At its annual conference, GWP discussed the role of the German water industry in promoting sustainable water solutions to tackle global challenges.
WASANet – A project for the networking of research, industry and operators in Southern Africa
As part of the Water Security in Africa (WASA) programme, which is funded by the BMBF, GWP is involved as a partner in the WASANet network and transfer project.
Water solutions for Ukraine: GWP at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024
On behalf of GWP, Managing Director Boris Greifeneder took part in the conference with high-ranking government representatives from all over the world.
#WaterWiseEU: Water resilience in focus at the European Green Week in Brussels
The Brussels Conference of the European Green Week on May 29 and 30, 2024 was also the starting point for the #WaterWiseEu campaign.
German Water Partnership elects Ingo Hannemann as new Chairman of the Board
The Executive Board of GWP elected Ingo Hannemann, Technical Managing Director of HAMBURG WASSER, as the association's new Chairman.
A Strong Network: German Water Partnership at IFAT Munich 2024
The GWP joint booth offered an important forum for presenting its own services and products, for personal encounters and for expanding international contacts.
Challenges and solutions for urban water resilience: insights from the IFAT Blue Stage Panel
Experts from various fields discussed the biggest challenges and shared their experiences and solutions.
Guest article: AfWASA at IFAT Munich 2024
Innovation and partnerships are transforming Africa’s water supply and sanitation sector
A guest article by Micheline Lawson
[translated from French.]IFAT 2024, the most important industry gathering for innovators and professionals from the water sector, provided a dynamic platform for the African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA). In Munich, AfWASA was able to successfully demonstrate how cooperation and innovative technologies are catalyzing change in the African water and sanitation sector.
One of the cornerstones of the success of our IFAT presence this year was our partnership with German Water Partnership e.V. (GWP). The effective collaboration between our organizations not only enabled the important participation of our delegations, but also paved the way for even more impactful initiatives in the future. Olivier Gosso, Managing Director of AfWASA, reaffirmed our commitment: “Our collaboration with GWP is a prime example of what we can achieve together. We are already planning to expand our collaboration to include more joint events and programs that will benefit our members and the global water and wastewater community.”
IFAT Munich 2024 – a starting point for further joint projects
This shared vision for the future includes joint events that evaluate not only technological advances, but also best practices and new adaptation strategies that are critical to addressing the specific challenges facing Africa.
These initiatives will not only strengthen existing capacities, but also open up new avenues for international cooperation, research and knowledge exchange, which are crucial for the further progress of the sector.
Moussa Seck, Director of Member Services at AfWASA, emphasizes the vital importance of synergies between the association’s members. During IFAT 2024, these contacts have reached a new dimension and offer valuable opportunities for partnerships, capacity building and professional development.
Mitgliedschaft der AfWASA bildet Diversität des Sektors ab
Moussa Seck points out: “The diversity of our members, ranging from local technicians to national decision-makers, enriches our network. Events like IFAT offer our members the opportunity to make international contacts, discover innovations that can be applied in practice and work together on forward-looking projects. Our mission is to maximize this interaction to strengthen skills at all levels and accelerate progress at both individual and collective levels.”
AfWASA plans to further expand these interactions through Ask The Expert-webinars and other networking events that focus on selected areas that have been pre-identified as critical by our members. These initiatives are designed to not only provide capacity development, but also open up avenues for collaboration on joint projects that will benefit the entire water and sanitation sector in Africa.
The AWASA – Skilled worker development in the African water sector
Siméon Kenfack, Program Director at AfWASA, explains: “There are promising prospects for strengthening the skills of our members through these collaborative platforms, which are catalysts for professional development and mutual success in the industry. The AWASA Academy is born out of the need to fill skills gaps in our industry. Through this platform, we offer cutting-edge training, certification and coaching sessions led by international experts. Our aim is to prepare African professionals to effectively address current and future challenges in the water and sanitation sector.”
The Academy also builds on strategic partnerships – such as the one with German Water Partnership – to enrich its curriculum and gain access to global resources. The Academy’s programs are inclusive. Its topics range from technological innovations to sustainable management of water resources and effective wastewater management strategies.
In addition, continuous cooperation with educational institutions and industry partners enables AfWASA to keep the AWASA Academy curriculum up to date in terms of technology and professional standards. Siméon Kenfack adds: “We plan to further expand our reach by continuing our scholarship programs and integrating online learning modules to make our programs accessible to a greater number of professionals across the continent.”
The initiative is therefore not only a driver for the competitiveness of African skilled workers, but also an important engine for the transformation and modernization of water supply and wastewater disposal on the African continent.
IFAT – a great success
The members of the AfWASA delegation at IFAT were particularly inspired by this experience. El Hadji Diallo, a delegate, reports: “Seeing the technologies in action and being able to speak directly with their developers opens up new perspectives for the application in our projects in Africa. We can see how important it is to have support at an event like IFAT. Together with AfWASA, we have made preparations to ensure that we meet the right people and avoid wasting time and energy at these large events with thousands of exhibitors.”
IFAT 2024 has not only strengthened AfWASA’s position as a leading organization in the water and sanitation sector, but has also paved the way for innovations that can transform the water and sanitation sector on the African continent. AfWASA members return home with increased knowledge and are ready to apply it locally to positively impact their communities. The future looks promising, with new opportunities for collaboration and significant innovation on the horizon.
