From June 12 to 14, the WISA conference took place in Durban, South Africa. This 3-day water management event for Southern Africa had the theme 'Turning the Tide'. A significant moment during the conference was the official launch of water authorities for South Africa, called Catchment Management Agencies (CMAs).
Over the past years, the Blue Deal shared its experiences related to water resource management tasks, which contributed to the establishment of CMAs in South Africa. Marion Wierda, CEO of Blue Deal South Africa, played a crucial role alongside the South African minister and other dignitaries during this inaugural event. We also spoke about the 750-year history of the water authorities in the Netherlands.
Previously, CMA responsibilities in South Africa were scattered across provinces and ministries. By creating these water authorities, we emphasise the importance of clean, sufficient and safe water. CMAs enable local, responsible management of water-related challenges. Together, we’re working towards resilient water management.
During the conference, the Blue Deal also achieved the following:
We conducted workshops on Blue Deal collaborations, including a workshop on ‘Women in Water’, in partnership with the World Water Academy.
We participated in the Wetskills competition. Our Blue Deal team presented a case study, and 4 students from around the world delivered their final presentations during WISA.
We managed a joint booth with the Department of Water and Sanitation, where we connected with stakeholders during breaks.
We held meetings and established agreements with the Dutch ambassador and the Minister of Water and Sanitation in South Africa (joint Steering Committee).
From June 8 to June 16, 11 partners from the 4 local Blue Deal partners of Java, Indonesia, visited the Netherlands. In addition to knowledge sharing, we paid significant attention to strengthening the cooperation among the various Indonesian partners and the regions.
The Dutch team organised a comprehensive programme, featuring a mix of presentations and field visits to the Dutch water authorities of Schieland and Krimpenerwaard, Aa and Maas, Delfland, and Hollands Noorderkwartier.
Learning from each other on climate adaptation
On Monday, June 10, the delegation visited the research institute Deltares, to discuss the relationship between land subsidence and coastal erosion. Subsequently, the delegation went to The Green Village, a field lab centre for innovation, to observe innovative developments in climate adaptation. Climate change is a crucial theme where we can learn a lot from each other, as Indonesia has been dealing with heavy rainfall and significant flooding for much longer.
Water management in hill areas
Tuesday, June 11, focused on water management in hill areas. Topics included area processes (stakeholder involvement) for the spatial integration of water management. The delegation was surprised by the extensive water storage capacity and the absence of pumping stations.
Webinar: challenges and solutions from Indonesia
On Wednesday, June 12, a webinar was organised at the Dutch water authority Delfland. A total of 46 participants from various water authorities registered. During the webinar, our Indonesian partners provided insights into their challenges and search for solutions. The impact of waterlogging was made tangible through visual materials (photos and videos), emphasising the importance of our cooperation.
Following the webinar, there was a visit to the water level management control room, and the afternoon focused on chemical and ecological water quality.
Nature-based solutions
In the north of the Netherlands, the last 2 days focused on coastal protection with a visit to the Hondsbossche Sea Defence, where coastal protection and nature development go hand in hand. Additionally, a water purification plant with a large helophyte filter, a nature-based solution, was visited on Texel. We concluded the week with a teambuilding activity at the beach of Camperduin.
From June 9 until June 22, a team from Blue Deal Peru went on the second work visit for 2024. The team spoke with local water authorities about many topics and organised workshops. We also saw the results of our scholarship programme.
The team started the journey with having a meeting with the board of directors of the National Water Authority (ANA) in Lima. We shared and coordinated themes of common interest, such as water and climate adaptation, and the strengthening of the water councils’ work.
Visit to Tumbes
We also visited our 2 Blue Deal regions: Tumbes and Piura to work with our regional partners. In Tumbes, we spoke with the Water Resources Council Tumbes and its technical team about the urgent needs of their employees, and about the key role of having better communication among themselves and a long-term strategy. We also visited the Governor of Tumbes for an update on our project in the region.
