UNESCO-IHE and African Partners launch Eco-Technologies for Sustainable Development in Africa
PRESS RELEASE - 8 September 2004
UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, and prominent representative institutions from 14 African countries agreed on Thursday 29 July 2004, during a meeting in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, on the launch of a new programme on Eco-Technologies for Sustainable Development.
The project will bring together the efforts of Universities, sector institutions (specially those related to the Water Supply & Santiation and the agriculture sectors) and communities to develop and optimize Eco-technologies for sanitation and waste water treatment. UNESCO-IHE will play the role of programme coordinator. The PoWER project supports the development of this programme, by making available trained facilitators and by supporting initial activities of the programme (workshops, meetings, proposal development). PoWER is a network of autonomous collaborating centers in all regions of the developing world that aims to disseminate research into all aspects of sustainable water policies and environmental resources management. For more information on PoWER refer to ….provide website…
The beneficiaries will be municipalities, WS&S service providers, Ministries of Environment, Ministries of Agriculture and Ministries of Health and Social Welfare, Ministries for Water Affairs, Educational Institutions and NGO’s. The benefits of each stakeholder will differ from improved and cost effective services delivery for Water Supply and Sanitation (municipalities), improved cost recovery and sustainability (water companies), to improved research, training and education capacity in the WS&S sector (universities).
The programme will be implemented via projects. The first project phase will have a duration of five years. Phase 1 will start building stronger links between regional partners and phase two will focus in the implementation of wastewater management schemes, including the design and construction of full-scale treatment systems. The two phases will run partially in parallel. The estimated budget for the first phase of the initiative is 15 million euros.
Countries involved: Zimbabwe (University of Zimbabwe, Civil Engineering Department; LEAF; IWSD), Tanzania (UDSM), South Africa (WITS University, Environmental Engineering), Ghana (KNUST, Trend), Uganda (Makerere University), Kenya (Moi University, University of Nairobi), Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Rwanda/Burrundi, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Nigeria (University of Maiduguri). Botswana (IUCN, University), South Africa (University of Witswatersrand, Water Research Council)
UNESCO-IHE is actively engaged in both long- and short-term international co-operation projects i.e. partnership development and technical assistance programmes in with local partners and counterparts in different parts of the world.