat those effluents or, tricity, and chemicals in the form
undergoing considerable changes. alternatively, they can attempt to of fertilisers (ammonia, phos- Biomass derived energy is a promising renewable
The need to use cheaper and more become self-sufficient and recover phates) or raw materials (elemen- energy sources intended to satisfy the escalating global
widely available feedstocks and to compounds from their own waste tal sulphur, sulphuric acid) among energy demand and to limit greenhouse gas emis-
develop sustainable and environ- streams or use (upgraded) waste others. Adding value to waste sions. The advantages seem manifold: (i) security of
mentally-friendly chemical proc- streams of neighbouring indus- gas by upgrading the recovered supply (renewable energy; can be produced locally),
esses is rapidly growing as a result tries as raw material. compounds will only be a reality (ii) usually lower net greenhouse gas emissions, (iii)
of economic and public pressure. if it is demonstrated that there is a clean in respect to other emissions (sulfur, carbon
fundamental basis and a tangible monoxide and particulates), (iv) well-suited for
advantage in using these recov- transport uses, (v) less dependency on fossil fuel
ered compounds instead of buying from politically unstable regions, and (vi) support for
raw materials and feedstock. agriculture, in particular in many developing countries.
The International Energy Association (IEA) estimated
that in 2004 more than 13% of the total global energy
consumption came from renewable source, and I fully
agree that it is the right policy to increase this number
further in the years to come. Also a rapid increase in the
biomass derived energy is envisaged for the future, in
particular considering the recent discussions on carbon
trading and the preparations for the crucial Cimate
Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.
This is still true even if large energy consumers like the
EU and USA are reconsidering their own biofuels poli-
cies, which were more pro-biofuel only two years ago.
Air Pollution Control
The opportunities for farmers and forest owners in the
South to become energy farmers and “good guys” in
terms of climate change mitigation seem very promis-
ing! This is especially true because energy efficient
production of biofuels is best possible in sub-humid and
humid tropical regions, due to often suitable climate and
soils. Consequently, biomass production offers great
economic chances for developing countries located in
these regions. But there is also a downside, which make
some people speak of ‘Climate Colonialism’. They point
Main Outcomes The Congress demonstrated that a growing number of young scien- at the recent land grabbing in Africa and Latin America,
tists is becoming interested in the field of biological waste gas treatment. Moreover, scientific often through foreign companies and fuelled by lucrative
groups as well as engineering companies from all over the world were present at the Congress. Northern subsidy schemes, which results in large mo-
Participants from 28 countries representing all continents (except Antarctica) came to Delft, nocultures in countries such as Ethiopia, Mozambique,
indicating that air pollution control has become a widespread concern with a global impact. Peru and Tanzania. This has potentially huge impacts on
During the Congress, special attention was given to resource recovery. A lot of space was food security, but also on water and the environmental
available to showcase new developments in the field of biological waste gas treatment. The integrity. The availability of water resources is key in
majority of research presented focused primarily on engineering perspectives. Microbiology that respect. I would like to stress that there are many
and modelling were also addressed, but more attention could have been given to research in unknowns in predicting the impacts of such land use
changes and a better understanding of the impacts on
these areas.
the hydrological processes (i.e. evaporation fluxes, run-
off generation mechanism, groundwater recharge) for
Legislation alone is insufficient It was noted that legislation in the field of waste gas such interventions is definitely needed. Therefore, con-
emission was not sufficient. This may hinder the development of new technologies, because sidering different temporal and spatial scales is essential.
the polluting companies are not pushed to invest in waste gas treatment. This becomes even
more difficult in the case of diffuse and transboundary emissions. Despite the many knowledge gaps, we know already
Another outcome of the Congress was that the problem of waste gas production is often that forests (e.g. eucalyptus) and crops (e.g. sugar
closely related to waste water production or waste water treatment. These two problems cane) need a lot of water to grow, and an accurate
should be studied in combination with each other more often. The Dutch engineering consul- analysis of the environmental and societal impacts of
tancy company DHV, with their Moving Bed Trickling Filter, may serve as a good example of large-scale biomass production is essential to protect
this trend. water resources and to assure ecological integrity to
enable future sustainable development. Thus, water is
More interaction needed The biotechnologies used for waste gas treatment are often vital in this climate change mitigation measure, as it is in
very similar to those applied to waste water treatment. The two communities – the waste gas many adaptation measures. This should not be forgotten
treatment engineers and the waste water treatment engineers – should interact more intense- when setting the policies, and dividing the hopefully
ly. This is valid even though the regulation of waste gas treatment processes is more difficult big cake of the new Climate Change Adaptation fund.
to regulate than that of waste water treatment.
