Video Blue Deal Peru wins NWB Award 2023

"And the winner is… Blue Deal Peru with their video on research into water for rice cultivation!" With these words, Luzette Kroon, board member International Affairs at the Association of Dutch Water Authorities, announced the winner of the NWB Award 2023 during the Dutch Water Authorities' Network Day on November 27.

The NWB Award, presented annually by the NWB Fund during the DWA Network Day, recognises the most inspiring video on international water management work. The NWB Fund, established by the NWB Bank (the bank for water authorities in the Netherlands), aims to invest in enhancing integrated water management elsewhere in the world. The victorious team stood proudly on the podium, and rightfully so. The winning team receives a cash prize of 5000 euros to invest in their project and eternal fame. Milagros Sosa, from the Blue Deal Peru, exclaimed, “This is so beautiful! Our partners in Peru will be thrilled.”

Nearly 1000 votes

This year, 9 videos were submitted by project teams from Asia, Africa, and South America. A professional jury comprising representatives from the NWB Fund, Blue Deal, and professional filmmakers selected a shortlist of 3 videos. The selection criteria included: Is it a compelling story that can be shared? What is the technical quality of the video? Does it align with this year’s theme of ‘smart collaboration with stakeholders’? Consequently, the videos from Peru, Burkina Faso, and Ethiopia stood a chance to win. A digital vote was then conducted to choose the winner. Both water experts and international partners were eligible to vote this time, and the turnout was significant: nearly 1000 votes were cast.

What is the movie about?

Using local research, the video shows an example of smart cooperation with a concrete goal of saving water in rice production in Piura, and therefore having a reduction of the water footprint in food production. The research shown in the video is the first initiative of a scholarship programme launched by Blue Deal Peru to support young researchers from local universities working on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) themes to achieve their professional titles. This video has been made by our Young Expert and the Piura technical team.

Intensive lobby?

Bert van Boggelen, director of the NWB Fund, asked partnership manager Kees de Jong if they had lobbied intensively. Kees replied matter-of-factly, “Simply shared the video.” Nonetheless, the enthusiasm in South America evidently prevailed. The research on water supply for rice cultivation has significantly impacted farmers in the Piura region in northern Peru, where rice cultivation is prevalent. More effective and efficient water management practices are now in place, crucial in times when water is becoming scarcer due to climate change.

Water is crucial for liveable earth

All entrants will receive a jury report along with an offer of feedback from a professional filmmaker. This is the NWB Fund’s effort to support the creation of increasingly better videos, a great medium to raise awareness of international water management work. These projects contribute significantly to climate adaptation. During the network day, climate general Tom Middelkoop was a guest speaker. In his presentation, he emphasised the impact of climate change on geopolitical relations and the necessity to enhance livability in severely affected regions. This is precisely what the water management projects aim to achieve, as water is crucial for a liveable earth.

Watch the videos

> Watch all 9 submitted videos

Work visit to North and South Ghana

From 4 to 11 November a Blue Deal work visit took place in Ghana. The Dutch team met with their Ghanaian partners in several parts of Ghana, both in the North and the South. We talked about the current projects, saw the progress during field visits, and made plans for 2024 and further on.

In Ghana the Dutch Blue Deal team works in the North in the White Volta Basin and in the South in the Lower Volta Delta on various projects concerning governance, reforestation, planning, water safety and water quality.

Transboundary collaboration with Burkina Faso

During the visit in November the team in the North of Ghana had several meetings about the governance structure of the water resources management. For example, a delegation of the Blue Deal Burkina Faso team also joined the Ghana visit and talked about transboundary collaboration. The purpose of this meeting was to explore how to enhance the transboundary cooperation between Ghana and Burkina Faso. Since Ghana and Burkina Faso share the same water basin, it is imperative to exchange knowledge and to adapt the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) plans to one another. It was decided that a plan will be made to achieve better and structural cooperation. The first action is to set up a monthly online meeting between Ghana and Burkina Faso.

