Many urban planners in developing countries are turning to their (urban) groundwater resources as a water supply source because the available surface water is very polluted, and groundwater is seen as a reliable and easily accessible substitute.

However, whilst groundwater sources are being tapped for water supply, the soil is at the same time used as a filtering medium for excreta and greywater disposal, without a thorough understanding of the relevant soil-groundwater interactions.

This course addresses basic hydrogeology knowledge tailor-made to the needs of those involved in providing water supply or sanitation in urban areas in developing countries.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this course, the participants will:

appreciate the dangers associated with unsustainable groundwater exploitation and urban groundwater pollution;
have fundamental knowledge on urban groundwater pollution from conventional sanitation, contaminant transport and interactions between surface and groundwater;
be able to apply technical and managerial solutions for groundwater quality (and quantity) protection, and carry out sustainable groundwater management (e.g. by adopting an ecological sanitation approach).

Target group

The course is designed for mid-career professionals who work in developing countries or countries in transition, and deal with planning, policy development, design, and management of urban water supply, groundwater exploitations schemes and sanitation provision. Participants are typically employed by municipalities, government departments, consulting firms, NGOs, universities or aid agencies.

Course structure

Participants complete the course in part-time, distance learning mode over a period of 16 weeks with a total workload of 140 hours (equivalent to 3 weeks full-time). They spend about 8 hours per week on this course by reading, listening to voice recordings, watching video clips, participating in asynchronous discussions, obtaining advice or guidance from the teacher and working on assignments. After successful completion, participants will receive a certificate issued by UNESCO-IHE.

Course content

Subject	Units	Duration
1. Introduction to urban groundwater pollution	Introduction to the course; Overview and scale of urban groundwater pollution; Urban groundwater use; Historical developments of the science; Challenges for urban groundwater; Basic definitions and the hydrological cycle.	2 weeks
2. Introduction to hydrogeology	Rocks and groundwater; Groundwater movement; Water balance concept; Groundwater recharge.	4 weeks
3. Urban groundwater pollution processes	Sources and types of pollution; Transport of pollutants; Anorganic hydrochemistry related to urban groundwater pollution; Emerging organic micropollutants; Microbiological groundwater pollution.	4 weeks
4. Case studies	Sanaa (Yemen); Kampala (Uganda).	2 weeks
5. Approaches to urban groundwater protection Urban groundwater management and protection; Aquifer vulnerability and water quality monitoring networks; Ecological sanitation for excreta management;	Ecological sanitation for greywater management; Urban water demand management measures.	4 weeks

Additional information

For more information please contact the course coordinator Jan-Willem Foppen.