Expected start date:

2016/07/01

Expected end date:

2019/06/30

Institute:

UNU-FLORES

Project Status:

Closed

Project Type:

Research

Project Manager :

Hiroshan Hettiarachchi

Wastewater irrigation is perhaps the most prominent, example of the safe-use potential of wastewater. On a global scale, over 20 million hectares of agricultural land are irrigated using wastewater. Developing countries and countries in transition need clear institutional arrangements and skilled human resources to address the technical, institutional, and policy challenges related to safe use of wastewater in agriculture (SUWA). In line with the institutional mandate to advance the Nexus Approach to managing water, soil, and waste, UNU-FLORES continues to develop new projects to address abovementioned needs.

This project specifically addresses the individual as well as institutional capacity development needs of SUWA. The project was first initiated as a response to a request received from a UN Member State in Asia – The Islamic Republic of Iran. The National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company (the main government entity responsible for wastewater management in Iran) together with its partners requested assistance in co-organizing a workshop to train key government officials responsible for wastewater management in the country. To address this request, UNU-FLORES recognised the need for knowledge sharing products. Thus, as part of the project two publications will be developed. The first publication is a translation of Safe Use of Wastewater in Agriculture: Good Practise Examples(2016, UNU-FLORES). The key project partner in Iran will translate the book to Persian. A translation will not only be useful for knowledge sharing in Iran, but also in other Persian-speaking regions, such of Azerbaijan and Afghanistan. The second publication is aimed at capturing the knowledge and expertise brought to the Workshop held in Tehran for further knowledge sharing activities. To this end a book will be developed to facilitate the development of such training programs in other countries and regions. 

The project was later expanded address similar issues in Africa (Tunisia) and Latin America (Mexico, Colombia)