Reforestation

Also in the North there was a field visit to the Bongo Reforestation project. This project is implemented by Tree Aid Ghana and funded by Trees for All. The proposal for funding for this project was supported and facilitated by the Blue Deal team and the Water Resources Commission. This is to rehabilitate degraded areas in the catchment of the Yaragatanga River which feeds the Vea Reservoir and protects the Buffer Zones of its tributaries. The Blue Deal team visited a reforestation site and spoke with the community members about the challenges they face in keeping the planted trees alive. Challenges mainly concern water shortage in the dry season and cattle and other livestock who eat the young trees. Fortunately, many trees that were planted 2 years ago have already grown taller than some of the tall Dutch Blue Deal members.

Flooding in the South

In the South of Ghana the recent flooding in the Lower Volta Delta had an effect on the programme for the visit in November. Major damage was done to the livelihoods around the Volta River, but fortunately no human lives were lost. Since the area is still flooded and local stakeholders are focussed on offering help to the local communities, many of the meetings took place in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. The Blue Deal team discussed the flooding with the Water Resources Commission and other relevant stakeholders, such as the involved Ministries, in relation to the current plans that we work on together. The saying ‘never waste a good crisis’ is tough, but during a crisis we often become resourceful and see opportunities that we would otherwise miss. This situation emphasises the need of better integrated water management and the set-up of a Delta program. During the visit in November important steps were taken to set-up the Delta programme and start with the pilot project of the Sand Motor, a nature-based solution that has to help against flooding from the sea.

Difficulties with dams

Next to this a part of the Dutch Blue Deal team in the South visited 2 dam sites, the Owabi Dam and Barakesi Dam, together with local stakeholders. Here we investigated whether or not a pre-feasibility study would be beneficial for 1 of these dams. On site, we discussed the problems the stakeholders are experiencing in regards to the dams themselves (structure) and the catchment of the reservoirs. For example for the Owabi Dam, there are serious worries about the safety of the dam and silting is a big issue. For the Barekesi Dam, mining and deforestation for agricultural purposes (encroachment) are the most pressing issues. Together with the Ghanaian partners the Dutch team will further explore for which dam Integrated Water Resources Management might be a good process to start solving the issues.

Update on Blue Deal partnership in the Palestinian Territories

Since 2019 the Blue Deal has a partnership with the water authorities in the West Bank, part of the Palestinian Territories, until 2030. We follow the current news with a heavy heart, as does everyone in the Netherlands and the rest of the world. The situation takes a huge toll on our Palestinian colleagues and we wish them strength in these difficult times. We will continue the partnership as good as we can, because water is crucial, especially now.

People looking at 2 BluElephant units

In September 2022, 3 wastewater recycling units, or ‘BluElephants’, were officially launched in Salfeet and Halhul in the West Bank in the Palestinian Territories. Thanks to these purification units, wastewater can be treated without the immediate need for people on site. The devices can be read, monitored and operated remotely. If these units were not there, Palestinian colleagues would have to go to the locations of the wastewater treatment plants, which is very difficult in the current situation. In 2023, a regional laboratory for (waste)water analysis and for digitizing a broad range of (waste)water infrastructure was opened. This laboratory supports sound water services in a more remote way.

Although our Palestinian colleagues in the West Bank are very limited in leaving their homes for safety reasons, we continue to maintain daily digital contact with them. They have indicated that they are highly motivated to keep continuing the exchange of experiences with each other on a technical level. We can only admire their strength and perseverance. Our Dutch colleagues can serve as a sounding board, for example in safeguarding (waste)water services more remotely.

Do you want to read more about how the Blue Deal partnership with the Palestinian Territories can continue? Read the blog from World Waternet.

Second work visit to Peru for Blue Deal Phase 2

From 10 to 22 September, a Blue Deal work visit took place in Lima, Piura and Tumbes. This included a high-level meeting and making plans for 2024.

High-level meeting

The journey started with an official high-level meeting and presentation to the Vice-minister of Agriculture and Irrigation and the Director of the National Water Authority. Kees de Jong and Milagros Sosa, from the Dutch water authority Noorderzijlvest (partnership’s leader), presented the achievements and outcomes of Phase 1 and the projections of Phase 2.

