Through international partnerships and together with its members, German Water Partnership e.V. (GWP) contributes to solving water management problems worldwide. With this objective in mind, GWP is involved in various grant-funded projects and actively utilizes one of its distinctive selling points in the German water association landscape: GWP builds bridges between science, industry and operators. As part of the Water Security in Africa (WASA) programme, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), GWP is involved as a partner in the WASANet network and transfer project.
The Water Security in Africa research program – WASA
In response to the consequences of climate change and the resulting challenges for the water supply in southern Africa, the German government, in cooperation with the African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW) and the Water Research Commission of South Africa (WRC), has launched the “Water Security in Africa” (WASA) research programme. Its aim is to promote research and education in German-African cooperation. In this context, particular attention will be paid to user proximity and industrial usability. WASA addresses three main topics: sustainable water resource management, water infrastructure and technology, and hydrological forecasting and management of extreme hydrological events.
After a 15-month pilot phase, the main phase of the program started on May 1st, 2024 with seven projects. As in the initial phase of WASA, there are numerous GWP members among the project participants in the main phase.
Further information can be found on the website of the research programme: watersecurityafrica.org.
WASANet – focus on network development and knowledge transfer
The consortium, consisting of renowned partners such as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), GWP, the AUDA-NEPAD Southern African Network of Water Centres of Excellence (SANWATCE) and the Stellenbosch University Water Institute (SUWI), combines expertise in water, climate and environmental research at global and African level. It has excellent networks in the water sector, both in Germany and in Southern Africa.
WASANet aims to facilitate and accelerate the utilization, integration and synthesis of the results of the funded WASA projects. It aims to build and expand awareness for the program in scientific, private and public circles in the African and German water sector. For this purpose, effective networks with the stakeholder groups are to be formed and strengthened. Furthermore, decision-makers in the water sector will be supported through effective communication of the innovative WASA services and technologies.
GWP will contribute to the consortium partners primarily in the areas of networking, science communication and political representation of interests in the German and African water sector.
In this way, WASANet contributes to the success of the WASA program and the seven research projects and thus also provides answers to the challenges in the water sector in the Southern African region. The cooperation and integration of research results offers the German water industry opportunities for water technologies in global markets.
Your contacts for the WASANet project at the GWP office are Marie-Louise Chagnaud and Rebekka Neef.