Finally, it was mentioned that research relating to greenhouse gases was not sufficiently Stefan Uhlenbrook
addressed at the congress. This is because biological processes are not so common in this ap- Professor of Hydrology
plication area. Moreover, people working in this field were not attending the conference. A Water Engineering Department
final recommendation would be to put more effort in attracting scientists working in the field ¡ s.uhlenbrook@unesco-ihe.org
of greenhouse gases emission mitigation to present their work in future congresses. The next
conference will be held in 2011 in La Coruña, Spain.
UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010 | 7

8. interview | New Rector
Professor András Szöllösi-Nagy took up office as the Institute’s new Rector from mid-September.
He follows in the footsteps of Professor Richard Meganck who recently retired from his six-year
term as Rector of the Institute. Prior to his new appointment, Professor Szöllösi-Nagy was Director
of the Division of Water, Secretary of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP), and Deputy
Assistant Director-General of the Natural Sciences Sector of UNESCO. During his tenure, Professor
Szöllösi-Nagy was able to significantly reinforce UNESCO’s response capacities in the area of fresh-
water through a variety of actions. Due to a reinforced IHP, the establishment of UNESCO-IHE, 23
UNESCO Water Centres and the UN World Water Assessment Programme (UN WWAP), it grew to
become the largest, most widely known UN water programme in the world. He was also instrumen-
tal in setting up the new UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in March 2003 and acted as a
key player in the integration of the Institute’s education and research programmes in UNESCO.
“ The Institute has a dual
nature that makes it
intellectually powerful”
”It is good to be back in the world of academia. However, I must ad- Consensual
mit I never really left the academic world,” said Szöllösi-Nagy. “The “I will continue the outstanding work that Richard Meganck, my
International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO (IHP), which predecessor, has started,” he adds. “I very much value what he has
I served for 20 years and nine days as its Secretary, is a large-scale done in a rather difficult period of transition. I would like to man-
global scientific programme so my relations with academia were age this Institute on a consensual basis and would like to work
never really severed. I worked closely in this community over the with the Academic Board, the Management Team, the Personnel
years. On the other hand, facilitating international water science di- Council and other bodies that could make a positive contribution.
plomacy versus practising and teaching water science, are two very It is needless to say that the Chairs of the Governing Board and the
different things. It is a very exciting change and I am looking for- UNESCO-IHE Foundation Board, both very experienced and out-
ward to plunging into the UNESCO-IHE pool. Of course, first I have standing politicians, will be my closest partners in setting overall
to learn how to swim in this new pool. My first mission, therefore, strategies and policies. I have already started working with them
will be that of learning. First of all, what is the shape of the pool? Is and am looking forward to a very successful cooperation.”
there enough water in it? How do people swim in it? How should I
swim in it and support the others?” Measured outflows
When asking the Rector why he got involved in the water busi-
To be an insider ness and what kept him so enthusiastic about it for such a long time,
Szöllösi-Nagy has indicated that he would like to talk with everyone given the many organisational challenges in this area, he explained:
at the Institute and learn from every single individual what she or he “I was about 16 years old when I was working as an observer at
is doing. “I want to understand in more detail how this magnificent one of the UNESCO Experimental and Representative Catchment
organisation works and how its people are shaping it. I want to un- Areas in Hungary during my summer vacation. This was during the
derstand how its scientific departments and support units are work- International Hydrological Decade, so we are talking about paleo-
ing, how they are interacting in the daily work in serving the basic hydrology. My job was to carry out field experiments under differ-
goals of the Institute. I hope it does not sound too immodest, but I ent soil and slope conditions with a small cylindrical artificial rainfall
believe I already know a fair bit about the Institute. I taught there generator and measure how much the surface flow that comes out
some time ago and have stayed in regular contact with colleagues; I through a tiny V notch is. Quite a simple job, actually. Of course, I
also played a role in transforming it into a UNESCO Institute and, of had no idea about hydrology, as I was much more interested in the
course, I have visited it quite often. I love the place immensely. But young local village ladies, but I got very angry that wherever I set up
of course it is one thing to be a visitor from outside, and quite anoth- my rainfall apparatus, the results were always very different. Even
er to be an insider. I am looking forward to interacting with my new when I relocated my equipment just one metre away and repeated
colleagues, learning more about their points of view and listening the experiment the measured outflows were always significantly
to their proposals very carefully concerning potential improvements different. It was very frustrating.”
and new strategical research directions.”