Also technical observations were given to the preventive measures being implemented by the government to mitigate the effects of the El Niño climate phenomenon in the north. El Niño is expected from December onwards, with similar strength as in 2017. The Viceminister invited Blue Deal Peru together with the Dutch Embassy in Lima for a second briefing before finishing the visit.

Planning for 2024

In the regions, the visit focused on project management tasks: 2024 year planning, reviewing commitments and assessing budget execution. In 2024 we plan: implementation actions of the plans for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), wastewater treatment plants, issues of Water Councils’ representation, scholarships funded by the partnership for young researchers from local universities, water quality and transboundary IWRM, social inclusion and water culture.

During the work visit we discussed climate adaptation and feasibility aspects for carbon credit projects focusing on reforestation and conservation. The technical teams analysed and organised visits to the floods’ prevention works currently implemented in the areas.

Saving water in rice cultivation

The delegation also visited the fieldwork sites of one young researcher working on water saving in rice cultivation. The Director of the National Agrarian Institute (INIA-Piura) highlighted: “This research is very relevant for the watershed. We need to carry out these tests in other areas and show the results to the water users.” This research is a cooperation between INIA, University of Piura and the Water User Associations.

All in all, this work visit served to position the partnership at high authority levels, review the project commitments and define the main activities for 2024.

Meeting of Blue Deal and World Bank in Romania

The Blue Deal partnership Romania works with the World Bank to improve financing for water management in Romania. To this end, a digital and physical meeting with stakeholders took place from September 27 until September 29 in Bucharest.

A very interesting report drawn up by the World Bank with the best European practices for financing water management was discussed. During the meeting, Dutch Water Authorities advocated full cost recovery of Romanian water management. Of course, many other topics were discussed as well during these 3 days. Check the agenda to get an idea.

The Royal visit to South Africa: a personal account

Zamafuze (Zama) Ngcobo is a Young Expert Professional (YEP) of the Blue Deal partnership in South Africa, with a background as a geohydrologist. As a Yepper she mainly does project management. And on October 18, she got to show the Dutch king and queen around in her project in Blesbokspuit. Zama: “I never thought I would do something like this.”

Zama (right) together with the king (left)

When did you hear about the royal visit?

“At first I was told there was going to be a high-level visit. I didn’t know who it was going to be. And then in August I heard I would be showing the king and queen around.”

“It was very nerve-wracking. There was so much preparation that went into it. Everybody stressed the importance of this visit.” She laughs: “And then they told me to relax…”

“It really took a full two months of getting everything as perfect as possible, and the whole event itself was only 45 minutes. But we could really see the importance of making a good impression. If your project gains the attention of important people, it really helps to get people into action, rejuvenate the project, get things done.”

> Read more about what was shown during the visit

What were the king and queen like?

“During the preparation for the visit, I asked for a briefing about how to act around the king and queen. Do I shake hands, do I curtsy? With the Dutch king and queen it turned out to be just a simple handshake. And they were quite friendly, all smiles.”

“I thought it would be more of a presentation with me doing most of the talking, but they jumped right in, asking questions. The king especially, with his background in water management, asked some really hard questions. But I was happy with this, it showed their engagement. I started to relax, because it really turned into a conversation. They asked about what we were struggling with and how we worked around it. And we spoke about different sorts of solutions, the effects of the mining in the area, and if we would be able to completely remove the water hyacinth.”

> Read more about the project

Were you happy with the results of the visit?

“Sometimes with a project, you need to get assistance from the top. High-level events like this put a spotlight on the project and really help to get attention from the right people. Now, things are already set in motion thanks to this visit. It also really helped that the South African Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr Edward Senzo Mchunu, and the Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni, Mr. Sivuyile Ngodwana, were present during the visit. The Minister really helped to push things forward for the future. There have already been many plans and meetings since the visit.”

