Nieuws

Enhanced Water Resources Management Project Course visitors

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3 juli 2014

Nine mid-career Egyptian professionals involved in the Enhanced Water Resources Management Project (EWRMP) visited Wageningen and Alterra for a 2-weeks course (June 8-20), that included general topics as water management and water policy in The Netherlands as well as more specifically the 'law and compliance' aspects of treatment of domestic wastewater, treatment of industrial wastewater, and solid waste management.

The visitors were employees of various institutions of the Egyptian government, including the Egyptian Public Authority on Drainage projects (EPADP); EWRMP Pilot Areas; several “Integrated Water Management Districts” (a kind of Water Boards at a higher level than Branch Canal Water User Associations); and the EWRMP project coordination unit (PCU) at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI).

Alterra is one of the partners in the Enhanced Water Resources Management Project (EWRMP) in Egypt. Other partners include Euroconsult-Mott McDonald (lead), Deltares, and two local consulting companies: Chemonics and CBI/ Capacity Building International.

The reason why Alterra always includes a self-study activity in its courses is manifold: it will guide the participants in structuring their thoughts; it will assist their uptake of all presented topics and technologies; and it will provide a solid background for the participants in their daily work following the course. It also makes the course results S.M.A.R.T. for all parties involved.

At the Aa en Maas Water Board (a long-term partner in Egypt, together with for instance World Waternet), the participants were introduced to:

  • Water Governance, the Dutch Water Board model
  • Supervision and enforcement for the protection of water quality
  • Challenges and innovation in treatment of domestic and industrial waste water

The programme at a glance:

  • Eddy Moors welcomed the group, upon which Wouter Wolters (course director) presented the introduction to the course. Rob Kselik was course coordinator
  • Lectures were presented on a wide variety of topics within the focus of the course, by many colleagues (Joop Harmsen, Frank van der Bolt, Bart Snellen, Koen Roest, Philippe Ker Rault) as well as staff from the institutions that were visited
  • The course also included a “hands-on” introduction to searching open access scientific publications by the Wageningen UR Library. Background material was prepared and supplied on a USB stick
  • Study visits were made to WVL (Water, Verkeer en Leefomgeving, Rijkswaterstaat (previously Waterdienst)); IJsselmeer polders; Water Board “AA en Maas”; Water Board “Rijn en IJssel”; and the AVR in Duiven
  • In the self-study assignment, the participants were requested to prepare a “Position paper”
  • Towards the end of the course three groups presented their Position Papers followed by a joint evaluation (including an anonymous evaluation form) after which Robert Smit, on behalf of Alterra, presented each participant with a “Certificate of Attendance”.