If you are interested in the Africa region or the association partnership with AfWASA, please take part in the activities of the Regional Forum Africa or contact Marie-Louise Chagnaud at the GWP office.
GWP and AfWASA strengthen their cooperation at IFAT Munich 2024
In view of population growth and urbanization, Africa’s growing economy presents both challenges and opportunities for the water-, wastewater- and circular economy. Against this background, German Water Partnership e.V. (GWP) was pleased to welcome its long-standing partner association African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA) again at the GWP joint booth at IFAT Munich from May 13-17, 2024.
Common activities, common concerns
The joint appearance of the two associations at the world’s leading trade fair for environmental technologies went even further, as two delegations were organized to promote exchange between African and German stakeholders in the sector.
Participants included stakeholders from the two partnership projects African-German Training Initiative in Water and Sanitation (AGTIWAS) and German-African Partnership for Water and Sanitation (GAPWAS) from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Mali, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire.
The delegation program had numerous highlights in store, with the guided booth visits, various events, receptions and excursions focusing on exchanging ideas and building relationships with GWP members. In addition to technical issues of climate-resilient drinking water supply and wastewater disposal, the focus of interest was on structural challenges of innovation management and the training of skilled workers, especially young and female talent for specialist, management and top positions. AfWASA and GWP also organized two dialogue events in the IFAT framework programme.
On the Blue Stage, the progress made in establishing an African Water and Sanitation Academy (AWASA) was discussed. “The intensive cooperation in the project across so many different countries to create a structure that supports the African water and sanitation sector in the long term in the further training of its specialists is unique,” explained panelist Dr.-Ing. Manuel Krauß, Head of the Africa Regional Forum at GWP and Head of International Cooperation at FiW – Research Institute for Water Management and Climate Future at RWTH Aachen University, the project of the two associations. In line with the pan-African approach, the panel was made up of representatives from various African countries. Dr. Siméon Kenfack, AfWASA, Dr. Rose Kaggwa, National Water and Sewerage Corporation Uganda (NWSC), Amos Shyaka Kazora, Water and Sanitation Corporation Rwanda (WASAC), Dr. Papa Samba Diop, Office Nationale de l’Assainissement du Senegal (ONAS), and Abdoulaye Diop, Eau du Senegal (SEN’EAU) contributed their expertise.
The second session on the Blue Stage was dedicated to the promotion of women and youth. Fatim-Hélène Traoré, representative of AfWASA’s Young Water Professionals, is convinced: “We need a qualified generation of women and young workers to achieve the implementation of SDG6.” This also became clear in the exchange on stage and in many subsequent conversations at the trade fair.
Impact and future prospects
When asked how he would summarize his impressions, Amos Kazora says: “At IFAT, you could feel the rhythm of water and wastewater technologies, as well as get an insight into the mindset and realities of the global market.” GWP and AfWASA will continue to carry this rhythm into their projects and activities in order to keep their finger on the pulse and jointly develop sustainable solutions for pressing issues in the sector.
You can read about AfWASA’s experience at IFAT Munich 2024 in a guest article by Micheline Lawson, Events and Marketing Manager at AfWASA.
If you are interested in the association partnership with AfWASA or the activities of the Regional Section Africa, please contact Marie-Louise Chagnaud at the GWP office. If you are interested in the development of AWASA and the partner Africa project AGTIWAS, please contact Larika Waldmann.
The role of water as a resource in the production of green hydrogen
Water plays a crucial role in the production of green hydrogen. The members of German Water Partnership e.V. (GWP) already offer innovative solutions from Germany to tackle the global challenges in this area. GWP is addressing this important topic by putting it on the agenda of its work within the committees.
During IFAT Munich 2024 from May 13-17, GWP drew attention to the connection between water and green hydrogen in two sessions in the Spotlight Area Hydrogen.
Water treatment for hydrogen production
“Water is the main medium in hydrogen production, and efficient water treatment that is suitable for the respective process is essential for the operation and longevity of the electrolysers. GWP members have extensive expertise and experience in this area,” says Dr. Gerd Sagawe, member of the GWP Board of Directors and board spokesman for hydrogen. In the presentation on the role of water in hydrogen production, which Sagawe gave together with Edwin Locker, CEO of Herco Wassertechnik GmbH, and Dr. Daniel Frank, DECHEMA e.V., the interested audience received important information on water requirements, water quality and production processes.
Water and hydrogen – the process chain
In the second session, Holger Paffen, EnviroChemie GmbH, and Dr. Daniel Frank provided comprehensive insights into the entire process chain associated with the use of hydrogen from water. The focus here was on the technical, logistical and ecological considerations associated with such ventures. The audience was thus given a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with water-based hydrogen production. In addition, they were informed about new technologies and best practices that are driving this field forward.
We would like to thank all the speakers and look forward to further discussions.
Are you interested in the topic of hydrogen or would you like to find out more about this exciting and highly relevant topic? We provide information on this in the Industrial Water Management and Water and Energy working groups or on our website. If you have any questions, GWP board member and working group leader Dr.-Ing. Gerd Sagawe and your contact at the GWP office Julia Egel will be happy to answer them.