“I would really recommend the project managers of other Blue Deal partnerships to see if there are any possibilities for high level visits. If you hear that a Minister or somebody else is visiting the area that you are working in, try to get them to visit your project. Not only does it help to move the project further, but it is also important for acknowledgement. Our work is really difficult and it can be so tiring, so it is nice to get the recognition from high level people.”

“I am really happy we got the message across and my colleagues were pleased with how I represented the project. It was a bit of a blur in the moment, but afterwards I realised: wow, I really did do that.”

Working on drought in Romania

From the 2nd to the 6th of October, there was a meeting in Romania for the Blue Deal project Tackling Drought Romania (Southwest Romania). So, we are going to tackle the drought issue. But what exactly is drought? And when a project works on the drought problem, what do we mean precisely? Whose problem is it? And what can we do about it?

Watermelon (Pepene Verde) as cultural heritage

In Oltenia, drought primarily means there is insufficient water for agricultural purposes. And a significant agricultural product in Oltenia is the watermelon. The Dabuleni watermelon is a piece of cultural heritage in itself. So, transitioning to another – less drought-sensitive – agricultural product is not straightforward. The agricultural research institute in Dabuleni has developed a large number of alternative agricultural products, such as the Jujube, a small apple, but their application in the region is not automatic.

Deterioration of the irrigation system

A second challenge is the deterioration of the irrigation system that was established over 50 years ago, extracting water from the Danube. 62% of this irrigation system is no longer in use, and therefore, some farmers have switched to using groundwater. Restoring the irrigation system requires substantial investments, but a subsidy application from Europe was rejected. The reason being that the system is considered unsustainable. This is because the water is now pumped about 150 meters, resulting in significant water leakage and, of course, high energy costs. It must, therefore, be made sustainable.

Climate change

The third challenge is climate change. In Oltenia, this means a lower river flow from the Jiu River. It has also become warmer, and there is less direct rainfall on the land. The desertification in the region is often solely attributed to climate change, but it is questionable whether that is accurate. The Danube riverbed has been reduced, causing a large part of the former floodplain to no longer be submerged, resulting in drying up. This cannot be easily reversed given the functions now established in this area.

Lack of effective collaboration

Fourth, there is a lack of effective collaboration among the partners in the region. It’s mainly every man for himself, which means that joint solutions are not sought or are insufficiently explored. This is a legacy from the past when farmers were compelled to work together.

Groundwater issues

Fifth, the groundwater level is declining. This is related to the deterioration of the old irrigation system, prompting farmers to seek alternatives for irrigation. Part of the groundwater extraction is monitored through a permitting system, but the monitoring system is not yet fully comprehensive. Moreover, households (without permits) can have their own wells with limited capacity, and there is inadequate oversight of the actual water quantity extracted from these sources. A consequence of the low groundwater level is the declining quality of the soil for agricultural purposes.

What’s next?

First and foremost, it is necessary to restore the Sadova-Corabia irrigation system. This is not under the responsibility of the Ministry of Water (Apele Romane). The total area of the Sadova-Corabia irrigation system is 80,000 ha. Because there are no major investments possible, several investment requests are being processed through the Ministry of Agriculture (ANIF). It seems that this will be successful, but the 2024 elections in Romania can change everything.

Connection between rivers

In the northern part of the pilot area, we are focusing on strengthening the connection between the Jiet River and the Jiu River. By widening and deepening the Jiet in combination with creating polders and retention basins, more water can be retained upstream. This water can sustain the northern irrigation area. Pumping from the Danube is not realistic for the northern sub-area, given the required sustainability and the demands investors have for such projects.

Consequences of groundwater extraction

Secondly, it needs to become clear what the consequences of groundwater extraction are. Therefore, we are working on mapping the water balance in the pilot area. For this purpose, we have held discussions with the National Hydrological Institute of Romania. They possess the necessary data. From the Ministry of Water, the requested dataset is seen as the standard for monitoring drought in Romania.

Restoring the source

We are also focusing on a small pilot project to restore a source area. This primarily involves the restoration of watercourses from that source area to the plots of the research institute in Dabuleni. We are also trying to involve other stakeholders to increase knowledge about and the use of institutional cooperation agreements.

