Tag Archive for: water

Water for life: a cross-cutting theme at 11WEEC

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Photo by @naja_bertolt_jensen Unsplash

Photo by @naja_bertolt_jensen Unsplash

Water quality and quantity are very crucial for sustaining life in many parts of the world. In arid and semi-arid zones, communities are suffering from water scarcity due to population growth, climate change and lack of technological development. Therefore, education for water conservation and reuse in an urban setting is very crucial for sustaining life in dry regions.

The cross-cutting theme “water for life” addresses issues of water reclamation using extensive technologies, which are suitable for low technology and suitable for direct application in an urban setting. The utilized technologies will also be suitable for the collection of stormwater. The workshop “water for life” will establish a group of educators and researchers interested in using the topic “water” to enhance the awareness and research in environmental education and will follow the group established in WEEC 2019 in Bangkok. The subtheme consists of two parts, the round table session (90 min) and the follow-up workshop (60 min). As an output of the workshop, a subgroup of water for life will be formed.

The Round table session focuses on sharing the experience with the following topics (not limited to):

– extensive technologies for wastewater and greywater treatment suitable for none-potable water reuse
– environmental education through water conservation and reuse
– water quality and natural water treatment processes
– case studies of water treatment and utilization for environmental education water cycle and the impact of human activities
– utilization of treated wastewater and stormwater for green city projects

Individual presenters are assigned to numbered tables in rooms where interested participants may gather for discussion with the presenter about his/her paper or project.

Short presentations (up to 15 min) are expected. These discussions will be held in English. All of the submissions will be reviewed.

More about this session and abstract submissions.

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Today, with the impact of the pandemic, sustainable solutions are a pressing and urgent need. If you have an innovative sustainability solution in the categories of Health, Food, Energy, Water or Global High Schools, apply to the #ZayedSustainabilityPrize.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize, an evolution of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, is the UAE’s pioneering global award in sustainability and a tribute to the legacy of the late founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Established in 2008, this annual award recognises and rewards the achievements of those who are driving impactful, innovative and inspiring sustainability solutions across five distinct categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water and Global High Schools.

Submissions are open until 6th May 2021. Here you can see the Zayed Sustainability Prize submissions portal

AMWAJ Forum 2020. Energy and water: challanges of the Mediterranean

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AMWAJ (A Mediterranean Water And Journalism) is a platform that is focused on tackling water scarcity and energy challenges while identifying young talent that help provide innovative game-changing solutions. AMWAJ is also a regional incubator and facilitator for sustainable development that encourages an exchange of ideas and knowledge.

Through partnerships with leading organizations across the Mediterranean region, it is positioned to act as a network of networks in the water and energy sector. It creates links between researchers, media experts, industry and institutions, believing in interdisciplinary collaboration, institutional cooperation and intercultural communication. These are the bases of a future Euro-Mediterranean community.

AMWAJ provides enabling conditions for media and researchers to connect, empowering a new generation of reporters, experts and decision-makers with the knowledge and skills to communicate accurately and effectively the value of water and energy in society and to constructively policy-making through articles, photo essays, videos, exhibitions, reports, events, training, and other multimedia material. It bridges the gap between science, policy-making and society and contributes to the development of new discourses in the domain of the environment to accelerate sustainable development around the Mediterranean region.

It organizes a bi-annual conference bringing together research, media and policy that brings together a movement of hundreds of young professional journalists, researchers and entrepreneurs from the shared geographic space of the 43 countries that comprise the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).

AMWAJ forum started under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Hassan of Jordan and PepsiCo MENA in 2016 and travsersed the Mediterranean in 2018 to Barcelona with the Government of Catalonia, the European Investment Bank and other partners.

The next edition of AMWAJ Forum ( co-organized by the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation LCEC in partnering with the World Energy Week) will be in Sin el-Fil, Beirut, from 7 – 9 October 2020.

The 2020 edition will catalyse knowledge exchange, promote technical discussions and strengthen partnerships and networks amongst the Mediterranean water, energy and sustainability communities. It will serve as a platform for media, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and civil society from around the Mediterranean to collaborate and exchange around these key regional topics. The forum’s ultimate objective is to communicate the value of water and energy in society accurately and effectively, while constructively influencing policy-making in these fields. All sessions will be moderated by Mediterranean journalists or representatives from communication offices.