8 | UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010

9. UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010 | 9

10. interview | New Rector
What happens to the rain? Institute. “Over the years I have been involved in various networks,
“Gradually I got interested in the question: What happens to the from professional NGOs through scientific journals and the in-
rain? Was it my fault that the results are so dramatically differ- ternational scientific community to global water policy organisa-
ent or is there something intrinsically random in this entire process tions in various functions. I would like to bring those networks in
from the rain through to the pore distribution of the soil particles? closer association with the Institute. And I would like to assist my
What are the physical laws? Are there any, or is it just chaos? Or colleagues in taking lead roles in the various associations, journals,
perhaps both? From then on it was all very straightforward. After a forums, councils and boards in order to enhance our visibility, in-
degree in Civil Engineering I became a hydrologist, wrote a couple crease support and generate a great impact.
of theses, ranging from applied mathematics to systems science, When it comes to science-based water policy advice, Member
and started to passionately develop mathematical models for hy- States as well as potential donors and clients will turn to the
drological forecasting (to my greatest surprise some of them even Institute for help and action. Also, I would like to have UNESCO-
worked). IHE play a more important role in designing and implementing IHP.
A big eye opener were the assignments in various develop- There are already good practices, from urban water management
ing countries. I realised the obvious: it is water that needs to be to water-related conflict resolution, but there is still considerable
fixed otherwise developing countries will never have the chance to room for improvement. I will work towards bringing the IHE and
achieve what we today call sustainable development. This obvious IHP staff much closer together and to build closer relations with the
realisation made me join the United Nations as I also realised that rest of the UN system and the Bretton Woods institutions through
without international cooperation and development, assistance in UN-Water as well as through bilateral cooperation. I also think it is
policy setting, education and building local water management and important that we improve our collaboration with the headquarters
science capacities in the third world, as it was called back in those divisions in Paris. UNESCO has a great deal to offer which we need
days, there was no possibility that a fair and equitable world could to utilise much more. It is of paramount importance that members
ever be built. Serving that cause was the best achievement in my of the Executive Board and the General Conference of UNESCO
professional life. Mind you, I still don’t know what happens to the are aware of the role of the Institute in the implementation of the
rain… So I am still challenged.” Organisation’s mandate. And I believe it is equally important that
our colleagues in Delft are aware of what those bodies are deciding
Main focus areas because those decisions are providing the framework for our work.
Szöllösi-Nagy also shared his views on the main focus areas in the I will work on ensuring that the staff get to know the ‘big picture’.
first biennium. “I would like to further strengthen the position of
UNESCO-IHE in water science and education in the international
scene with a principal regard to the needs of the developing coun-
tries. We have all the opportunities and potential to become a lead-
ing institute in the field. Talent is uniformly distributed but we have
to find it and help it blossom. Indeed, I believe that the uniqueness
of the Institute provides excellent initial conditions to achieve that.
I would like to grow our international networks and get the best of
the best involved in various activities of the Institute. I would like
to establish and strengthen mutually beneficial relations with the
lead water resources departments, both at universities and research
facilities all over the world, with a special regard for the needs of
the developing countries. I would like to attract leading scientists to
spend their sabbatical year at the Institute and to contribute to and
strengthen the academic life of the Institute.
Secondly, I would like to increase the impact of the Institute
both in terms of water education and science. I will work with my
colleagues towards an improved financial base. We receive such
unbelievably generous support from our host government and I
would like to see other governments from the ‘developed world’
following suit. We are open to any scrutiny that any government
wishes to make to identify how useful this institution is globally,
regionally and locally and how much we could serve their foreign
policy objectives in building water management capacities in de- Minimising hierarchy
veloping countries. I will spare no efforts in convincing UNESCO’s Former staff members have described Szöllösi-Nagy as a vision-
Member States that it is not only their moral obligation to support ary leader who is loyal, demanding, enthusiastic, hardworking and
UNESCO-IHE but that it is also a good investment from their side. generous; this is how UNESCO-IHP has become so well-known in
I believe we still have a great deal of room to mobilise UNESCO’s the water family and what has also kept them united behind him.