Sedimentation of the 2 main rivers in the mangrove areas was also a topic for discussion, sharing concerns and ideas to deal with this situation that threatens the mangrove environment. We met and talked with representatives from the local government, university and civil society organisations about water management, water quality and water harvesting contribution to reforestation processes. Our Young Expert shared her experiences at the World Water Forum in Indonesia and we ended our visit in Tumbes selecting the new Young Expert who will work with the local and Dutch team from 2024 to 2026.
Visit to Piura
In Piura, we also met with representatives of the Water Resources Council Chira-Piura and its technical team. Discussions included strengthening the water council and cooperation on flood control and urban drainage plans in Piura with the National Infrastructure Authority. Carlo van Oijen from Wageningen University and intern at the Dutch water authority Noorderzijlvest presented his research results on flood risk reduction in the Piura river basin. Another Dutch colleague, Jelle Agema, visited forest plantations as part of a feasibility study on water management and carbon credits funded by NWB Fund. He was impressed by the large forest and the communities’ conservation activities. As part of this study we held a workshop given by Farm Tree to the technical team and AIDER, the organisation that will carry out the study. Additionally, we discussed the objectives and target group for a training on operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants in Piura.
First results of scholarship programme
We are pleased to see the first results of our scholarship programme: support to university students to get their professional titles on water management. The first student got her professional title with a thesis on ecosystem services graded with outstanding marks. The second student is done with her field research on water saving on rice production. Her results are now being validated amongst the local organisations.
In Lima, we learned about the work of the ANA’s on transboundary water management with Ecuador, which also influences Piura and Tumbes. We also shared ideas with the colleagues on water management, water culture, participation and social inclusion. Overall, we look back at a very productive work visit and look forward to continuing the work with our partners.
4 Dutch water authorities work together in a unique WaterWorX (WWX) project by integrating IWRM4WASH in the Mindu Dam Catchment Area, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Overview of the Mindu Dam in Tanzania
The 4 Dutch water authorities are World Waternet, Rivierenland, Brabantse Delta and Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier.
What is WaterWorX?
WaterWorX (WWX) is the international programme in which all Dutch drinking water companies have joined forces to contribute to a sustainable drinking water management worldwide. This programme is similar to the Blue Deal programme, in which all Dutch water authorities have combined their efforts to improve access to clean, sufficient and safe water worldwide.
Long-term resilience
By integrating IWRM4WASH in the Mindu Dam Catchment Area, Morogoro, Tanzania, the programme can create a climate-proof system that ensures sustainable water management, improved WASH services, and increased resilience to climate change. This holistic approach not only addresses immediate water and sanitation needs but also builds long-term resilience for the community and the environment.
Improving water supply throughout the year
The Mindu dam provides more than 75% of the water supply in Morogoro. Due to rapid population growth, deforestation in surrounding mountains, and climate change, less water and more sand from the rivers end up in the dam, which has reduced the capacity of the dam. By taking measures in the catchment area in combination with improving the dam, the water supply should improve throughout the year.
Blueprint for entire catchment area
With additional funding from the NWB Fund and the Climate Adaptation Fund, the WWX partnership in Morogoro is able to start a pilot with nature-based solutions at one of the tributary rivers of the Mindu Dam. The idea is that this pilot will be a blueprint for the other 4 rivers to the dam and eventually for the entire catchment area.
Valuable insights for other programmes
The pilot consists of the realisation of a Training and Demonstration Centre at Ngeregere River, where work in progress can be viewed, compared and discussed by stakeholders in the area. The aim is to ensure the effective implementation and success of nature-based solutions. Interventions are, among other things, agroforestry, a tree nursery, farmer training, beekeeping and check dams in the adjacent river. These interventions have been assessed by the joint development of a decision-support tool. The development of this Farmtree tool with key focus on Agroforestry interventions was supported by the NWB Fund. Both the tool and the proposed pilots may provide valuable insights for other Blue Deal and WaterWorX programsmes.
Demonstration, monitoring and working together
As an international Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) team, the team works on the basis of the principles of demonstrating, monitoring and working together:
Demonstration: seeing is believing. We are going to show in practice how different nature-based solutions can be applied. We show and experience for example the agroforestry systems we developed with the help of the FarmTree tool®.