 

MedArtSal, sustainable management of artisanal salinas in the Mediterranean

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Ready, set, go! MedArtSal kick is a project to promote sustainable management of artisanal salinas in the Mediterranean. The eight partners of the project MedArtSal – sustainable management model for Mediterranean Artisanal Salinas are gathering in Rome, on 18 January, for the kick off meeting of this initiative funded by the European Programme ENI CBC MED 2014-2020 with a total budget of € 3.2 million and an EU contribution of € 2.9 million (90%).
Artisanal salinas across the Mediterranean are today facing many pressures due to profound socio- economic changes that have affected productive activities. The MedArtSal project that is being launched in Rome, aims to promote the multifunctional use of the artisanal salinas to diversify socioeconomic activity generating revenues in terms of good quality salt production, but also by obtaining other products that can be commercialized, or by exploring their potential for tourism, while respecting the natural values of the sites. The project will address common challenges for artisanal salinas in four Mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, Lebanon and Tunisia), with 10 pilot actions for the development of new products/services in selected salinas and 2 demonstration projects on the diversification of salinas products (i.e. food and cosmetics) and services (i.e. HO.RE.CA) carried out in La Esperanza, Cádiz (Spain) and Sidi Al-Hani (Tunisia).
«Investing in artisanal salinas means preserving our cultural heritage and landscape, local development and biodiversity. The final aim is to develop a sustainable and adaptable management model fostering the territorial valorisation of artisanal salinas in the Mediterranean region» says Gaetano Zarlenga, General Manager at University Consortium for Industrial and Managerial Economics, (CUEIM), Italy. The main beneficiaries of this project will be artisanal salinas and salt producers, small and medium enterprises around these sites and local communities from the Mediterranean region.
The project has a duration of 3 years and is led by CUEIM – University Consortium for Industrial and Managerial Economics (Italy) and involves the following partners: Association for the Development of Rural Capacities (Lebanon), Fair Trade Lebanon (Lebanon), IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (Spain), Mediterranean Sea and Coast Foundation (Italy), Saida Society (Tunisia), University of Cádiz (Spain), and Tuniso-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Tunisia).
Contacts
Lourdes Lázaro, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (Lourdes.lazaro@iucn.org)

Week-long Training courses on ESD

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The time of year has arrived for the Erasmus+ KA1 applications. This year MEdIES offers three courses on 3 topics:

– Marine Litter Education. Sun 4 October – Sat 10 October 2020. The course aims to build trainees’ skills in delivering meaningful education interventions on the issue of marine litter, using experiential, learner-centered training methods.
– Animation in Education. Sun 8 November 2020 – Sat 14 November 2020 . This course is the product of collaborative work of the past six years. Since 2014 more than 250 formal and non-formal educators were trained on the use of short-video animation on ESD projects.
– Education for Alternative Water Resources. Sun 24 January – Sat 30 January 2021. The course aims to enhance the professional development of formal and non-formal educators on non-conventional water resources. It capitalizes on our 10-yr experience having trained ~5000 educators!

All courses are eligible for an EU ERASMUS+ KA1 grant to support the trainees’ participation coming from the EU. Deadline for Erasmus+ KA1 application: 05/02/2020.
Training courses on ESD themes for teachers and adult education staff 100% fundable by Erasmus plus KA1.

MEdIES runs week-long training courses on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for formal and non-formal educators from European countries and beyond.

The courses combine short theory sessions with many workshops, visits, hands-on, and co-creative group-work sessions. They all start from a common “core” instruction with the principles of ‘Education for Sustainable Development’, in light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), followed by a different focus-theme.
The indoor sessions are held in the premises of MIO-ECSDE, in the historical centre of Athens, while the outdoor sessions and visits take place in and around the city of Athens.