Permanent Delegations, the UNESCO National Commissions, the But most of the staff and students at UNESCO-IHE are curious
IHP National Committees, the IHP Secretariat in Paris, the Regional to know what he expects from them. “It was a great pleasure and
Hydrologists at the UNESCO’s Regional and Field Offices and the privilege to work with my former staff at UNESCO and serve them.
two dozen Category II water centres that are under the auspices of I worked in and with a wonderful team who were working openly
UNESCO, to achieve our goals. and democratically. Hierarchy was minimised within a quite hierar-
And thirdly, I would like to help my colleagues be successful. If chical administration in order to increase efficiency and the delivery
they are successful then I am successful. If any of them fails, I fail.” of sound results.” He explains: “I saw my role as serving them and
not the other way around. I have an open-door policy, whereby
Networks anyone can come in and see me. In my opinion, the relative success
With over 20 years of experience in the water sector at UNESCO of IHP was based on mutual trust. I would like to continue this ap-
alone, Szöllösi-Nagy has a diverse skill-set to share which the proach at UNESCO-IHE as well.”
10 | UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010

11. Inaugural Address
On 5 November, Professor András Szöllösi-Nagy,
was formally installed as the new Rector of the
Institute after presenting his inaugural address en-
titled: “Learn from you errors - if you can! – re-
flections on the value of hydrological forecasting
models.” A native of Hungary, Szöllösi-Nagy holds
Alumni are assets a Doctorate of Science in hydrology and stochastic
The Rector also touched upon the importance of alumni. “Alumni systems, a PhD in water sciences, and a Doctorem
are real assets for us. They can mobilise additional support for the Habilem in hydrology and water resources, the lat-
Institute. Many of the thousands who graduated here earlier are in ter two from Budapest University of Technology.
lead positions now and could raise political support that could hope- Dr. Bart Schultz, the senior most member of the
fully turn into financial support. Many of our alumni have become Academic Board opened this special academic ses-
extremely successful in business. I will approach and encourage sion by noting that the education and research objec-
them to help us build a UNESCO-IHE Endowment Fund that could tives of the Institute will remain primordial – driving
support our scholarship programme. Anyone could pay into the en- both the production of quality science as well as the
dowment and withdraw funds at any given time. In the meantime, development mandates of UNESCO-IHE. The formal address of the new Rector traced some of the
the interest that the fund generates would help to finance scholar- very interesting, if somewhat convoluted, history of hydrological modeling as well as presenting a
ships. number of challenges relating to predicting extreme weather events such as floods and flood-related
Also, I believe alumni could help us a great deal in identify- damage. And he did this in his ‘normal’ style – discussing a serious scientific issue while employing a
ing young talent that could enroll in the Institute to do graduate degree of irreverent humor. It is also fair to note that while few will doubt the scientific nature of his
and post-graduate work. Alumni could also help identify potential comments, he still manages to get into any number of arguments with well-meaning colleagues who
projects that we could implement at a later stage. I am confident that fail to grasp the connections to which he refers. After what can only be described as an engaging ad-
by having alumni involved in the work of the Institute we will be dress, the former Rector Richard Meganck passed the academic authority of the Beadle and the staff
able to generate win-win situations that will help all of the parties of the Institute to the care of the new Rector symbolising the transfer of both the authority and the
involved.” responsibility of the academic excellence of the Institute.