In Bucharest, the project team has made agreements for the project’s continuation. Teams have been formed to focus on the work packages.

Naturally improving waste water processing in Adama, Ethiopia

The city of Adama, like many other cities in Ethiopia, suffers from poor sanitation in the 'condominiums'. The Blue Deal partnership in the area is contributes to a Nature-Based Solution: constructed wetlands. So far, the partnership has created 2 wetlands in Shashemene and is now working on a new wetland in Adama. Read all about the project and watch a movie in which residents speak about what the wetlands mean to them.

The condominiums are construction projects with which the government is trying to accommodate the increasing group of people moving to the cities. These condominiums are not connected to the sewer network; the waste water is collected in septic tanks that are buried around the houses. These tanks must be emptied regularly by suction trucks so that they do not overflow.

However, the condominiums are often inhabited by Ethiopians who do not have much money. They often cannot afford the costs of having their septic tanks emptied. In practice, this causes the tanks to regularly overflow. Sewage flows between the houses – where children play – and leaks into nature and nearby lakes. The residents suffer from odours, health problems and see their environment deteriorate.

Plants and stones purify the waste water

There is a great need for a solution to this problem. Connecting these condominiums to the sewer network is a long-term process, and in the meantime, residents and the surrounding area have daily concerns due to the overflowing tanks. The Blue Deal partnership for Waste water in the cities of Shashemene, Adama and Hawassa, together with the NWB fund, contributes to a Nature Based Solution: constructed wetlands. Within such a constructed wetland, a septic tank is still used to collect ‘solid waste’, but the rest of the waste water flows through to a container in which a combination of specific local plants, stones and gravel is used to purify the waste water.

Watering crops or flushing toilets

After purification, this water cannot be drunk, but it does have other uses. The Blue Deal partnership helps monitor water quality so that it becomes clear what the water can be used for. This includes watering crops (at the root) or flushing toilets.

This way of collecting and purifying water ensures that the polluted water does not end up in nature. Another benefit is that wetlands are micro-ecosystems that increase biodiversity. They attract insects and birds, and also provide a cooler and greener environment in the middle of the hot city.

The benefits are diverse

In April, the team that will be working in Adama went to look at these wetlands. We spoke to residents of the condominiums in question about their experiences with the wetlands: what went well and what can be improved during the construction of the wetland in Adama? Both the residents of the condominiums and the municipality were very pleased with the effects of the constructed wetlands. These are:

  • Financial: The costs of emptying the septic tank in the past were high. After creating the wetlands, the tanks need to be emptied much less often. In addition, one of the plant species in the wetland (napier grass) can be harvested by residents to sell as animal feed.
  • Social: The problems of the overflowing septic tanks (odors, diseases) affected not only the residents of the condominiums themselves, but also those living in the lower areas where the dirty water flowed. Conflicts regularly arose about this. Since the wetlands were created, this no longer occurs.
  • Physical: Children used to play in the sewage from the overflowing tanks, which of course posed health risks. One of the interviewees says: “When I got my child, I knew I needed to leave this unhealthy place. Now, with the constructed wetland, I really don’t want to leave anymore.” A woman with asthma who had to leave her home because the bad air aggravated her illness was also able to return.
  • Environment: The wetlands not only make the environment cleaner, but also more beautiful and cooler. This is also contributed to by the fact that the money from the napier grass can be invested in improving the living environment: One of the interviewees says: “When I look out my window, I see beautiful flowers, which makes me so happy.”

Creating more wetlands

All these advantages ensure that the municipality, the water company and the residents of various condominiums in Adama are also very keen to get started with their own wetlands. With the support of the Blue Deal and the NWB fund, we are now working hard to realize this.

Work Visit to Blue Dragon Vietnam

The second half of September marked another work visit for the Blue Dragon partnership in Vietnam. This included a training week and the strengthening of the ties with several partners.