Monitoring: to measure is to know. A participatory monitoring framework (PMF) is developed supported and managed by the local community to provide insights into the performance of the different interventions. In this way, the effects can be substantiated to help improve the practice.
Working together: we are working on a strong network of stakeholders. Our common dream is an ecosystem of passionate people that finds each other.
In May, there were no less than 3 work visits for Blue Deal Eswatini. On management, financing, and stakeholder management.
In Eswatini, water is becoming an increasingly vital resource. Climate change and a growing population demand careful management of surface and groundwater for agriculture (food security), drinking water, and energy.
Management Development trajectory
As part of the Management Development trajectory, a work visit was undertaken where one-on-one work was conducted between the Netherlands and Eswatini at the management and executive level with our direct partner organisation, the JRBA PB. Valuable steps were also taken with both the departing and the newly appointed board members.
Financing water management
During a work visit that focussed on financing, discussions were held on the successes, opportunities, and challenges of attracting external funds for the effective decentralisation of water management in the country.
Stakeholder management
During the third work visit, all key stakeholders in water management in Eswatini were consulted about their roles, tasks, and responsibilities, as there is confusion and associated tension due to overlaps and gaps. This is also aimed at bridging the current period during which the Water Act is being revised. Our aim is to work together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy to develop better coordination and governance, ensuring that access to water for everyone in Eswatini is guaranteed in the future.
From May 27 to June 7, Wetskills Water Challenge took place in Cartagena, Colombia. Colombian partners of the Blue Deal programme InspirAgua provided 2 interesting cases that young water professionals worked on. 6 of these young talents participate through InspirAgua. Programme manager Ellen Bollen: “With Wetskills we get a fresh look at water issues in Colombia. It is a great opportunity for young professionals to gain international experience. So it’s a win-win!”
Wetskills is a programme that brings together young people from all over the world. They spend 2 weeks searching for creative solutions to water problems in a changing world. Every year, Wetskills are held in a number of countries across the continents. 3 candidates from Dutch Water Authorities and 3 candidates from the Colombian Corporaciones Autónomas Regionales (CARs), among others, got to work on the issues.
Water availability and water as a engine for socio-economic growth
The CARs Cdmb and Cundinamarca provided 2 of the 3 cases on behalf of InspirAgua. One case was about the unpredictable droughts in the Tona River: How can we create flexible water availability there? The other case was about the Río Frío microbasin: How can we use water sustainably as an engine for socio-economic growth?
2 countries, similar challenges
Margriet and Menno, participants of Wetskills: “Wetskills was an unforgettable experience for us. We learned a lot about water management in Cartagena and Colombia in general and the consequences of climate change on the water sector. Although at first glance the differences seem large between the Netherlands and Colombia, we have discovered that we encounter the same problems in both countries, large and small. The problems just manifest themselves slightly differently. This, in combination with working in multicultural teams, has made us look at our daily work at home with different eyes and new appreciation.”
They continue: “The theme of our case was ‘How to address the growing demand for water in the Tona River micro basin, with increasing drought periods due to climate change and variability?’ We came up with 3 solutions: 1) implementing an automated monitoring system, 2) nature-based solutions to store more water in the system, and 3) monitoring groundwater supplies. To become close with a group in a new environment in such a short time is very special, and we are grateful to have been a part of it.”
Different approaches
Daniel, another participant: “Wetskills enables meeting and collaboration between young Colombians from different regions and the Netherlands, with water as a common theme. A rich experience. During this meeting we had the opportunity to meet different people and cultures, exchange new experiences, and learn about different views on the use and management of water resources. In developing the cases, we learned new concepts related to water, as well as different approaches to the problems related to water in different contexts and territories. In my personal case, I learned about the concept of water footprint, the different types of water footprint that exist, the global need to be aware of the water footprint caused by different activities, and the different measures that can be taken to mitigate the water footprint.”
The results were presented on June 7 at the Acodal international conference Water, Sanitation, Environment and Renewable Energy in Cartagena.
In a bid to tackle climate change and its global impacts, the Paramount chief of the Bongo Traditional Area in the Upper East Region in Ghana, Naba Salifu Atamale Lemyarim, appointed 25 environmental chiefs. The event was organised by Water Resources Commission together with the Blue Deal Ghana.