Flexibility
With increased flexibility in education a new reality, such as online
and short courses, virtual learning platforms and the introduction
of joint degrees with other institutes around the world, UNESCO-
IHE is also taking big steps in this direction. “I would like to expand
our activities in establishing more intensive relations with lead-
ing schools in the world. Joint degree programmes with prestig-
ious universities is certainly one of the options we need to examine
more closely. I have already had some discussions in this regard with
some lead universities and have noted a great deal of interest. It goes systems hydrology from him. Once, he survived one of my early
without saying that we must maintain the involvement and main- presentations where I advocated that continuous models belonged
streaming of universities in the developing countries in this process to the past and the future was for discrete models only. During the
as well. I would like to encourage flexibility in our educational offer- discussion he declared: “hm, interesting idea but it’s junk, young
ings. More elective subjects and more choice will certainly help tai- man”. Of course, he was right. I did not know it for many years but
lor the courses to specific needs. I am quite certain that an improved Jim often acted as my guardian angel. Then, in my early twenties I
guest lecturer scheme and an expanded sabbatical leave system, by met the late Professor Vujica Yevjevich of Colorado State University
involving the best brains we can have access to, will help a great deal who had a tremendous influence on my way of thinking in terms of
in this regard as well. UNESCO-IHE should also function as a labo- stochastic processes. (Later on somebody told me that my greatest
ratory of ideas and of new innovative thinking to solve the major achievement in hydrology is that I turned Stochastic Hydrology into
water resources issues in the world today.” Sarcastic Hydrology by occasionally being perhaps a little bit too
critical with certain methodologies.) And finally, in my mid twen-
Intellectually powerful ties I had the privilege of working at IIASA for some years. Professor
Szöllösi-Nagy continues: “I think the Institute has a dual nature that Howard Raiffa of Harvard was my boss. He was a charismatic, intel-
makes it intellectually powerful. On the one hand, there is a link lectual leader and the top gun in decision theory. He led us by exam-
with the developing world through many networks, including that ple and with an eternal big smile, always encouraging and support-
of the alumni, that brings in a constant flux of exciting issues that ing new ideas.
require novel handling. These things are very real: real catchments,
real people and real issues to solve. I believe these issues stimulate Jekyll and Hyde
the discovery of entirely new approaches and fresh thinking. On the Szöllösi-Nagy is known by his closest friends as an infamous art col-
other hand, the Institute, and UNESCO for that matter, has primary lector. His significant other, Judith Nem’s, is an artist. In response
access to the best minds of the world. If there is something untested, to the question how his love for art complements his professional
something seemingly too complex to deal with, something we do life, he responds: “Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide. Art is my Mr. Hide
not know how to handle we can always have access to the best side. It is totally independent of my professional activities. When I
professional advice and people. That is a tremendous asset that we was young I trained to become a sculptor. But soon enough I recog-
should keep alive by increased networking and expanding our rela- nised that I was not talented enough. I also recognised that as there
tions further.” were already so many bad artists in my country that adding one
more would amount to a national catastrophe. So I gave up doing
Three intellectual giants art. I have not drawn a single line ever since, not even on Sundays.
When asking the Rector who has been his greatest example, he But anything that is supressed in your childhood comes back later
responds: “My role model is my late father who was a geographer in adulthood. This is probably why Judith, who is indeed a painter,
and a walking encyclopedia with an immense sense of humour and and I started to systematically collect contemporary art some twenty
an insatiable appetite for all the good things in life. I miss him a great years ago. The subject matter is very narrow, geometric abstract and
deal. My professional life was very strongly influenced by three concrete art, but the collection became quite sizeable and interna-
intellectual giants: Professor Jim Dooge, former Foreign Minister tional by now. In fact we even have paintings on the ceiling of our
of Ireland, Emeritus Professor of Hydrology in Dublin and also the house in Paris. It is not like the Kröller-Müller Collection – yet. But
former President of ICSU. I consider him my grand master. I learned we are getting there.
UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010 | 11

12. education | PhD Programme
UNESCO-IHE to award it’s 100th PhD degree
Since its affiliation with UNESCO in 2003, the Institute has made huge velopment focus on Africa, and more in particular Sub-Saharan Africa,
steps in further developing its scientific reputation and establishing a a growing number of PhD students at UNESCO-IHE also originate from
solid academic environment. The NVAO accreditation constituted a first that region.