Meeting at the People Committee Can Tho

The visit began with a training week for our partners’ staff on Flood Risk Management, conducted by experts from the Dutch water authorities of Hollands Noorderkwartier, Vallei en Veluwe, and an employee from Rijkswaterstaat (former Vallei en Veluwe employee). The focus was primarily on the importance of dike inspections and how to carry them out in practice. This was put into action during the field trip.

Diplomatic relations

In addition, in the context of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands, a tree-planting event, supported by the Blue Dragon programme, was attended. The tree-planting event took place near Can Tho, one of our partners. Trees were planted on the banks of the Mekong River by attendees and students to combat erosion. The Vice-Chairman of the People Committee Can Tho and Consul General Daniel Stork of the consulate in Ho Chi Minh City were also present at the event.

Vice director DARD Can Tho (left) together with one of the Dutch members of the Blue Deal at the tree-planting event

Unified vision

Furthermore, the work visit was used for a meeting with the Dutch Embassy to ensure alignment and a unified vision of the Dutch government’s activities in Vietnam. The Dutch Embassy also assisted in a meeting with the Ministry of Construction.

Commitment for the coming years

We also held discussions with the People Committees of our partners to strengthen commitment to the programme for the coming years. It was evident that attending the Blue Deal Congress last June had a significantly positive impact on the commitment. Partners now have a better understanding of the entire Blue Deal, why the Netherlands is involved, what is happening in other partnerships, and the shared challenges.

Blue Deal broadcasted on Vietnamese TV

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that, to our surprise, we made it to Vietnamese TV twice during this work visit! A news report was made in Kien Giang Province about the training we conducted there. And in Can Tho, the tree-planting event was covered on television.

Dutch King and Queen visit Blue Deal South Africa

His Majesty the King of the Netherlands and Her Majesty Queen Máxima were proudly received at the Blesbokspruit wetland in South Africa on October 18, in the presence of South African Minister Mchunu (water and sanitation). The visit to this Blue Deal project is the first part of their 3-day state visit to South Africa.

The wetland suffers from poor water quality, caused by the water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic plant. The King and Queen are enthusiastic about the creative solutions that South African and Dutch water authorities are jointly investigating to combat water hyacinth. This is done in the context of the Blue Deal, the international programme of Dutch Water Authorities and the Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Infrastructure and Water Management.

Fleas combat the water hyacinth

During the tour, the royal couple saw how the water hyacinth is removed. This is not only done by hand and with machines. Researchers are experimenting here with biological control. Natural enemies of the water hyacinth play the leading role: fleas from South America. King Willem-Alexander visited the greenhouse where the fleas are grown. And watched as these were deployed on the water hyacinth.

Entrepreneurs use water hyacinth a raw material

In the meantime, Queen Máxima spoke with a local entrepreneur, who uses the dried water hyacinth to weave baskets and other useful products and sell them. The woman also trains others in weaving and entrepreneurship. This initiative really appealed to the Queen. Also, water hyacinth is not only used for weaving products. Applications on a larger scale also seem promising, for example as a raw material for briquettes or geotextiles.

Young water professionals and students help out

There is still a lot to discover and learn within the Blesbokspruit project. The Blue Deal makes grateful use of the innovative ideas of students with a passion for water from the international Wetskills programme. These students come from all over the world. Their goal: finding innovative solutions to water management challenges in a changing world. In Blesbokspruit, a Wetskills participant presented her ideas to the King.

Challenges to learn from, experiences to share

Sharing knowledge and experiences with each other is what the water authorities do in the Blue Deal programme. The Blesbokspruit project is a good example of this. This is not just about solving an isolated problem. Water managers pool their expertise and share the results, also with other regions with similar problems. The Blue Deal programme has partnerships in 15 countries. The goal: improve access to clean, sufficient and safe water for 20 million people worldwide.

Two-way street

By exchanging knowledge, the Dutch water authorities also learn a lot from partnerships with other countries. For example, just like South Africa, the Netherlands has to deal with invasive exotic species. In addition, the water authorities can learn a lot about drought, with which South Africa already has a lot of experience.

> Read an interview with Zama, who showed the King and Queen around

> Read more about the Blue Deal partnership in South Africa