Category: Mali

First visit to Mali in 2 years

In May the first visit of the Blue Deal Dji Don Mali team in 2 years was realised. The Dutch Embassy Bamako also joined the opening of the visit to local partner Agence National de Gestion des Stations d'Epuration du Mali (ANGESEM).

The team covered key themes including safety at work, maintenance plans and Phase 2 priorities based on the SWOT analysis conducted by Blue Deal. This enables the programme to identify where the Blue Deal will focus to contribute to improving wastewater quantity and quality management.

The mission solidified the partnership commitments of working together and there was a strong team spirit throughout the week.

Succesful exchange trip Mali and Burkina Faso

From 28th November to 2nd December, the Malian waste water operator (ANGESEM) visited the Burkinabe operator (ONEA) in Burkina Faso. During the working visit the partners exchanged challenges, approaches and opportunities for collaboration.

To develop ANGESEM’s knowledge of wastewater valorisation, the partners visited utility and household scale biodigesters to understand the transformation process. Read more here.

First wastewater-to-energy plant in Mali

The Blue Deal partnership in Mali facilitated a pre-feasibility study at a wastewater treatment plant. The goal of the study is to see if an existing wastewater treatment plant could be developed into the first energy-producing wastewater treatment plant in Mali.

Two men viewing a wastewater treatment plant in Mali
Visit to a wastewater treatment plant in Mali

The energy-producing wastewater treatment plant would be the first project of its kind in Mali. The project is being carried out with support from the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development and SNV.

More on the Blue Deal partnership in Mali

Lecture: solutions for complex water problems

The KIWI learning programme recently organised a lecture by professor Guy Alaerts about the unruly nature of international water management and solutions for complex water problems.

Water managers worldwide are looking for integrated solutions for complex water problems. Major investments are often required to become climate proof, but finding financing is difficult. Water managers and financial institutions do not know where to find each other and converting globally available financing into concrete projects on a large scale is difficult. Watch the lecture below. The lecture is in Dutch, but can be viewed with subtitles.

Blue Deal Annual plan 2021

The 2021 annual plan of the Blue Deal programme has been approved by the steering committee. The partnerships will continue their work in 2021 to improve water management in 14 countries.

Two men inspecting a waste water treatment plant.

The focus of the Blue Deal Annual plan 2021 is on three crucial elements: sufficient knowledge and skills, a well-functioning organisation and collaboration with key stakeholders.

Online learning

As COVID-19 continues into 2021, the Blue Deal partnerships focus on online learning and training in the first six months. This is not easy in all countries, for example due to slow internet connections or recently initiated partnerships. Therefore, the partnerships also focus on additional local representation. Dutch Water Authorities hopes to physically meet its partners again in the second half of 2021.

More on the Blue Deal