step, but other elements are the sharp increase in the number of peer-re-
viewed publications, the appointment of additional scientific staff (PhD gender Twenty six per cent of the registered students in 2009 are fe-
and professor level), the acquisition and allocation of more funds to re- male. This is nearly the same as the overall Dutch average of 27% in the
search and recently the membership of the SENSE Research School. This science area. (Vereniging Samenwerkende Nederlandse Universiteiten,
resulted in a spectacular growth in the number of PhD fellows: from the VSNU)
late nineties until 2003, the number was stable at around 50 registered
students. In 2003 the number started to grow steadily from 48 in 2003 aver age dur aTion The average duration of a PhD study at
to 89 in November 2009. When adding the number of staff members UNESCO-IHE is 5.45 years including the time between the approval of
doing a PhD, the current enrollment reaches 95. the thesis and the date of the public defense, and 5 years if this time is
excluded. This figure does not significantly deviate from the average of
appliCaTions When looking at the number of PhD applications, a universities in the host country, and also aligns with PhD programmes in
peak can be observed in 2008. In that year the Institute kicked-off an other countries. This is remarkable as the majority of PhD’s at UNESCO-
ambitious research programme sponsored by the Netherlands Ministry IHE are done in a sandwich format, and students are often claimed by
for Development Cooperation. It was also the year in which the Institute their employer for part of their time.
decided to allocate a larger portion of its base subsidy to co-funding of
research projects acquired through competitive calls. The Institute’s number of promoTions and disTinCTions Since the first
strategy is to maintain this high volume of research activities in the years graduation in 1994, 93 researchers obtained a PhD degree through
to come. UNESCO-IHE. The number of promotions is expected to reach 20 per
year by 2012. Out of the 93 successful promotions, six candidates re-
regional baCKground A prerequisite to be admitted in the ceived a PhD degree with cum laude. This is a remarkably high percent-
UNESCO-IHE PhD programme is obviously the quality of the research age, exceeding the average of regular universities.
proposal. In practice, an important bottleneck is the availability of fund-
ing. Most of UNESCO-IHE’s students depend on sponsoring from na- ¡ Erick de Jong, e.dejong@unesco-ihe.org
tional governments or multilateral agencies. Due to the international de- W www.unesco-ihe.org/Education/PhD-programme
Number of PhD applications Number of PhD promotions
and admitted students of UNESCO-IHE
13
125
11
10
100
Number
Number
75 7 7 7
6 6 6
50 Finally
5 5
admited
25 3
Academically
admitted 2 2 2
0 1
2003/5 2004/8 2005/9 2006/10 2007/11 2008/12 2009/13 Total number 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
of applications
Academic Years Academic Year
12 | UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010

13. peer review evaluation | Sense Visitation
The SENSE Research School for Socio-Economic and reConsider organisaTional sTruCTure
Natural Sciences of the Environment is a joint venture It was also suggested that UNESCO-IHE consider es-
of the environmental research institutes of ten Dutch tablishing a small external Academic Advisory Board
universities. SENSE strives to be a high quality school to provide guidance in strategic research issues and to
for researchers, where disciplinary and multidisci- provide recommendations on appointments.
plinary approaches are being developed and taught Although the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water
for the support of scientifically based and effective Education is organised along educational lines with
environmental policies. UNESCO-IHE invited SENSE seemingly very efficient collaboration among the
Research School to conduct a peer review evalua- core groups, it was recommended by the SENSE as-
tion in order to obtain full participation and member- sessment committee that the Institute re-evaluates
ship into the SENSE Research School. To this end, the its organisational structure of departments and core
SENSE assessment committee looked at UNESCO- groups, which is at this time geared towards the MSc
IHE’s past performance (2003-2008) and future programmes rather than research.
potential. In addition, the Committee pointed out that
UNESCO-IHE boosts the careers of many profession-
als as a consequence of its mandate for capacity build-
SENSE Research School ing in developing countries and should therefore mon-
itor these career improvements in order to measure
the societal impact and relevance of its research. The
welcomes UNESCO-IHE added value behind this exercise is that the Institute’s
alumni can facilitate ways to access a supplementary
source of potential funding via their current employ-
ers.