A tree planting nursery in Ghana for the Blue Deal
The environmental chiefs have been tasked with the responsibility to sensitise people within their catchment areas on the dangers of tree felling, and also to encourage the planting of more trees.
Failed measures and the need for conservation
The coordinator for Blue Deal Ghana, Jaap Bos, highlighted the urgency of the situation, attributing current weather patterns in the Northern, Upper East and North East Regions in Ghana to failed measures. He also stressed the need for conservation efforts, including forest reserves and tree planting.
Unsustainable harvesting of shea and dawadawa trees
The board chairman for White Volta Basin, Dr. Sylvester Darko, commended the chiefs for accepting the challenge in the fight to save the environment. He warned of the changing cultural, economic, social, and political practices influenced by climate change. He also emphasised the detrimental effects on economic activities, such as the unsustainable harvesting of shea and dawadawa trees for charcoal production, which adversely impacts the environment negatively.
“As we all know climate variability has come to stay with us and its effect has been felt especially on our cash trees. The dawadawa and shea trees do not produce fruits as well as before. It’s high time we institute measures in our communities to tackle the situation”, he added.
Traditional authorities to combat climate change
The environmental chiefs concept began in November 2023, when the Blue Deal team engaged traditional authorities in the Bongo Traditional Area on the need to build governance structures to combat climate change. The Blue Deal suggested that the traditional authority should be given the power to sanction and lead their communities towards a safe environment.
This article has been reposted from GBC Ghana. Read the complete article.
In the third week of May, the Economic Mechanism project group from the Blue Deal partnership Romania was welcomed to the beautiful city of Leiden.
Host of the 2024 session in the Netherlands was the Dutch water authority Rijnland. Especially for the occasion, Rijnland facilitated their meeting facilities in the city centre of Leiden, in a building, which is hundreds of years old. A place that breathes history, which was very much appreciated by both the Dutch and the Romanian delegation.
Finances and asset management
After the action points of last meeting in Targu Mures had been discussed, the programme for the week really kicked off with a presentation by Hans Nederend from the Dutch water authority Rijnland. Mister Nederend elaborated on the financing of investments and how capital costs are covered from the annual budget. Following, asset manager Koen Mooij from Rijnland, gave a presentation on asset management and how this is used within the water authority Rijnland.
Project with the World Bank
One of the main topics in each meeting of the Economic Mechanism Romania group is a project the Romanian water authority (NARW) has with the World Bank. The goal of this project is to achieve sustainable financing of the economic mechanism in Romania. This means that the income of NARW is to be improved by 20 percent by imposing a higher levy. Mirela Ciucur, Head of NARW Economic Mechanism, gave an update on the progress of the project during the meeting. After working several years with the World Bank, an advice from the World Bank is now completed. In the advice, 4 scenarios have been prepared. 1 or 2 of the presented options are to be chosen by NARW in order to implement in the economic mechanism. In July of this year, a meeting between the World Bank and the European Commission on the bill will take place. In September of this year, the approval of the new law for improving the economic mechanism is scheduled.
Visit to the NWB Bank
The first day of meetings ended with one of the highlights of the week, which was a visit to the NWB Bank in the Hague, the bank voor the Dutch water authorities. Even for the Dutch participants this visit proved to be an eye-opener. Although being familiar with the bank, most participants underestimated the magnitude of NWB. A nice presentation was given by NWB and there was plenty of time for all relevant questions to be asked.
Stakeholder management through Golden Circle Theory
The second day kicked off with an interactive session, guided by Marcel de Ruijter, a Dutch member of the Blue Deal team for Romania. The session was about stakeholder management, which is a crucial subject for getting the World Bank advice approved. The session was based on the so called ‘Golden Circle Theory’. A number of questions had to be answered by all the participants, after which the outcomes were shared and discussed among the group. For NARW, it is crucial to approach stakeholders such as the Ministry of Finance, Environment, and associations of municipalities.
