In the framework of the German African Partnership for Water and Sanitation (GAPWAS), German Water Partnership e.V. (GWP) and the African Water Association (AfWA) organized a two-day online course on standardization in the water sector with Rüdiger Heidebrecht, former Head of Training & International Cooperation at DWA (Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall e. V.) and now Senior Consultant for WorldSkills Germany. Nearly 180 water professionals from Africa, Europe and the Caribbean made the training an interactive and instructive exchange for all participants, highlighting the challenge of deriving locally adapted standards from regional or even international norms, as well as that of coordinating between legal, technical, health and safety, and performance, training and education standards.

BMZ, through sequa GmbH, is funding the GAPWAS project, which started in November 2019, as part of the Chamber and Association Partnership Program. In the first phase of the project duration of three years, AfWA is to be strengthened through various measures, trainings, consultations, technical exchanges, etc. and thus enabled to improve the water management situation in Africa.

The close linkage of the project with the Regional Forum Africa at GWP gives interested companies from the German water sector direct access to an Africa-wide network and thus a platform to present products and services, deepen cooperation and initiate business.

The next event planned is the fourth German-African technical exchange “Ask the Experts” on August 30 – this time on the topic of desalination. “Ask the Experts” is a series of events initiated by GAPWAS that aims to create long-term relationships and regular exchange of technical expertise and lessons learned between GWP and AfWA members. Key topics are identified for each session, on which German and African experts give joint presentations and present their own findings, case studies and research results. In the discussion that follows, participants have the opportunity to exchange ideas and seek advice from the presenters and other stakeholders.