SENSE Research School for The general result of the SENSE visitation is that: “The ConClusions The Institute has an excellent
Socio-Economic and Natural UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education is highly interdisciplinary PhD programme and many individual
Sciences of the Environment is a visible and well regarded internationally with very rel- staff members already comply with the membership
joint venture of the environ-
evant research and societal evident high impact.” criteria. Thereby, SENSE welcomes UNESCO-IHE.
mental research institutes of ten
Dutch universities. It promotes The group concluded that UNESCO-IHE is an in- The SENSE Peer Review Committee is convinced that
an integrated understanding of stitute in transition and that the number and quality of the future prospects for the UNESCO-IHE Institute
environmental change in terms research and publications has increased considerably for Water Education are very strong. The Institute is in
of the mechanisms that cause it in the timeframe under revision. Interdisciplinary re- good shape and can build on its currently strong posi-
and the consequences that result search is well developed and the PhD fellows are very tion to continue serving international water research
from it. To fulfil this mission,
enthusiastic about their training with frequent super- and water management.
the combined programmes of
research and education within vision and social integration with staff and participants
SENSE are aimed at the develop- alike. ¡ Berta Fernández Álvarez,
ment and further improvement b.fernandezalvarez@unesco-ihe.org
of scientific concepts and seT Clear sTr aTegiC researCh prioriTies W www.sense.nl
methods that are required for an The Committee recommends that UNESCO-IHE de-
effective disciplinary and multi-
velop a coherent research strategy with the appropri-
disciplinary understanding of
environmental change. Research ate incentives to increase scientific quality and pro-
and education in SENSE are ductivity. The Institute should have a plan establishing
dedicated to developing high its medium-term and long-term research priorities. It
quality scientific results, which would be useful to define clear and transparent bench-
may be applied to practically and marks for the quantity and quality of research, for
critically inform environmen-
example the SENSE criteria, as well as to create incen-
tal policy perspectives.
tives for research and high-level publications.
PUN MEDIA CONSULTATION | Climate Change SHORT NEWS | Collaboration with American water utility
international media grant for reverse
consultation on adaptation osmosis desalination
strategies to water and UNESCO-IHE will undertake research projects in reverse osmo-
climate change sis desalination in conjunction with The American Water Works
Company, the largest investor-owned U.S. water and waste-water util-
International journalists, experts and a number of other participants from more ity company. The partnership has been made possible due to a grant
than 35 countries took part in a 2-day seminar organised by the United Nations. of USD 490,000 that was recently awarded to the company.
The seminar focussed on the role of the media and communicators and took “This research project will use novel methods to measure organic carbon in sea
place at the end of September in Zaragoza, Spain. Conclusions from the meeting water that can cause plugging of the reverse osmosis membranes,” said Dr. Orren
point out that the role of the media and communicators as information multipli- Schneider, senior environmental engineer for American Water and principle inves-
ers is paramount to public advocacy and awareness-raising. The seminar was tigator for this project. “The study will also use advanced techniques to measure
organised by the United Nations Office to Support the International Decade the surface charge of particles in sea water. Neutralization of this surface charge is
for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015 (UNO-IDfA) and brought together important for particle and organic carbon removal in the pre-treatment process.”
around 50 opinion leaders, communicators, UN representatives, and experts The American Water Works Company was founded in 1886, and has its
from Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America. headquarters in Voorhees, N.J. The company employs more than 7,000
professionals who provide drinking water, waste-water and other related
¡ Ulrike Kelm, kelm@un.org services to approximately 15 million people in 32 states and Ontario, Canada.
W www.amwater.com
UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010 | 13

14. COOPERATION | Armenia and Georgia partners agreement | Research and capacity building
seeking to reinforce
the potentials
The State Agrarian University of Armenia (SAUA), the Georgian State
Agriculture University (GSAU) and UNESCO-IHE have agreed to continue
their collaboration on a number of joint education and capacity building activi-
ties and trainings through tailor-made courses, regular short courses and
refresher seminars. The bilateral Memorandum of Agreements was one of
the results of a succesful tailor-made training, held in 2008 and early 2009.
Project leader László Hayde explains: “The training has substantially contrib-
uted to the capacity building of university staff in Armenia’s and Georgia’s
water sector. Eventually this will contribute towards increased socio-economic
benefits from the available water resource base and their long-term sus-
tainability through better educated professionals. The training provided a
promising opportunity for networking and sharing of information among
the professionals involved, fostering the collaborative approach for par-
ticipatory water resource development and management at local levels.