AI in water management
After the session on stakeholder management, the Romanian delegation had arranged an online presentation on AI-powered automation in water management. George Roth and Andrej Nagy (external consultants responsible for AI in the public sector in Romania) gave a presentation on AI based on ‘The UIPath Platform where automation turns AI’s promise into real-world impact’. After the presentation, it was agreed upon that a practical example is to be worked on for the next work visit.
The use of KPI’s to monitor and improve performance
The next work visit is to take place in October 2024 in Timisoara, Romania. As a teaser for this visit, a presentation on the involved water authority (Banat) was given by Veronica Caxi (Economic Director at Banat). During the next work visit, we will discuss the use of KPI’s in order to monitor and improve performance. During our last meeting in Leiden, we also talked about this topic. For this meeting, a group of 4 experts from the World Bank joined online.
Apart from the various presentations and discussions, there were also a number of field trips, among which a fantastic guided boat trip from the municipality Katwijk to Leiden with its various canals. Altogether, the participants look back on what was again a fruitful and inspiring week.
As part of the KIWI programme (learning programme for the Blue Deal), Tom Overgaauw has been exploring 'Windows of Opportunity' for climate adaptation in the Western Cape of South Africa. These are opportunities that currently present themselves to tackle the negative impacts of climate change. He wrote a blog about his findings.
Over the past year, I have been working on creating a ‘Climate Scan’ for the area. This concise scan aims to map the effects of climate change and identify the major risks. It serves as the basis for the search for the Windows of Opportunity.
The problem: working in silos
The Climate Scan has now been completed, and interesting conclusions have been drawn. We shared the results with various organisations. Notable findings from the climate scan include the large amount of available information and plans. High ambitions have been formulated, and many organisations have developed plans. However, very little seems to actually get off the ground. The biggest problem we identified, is working in so-called silos. Governments and companies are insufficiently aware of each other’s plans, and successful collaborations rarely happen. Nevertheless, everyone recognises that collaboration is ‘key’ to solving climate problems.
This problem is quite familiar to us in the Netherlands as well, as we often say we need to collaborate better. This conclusion forms the first ‘Window of Opportunity’. So both the Dutch and the South Africans can both contribute and learn a lot. South Africa, also known as the Rainbow Nation, is a country with a great mix of ethnicities and cultural differences, making successful collaborations extra challenging. Success stories can serve as a inspiration for the Netherlands.
Drought and rainfall
Another conclusion concerns water availability. Often when we think of South Africa’s weather, we think of drought. This is indeed a problem, but despite this image, there is quite a lot of rainfall in this part of Africa. In some areas, almost twice as much as in the Netherlands annually. The biggest problem does not seem to be the availability of water, but rather the distribution. Especially with the growing population and the increasing water demand, smart ways need to be devised to always have sufficient water available. This is something we also struggle with in the Netherlands. How do we ensure sufficient water in dry times while also having enough space for water in wet times?
Decision support system for fair water distribution
With these 2 opportunities in mind, we increasingly delved into methods to achieve smart and collaborative water management solutions, ways to collaborate across borders. The key, we believe, could lie in a decision support system that, based on data, helps to achieve fairer water distribution among different parties throughout the seasons. Through a feasibility study, we investigated whether this concept is promising to pursue further. Various parties responded enthusiastically. We also immediately investigated what the needs are within this system and which are most urgent, for example, prediction of droughts or early warnings for floods or wildfires. We are now trying to turn this into a project.
2 Young Experts (Yeppers) Aurora Mija and Edin Dávila from Blue Deal Peru participated in the 10th World Water Forum in Indonesia. Mija was also as representative of the World Youth Parliament for Water, after being selected from 650 young professionals worldwide.
Aurora Mija presenting during a session
Mija and Dávila work as Yeppers for the Blue Deal at the Water Resource Councils of the National Water Authority ANA in Piura and Tumbes.
The 2 young professionals shared Blue Deal initiatives on water governance, climate adaptation and social inclusion in 4 sessions at the forum. They discussed the importance of including local communities in decision-making, the alignment between water systems conservation and carbon credits generation for boosting local economies. They also talked about the exchange of experiences on transboundary water management between and the advantage of information systems that are locally generated for decision-making.
The information and inspiration they received during the forum will be shared with the Peruvian colleagues in their regions and the Blue Deal teams.