The tuition fee for the week-long training (for MIO-ECSDE / MEdIES) is 490 Euro. The total cost (tuition fee, travel, accommodation and subsistence), depending on the country of origin can range between 1300 and 1800 EURO. These costs are eligible to be 100% funded by the Erasmus+ programme, notably under Key Action 1 (KA1 – mobility projects for staff of school education and adult education).
Contacts at info@medies.net

Five steps to reduce your ecological footprint during the 10WEEC

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Food, water, waste, CO2 emissions, paper. What you can do to reduce your ecological footprint during the 10WEEC? Remember to adopt all the suggestions!

You can determine the carbon footprint of your flight and donate the amount necessary to offset to the environmental project The Laom Phak Bia Royal, an useful way to offer your contribution to a local project. Use the Carbon Emission Calculator that you will find in Bitec.

Bring your reusable bottle, you will find a dispenser with cool water!

We will donate the leftover food to local organisation, but you remember to use the separate bin for your waste and don’t use paper if you don’t need it, thank you.

Water conservation and reuse: a key to a sustainable education

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Water quality and quantity are very crucial for sustaining life in many parts of the world. In many parts of the world communities are suffering from water scarcity due to population growth, climate change and technological development.

Proposal for a round table session at 10WEEC by: Prof. Abidelfatah Nasser, Beitberl College of Education, Beitberl, Israel and WEEC Permanent Secretariat, WaterWeec Dept.

Presentation which will be discussed are in the area:

– Case studies to enhance the awareness and literacy
– Studies to determine level of awareness and attitudes
– Determine conception of the water cycle
– Studies to determine influence of intervention on changing the attitudes and awareness

Contacts: water@weecnetwork.org

Read here the Call Water proposal for roundtable session

Discover the panelists at 10WEEC: Robert Brian Shutes

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Robert Brian Shutes is Emeritus Professor of Ecotechnology at Middlesex University, London. He was Vice-Chair of the International Water Association (IWA) Specialist Group on ‘The use of Wetlands for Water Pollution Control’ (1996-2008).

He has been a consultant and partner on projects in Asia for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Union, UK and Singapore Government Departments and Agencies, and has organized and presented at workshops, seminars and conferences in Asian countries. He has also been a Visiting-Professor at universities in Asia.

His topic at 10WEEC: “Wetlands for Water Pollution Control: A multi-faceted paradigm for Environmental Education”.

Samira Benabdallah confirmed as keynote speaker at 10WEEC

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Samira Benabdallah (in the picture) biologist (microbiologist) for 20 years in the field of the water environment, is the Director of the Center for Environmental Education (CEE) of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environmentof (Morocco). Her goal is the protection and preservation of water quality. At the same time, she works extensively in the field of environmental protection at the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa.

The mission of the Foundation is the promotion of the protection of the environment and the improvement of the living environment. Through its approach, the Foundation raises awareness and educates all publics, and in particular the youngest, to sustainable development with the development of tools and educational resources needed, it mobilizes actors at different scales of intervention (territorial, regional, national and international), federates and networks the actors at the level of the territories of intervention and at the national level and finally forms and reinforces the capacities of the actors and the tools of sustainable management of the territories.

Today, after 18 years of its existence, the acquisition of important knowledge and know-how through the establishment of more than 20 innovative programs at the national level the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment has set up a center for environmental education (CEE), space dedicated to awareness, education, training all to sustainable development.
The Environmental Water Center’s ambition is to reinforce the transversal understanding of the issues related to environmental protection and sustainable development through capacity building, to create a network of excellence bringing together Moroccan and international leaders and to develop training content. of quality answering the existing problems and needs expressed.

The stakes of interaction: Coastal urbanization and marine protection

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The 7th WEEC will have room also for the sea.
All stakeholders engaged in EE focused on the sea are invited to attend the congress and to submit proposals. The 7th WEEC in Marrakech will be a special occasion to meet networks, institutions, researchers, local bodies, practitioners interested in EE for the marine environment protection and in coasts-sea relationships.
So, the 7th will collect many people concerned by marine issues and a special session will be organized about this theme, related to congress special focus (i.e. cities and countryside and the role of the EE).
Read here the contribution of the CPIE Côte Provençale – Atelier Bleu du Cap de l’Aigle.

People interested in the theme, involved or not in the event can contribute to an international project on the website