Hayde continues: “The participants of the training are already showing inter- The International Spate Irrigation Network
ests in strengthening and furthering the newly established professional contacts
and collaborations which will only strengthen in the time ahead. The training also (SpN) and UNESCO-IHE have signed a formal
helped local resource persons, in addition to the exchange of know-how, build up
closer contacts with each other and with the trainers from UNESCO-IHE, which
Cooperation Agreement to jointly explore oppor-
will in turn facilitate continuous exchange of ideas and advice. Furthermore, tunities in research, projects and capacity build-
this training has already stimulated communications with UNESCO-IHE
with regard to various capacity building opportunities in Netherlands as ing for the sustainable development and manage-
well as for conceptualising and conducting joint research projects.” ment of flood-based irrigation systems, water
Multilateral strategy At the end of the training, Professor Gela Javakhishvili, and environmental resources management.
Rector of the Georgian State Agricultural University (GSAU) and Professor
Daniel Petrosyan, Pro-Rector of the Armenian State Agrarian University (ASAU)
visited the Netherlands to discuss further cooperation possibilities, to determine
the long-term multilateral strategy for scientific cooperation development and
to work out the details of an agreement among the participating institutions.
“The collaboration between the State Agrarian University of Armenia
(SAUA) and UNESCO-IHE and its outcomes are essential for Armenian
Spate Irrigation:
understood and
specialists. They will get the unique opportunity of capacity building and
trainings in Europe as well as explore the innovative technologies currently
applied in the field of water resources management. In the production field
48 Water Users Associations and over 250,000 consumers of our Republic
will seek to reinforce the potentials of technological management.
The cooperation agreement will open prospects to carry out further joint
research based on the most sophisticated technologies in the field of sustainable
water resources management. The agreement will also develop opportunities
for masters and post-graduate participants, engaged in the agrarian educa-
tional programme of Armenia, to gain knowledge concerning the applica- Over the past two years, the SpN has contributed as a co-funding
tion of innovative technologies and methodologies,” Dr Petrosyan added.
and professional partner in several projects and tailor-made train-
¡ László Hayde, l.hayde@unesco-ihe.org ing courses, including Spate Irrigation Improvement in Yemen,
an Options Paper on Spate Irrigation and Adaptation to Climate
Variability and Change, Global Guidelines for Spate Irrigation
Improvement, and Spate Irrigation Training in Ethiopia.
Promoting an exchange of experiences The central mis-
sion of SpN is to promote an exchange of experiences through re-
search and training courses with regard to the sustainable develop-
Summit ment and management of spate irrigation and other flood-based
SWITCH | Global CityWater Futures
learning alliances for change by
irrigation systems (flood recession farming, flood plain irrigation,
inundation canals).
it, hosted This is to improve food security in water-scarce areas as well as to
TThe Global CityWater Futures Summ
ning of October fulfill various environmental functions including preserving biodi-
SWITCH at UNESCO-IHE, at the begin d
2009, broug ht together over 50 experts from aroun versity, stabilizing river systems, mitigating flood peaks and recharg-
the world with 100 pract itioners from cities in Africa, ing groundwater.
le East, and
Europe, South America, Asia, the Midd
organi-
Australia as well as donor groups, international Unpredictable and unreliable Traditional flood-based ir-
sations and media exper ts to join forces in accelerating
r City of the rigation systems, which harness unpredictable, unreliable and often
change toward a more sustainable wate destructive floodwater in ephemeral environments, have existed for
d the world
Futur e. Representatives from cities aroun
actively stepping up and taking action presented innova- centuries as a major source of livelihoods for mainly economically
jumpstarted by
tive and local solutions. Discussions were disadvantaged communities in arid and semi-arid regions of sub-
by a science
media from India, Ghana and Yemen. The Summit was preceded Saharan Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
exchanged ideas over a 3-day period
meeting whereby experts interacted and Despite being among the oldest water resource management sys-
including workshops and an innovation
through a series of interactive events reports from
tems, they remain the least studied and least understood and docu-
marketplace. Visit the SWIT CH Water Summit Blog for videos and mented. Most investments have been channelled into the perennial
the event http://switchwatersumm it.wordpress.com.
irrigation systems because these were perceived as having relatively
reliable water sources, a higher sustainable return, and fewer risks
¡ Carol Howe, c.howe@unesco-ihe.org
and uncertainties with regard to crop and livestock production.
14 | UPDATE UNESCO-IHE | DEC 2009 – JAN 2010