Wetlands - both natural and constructed - are able to purify water because of their ability to filter suspended solids, to degrade organic substances and to take up nutrients from the water.

Wetlands also perform vital functions in the water cycle and are important for flood management, climate and biodiversity.

Learning objectives

The main objective of this course is therefore to inform participants on the proper way of using wetlands for water treatment and water reclamation and to teach them whether in a certain situation they should make use of a natural wetland or a constructed wetland to treat the water.

Target group

The course is designed for professionals actively involved in wetland management and/or wastewater treatment. They may be working in organisations responsible for water treatment or responsible for wetland conservation/sustainable use of wetlands. The target group is also those who have an interest in onsite wastewater treatment for small communities.

Course structure

Participants complete the course in a period of about four months (16 weeks) with a workload of 140 hours. A participant is expected to spend about 8 hours per week on average through reading, discussion and assignments. The course is sub-divided into 3 modules and a written assignment.

Within the course, each module starts and ends on a specified day. Generally, a subject takes 3 weeks. Within this period, the participant is free to study in his or her own time. Questions with regard to the subject can be posted on the discussion forum, eliciting responses from fellow participants. The teachers also regularly comment on the questions posted on this forum.

Each subject ends with assignments for which participants have to use their newly acquired knowledge and interact with the teacher and the other participants using the discussion platform of the I-learning Environment. Participation will be assessed on the basis of tutor assignments, contribution to the online discussion assignments and the final paper. After completion, participants will receive a certificate of attendance issued by UNESCO-IHE.

Course content

Module 1: - Introduction to wetlands for water quality

1. General overview of the “Wetlands for Water Quality” module contents
2. History of and philosophy on the use of wetlands for water treatment
3. The UNESCO-IHE I-learning Environment
4. Homework WWQ-1 and WWQ-2
5. Meet the course coordinators
6. Welcome by Prof. Meganck, rector of UNESCO-IHE
7. Overview all assignments

Module 2 - Importance of wetlands

1. The value of wetlands
2. Ecology of tropical wetlands
2 - 1. Wetland Types
2 - 2. Types of Wetland Vegetation
2 - 3. Vegetation Dynamics
2 - 4. Functions and Benefits
3. Wetlands and climate
4. Assignment

Module 3 – Natural wetlands for water treatment

1. Basic principles
2. Case study Lake Victoria
3. Case study Nakivubo swamp
4. Assignment

Module 4 - Constructed wetlands for water treatment

1. Types of constructed wetlands and principles
2. Constructed wetlands for various types of wastewater, like municipal, domestic, agriculture, industry, runoff, and sludge dewatering and stabilisation
3. Design of constructed wetlands
4. Operation and maintenance of constructed wetlands
5. Constructed wetlands in Flanders (Belgium)
6. Case study constructed wetland on Texel Island
7. Economics and reuse

Module 5 - Final assignment

Make a design of a specific wetland

Additional information

To get further information on the course and/or on the starting dates, please contact the course coordinator Hans van Bruggen.