National level Workshop on Appropriate Toilet Technology, Gramalaya, Tiruchirapalli, India

Indian NGO Gramalaya is organising a National level Workshop on Appropriate Toilet Technology from 9-11 May 2012 in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, with the support of Arghyam, Bangalore and UNICEF, Chennai. In this participatory workshop, field workers will be joined by engineers and sanitation experts to arrive at better toilet models for different topographical and hydro-geological conditions in India.

In 2007, Gramalaya set up a Centre for Toilet Technology and Training with funding from WaterPartners International (now Water.org), USA.

Read the workshop brochure here

Workshop: Developing Innovative Approaches to Environmental Water and Sanitation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Abbottabad, Pakistan, 2-4 March 2009

The workshop ‘Developing Innovative Approaches to Environmental Water and Sanitation in Afghanistan and Pakistan – Linking Applied Research, Capacity Building and Institution Building’, will be held in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on March 2nd-4th, 2009.

The workshop is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), and run jointly by the NORAGRIC – Department of International Environment and Development Studies at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Abbottabad.

The purpose of the workshop is to gather key researchers, implementers and policymakers working in WATSAN in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and see how they can move forward together in developing sustainable approaches and innovative technologies to challenges currently being faced in this sector.

Read the invitation letter here

For more information, please do respond here but contact:

Dr. Bahadar Nawab, Head of Department, Department of Development Studies, COMSATS Institute for Information Technology (CIIT), Abbottabad, Pakistan, bahadar [at] ciit.net.pk, +92-992-383591-7; +92-345-5854226

Dr. Gry Synnevaag, Head of Department, Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), Norway, gry.synnevag [at] umb.no

Governance in Urban Sanitation, e-Learning Course, 23 March – 15 May 2009

Please note that application deadline for this course is 06 Feb 2009

The goal of the course is to enhance the capacity of local decision-makers to make the most efficient and pro-poor choices and investments in urban sanitation. The course provides analytical tools to understand the financial and institutional framework of the sanitation sector, creating the ability to assess specific situations and make recommendations to design and implement financial and institutional reforms in the sector.

The first session of the course is primarily intended for candidates affiliated with organizations from Asia and the Pacific dedicated to training and capacity building in their country or region. They should have prior understanding of urban sanitation and/or environmental issues and possess a university degree in a relevant area.

The course consists of 4 modules:

• Module 1 – Introduction to Sanitation
• Module 2 – Economics, Pricing and Financing of the Sanitation Sector
• Module 3 – Institutional Aspects of the Sanitation Sector
• Module 4 – Sanitation and Poverty

The course is implemented by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in collaboration with the Programme “Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries” of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Sandec/EAWAG). The contents of the modules are based on the original materials jointly developed by UNITAR and Capacity Building International, Germany (InWent).

For more information and to register for this course go to the UNITAR web site or contact sanitation [at] unitar.org

National Workshop cum Brain Storming on Rainwater Harvesting and Reuse through Farm Ponds: Experiences, Issues and Strategies, 21-22 April 2009, Hyderabad, India

Organised and hosted by: Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA)

The objectives of the Workshop are:

• Sharing of experiences on water harvesting and reuse through farm ponds and related issues, among scientific institutions, Govt. departments, NGOs, civil society organizations and progressive farmers.
• Understand the biophysical, technological and social constraints in adoption and up-scaling.
• Identify critical research gaps and policy initiatives for wider adoption of farm pond technology in the country.

All the participants who attend the workshop are required to present their experiences.

Application deadline: 10 Feb 2009
Abstract deadline: 31 March 2009

For more information and to register go to the CRIDA web site.

Nepal: 10 schools selected for human value based water and sanitation education

The Ministry of Health, UN-HABITAT Water for Asian Cities Programme and Environment Conservation Camp (ECCA) have selected 10 schools of the Kathmandu Valley for piloting the Human Value-Based Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education (HVWSHE) programme. Based on the outcome of the pilot testing, the government will gradually adopt the education in the school curriculum.

[...] Staff from the Curriculum Development Centre (CDC), National Centre for Educational Development (NCED) and teachers from different schools in Kathmandu Valley participated in the orientation programme organized on 22nd and 23rd December in Lalitpur.

See a UN-HABITAT presentation by Andre Dzikus on HVWSHE here.

Source: NGO Forum, 28 Dec 2008

Specialized Course on Water Safety Plan, 16-19 March 2009, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Organised by: International Training Network (ITN) Centre of the Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)

WHO guidelines for drinking water quality advocates for the use of risk based approach to water safety, popularly
known as Water Safety Plans or WSPs. The WSP approach includes establishing health-based targets, implementation of water safety plans and undertaking independent surveillance.

This is a specialized course to impart knowledge and skills to address water quality problems in Bangladesh. The course is designed for water supply professionals engaged in drinking water supply systems with point sources (e.g. tubewell, PSF, RWH, Dugwells) in rural areas. The participants are required to be a graduate with some knowledge of microbiology. Professionals with practical work experience in water quality problems can attend the course.

Download course brochure here and registration form here.

For further information please contact:
Centre Manager, ITN-BUET
Civil Engineering Bldg. 3rd Floor
BUET, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Tel: 9663693; Fax: 9663695
E-mail:itnoffice@itn.buet.ac.bd

Training Course on Drinking Water Quality Management, 16-18 Dec 2008, New Delhi, India

Organised by: Development Alternatives

Course contents

A. Water quality monitoring

• Introduction to water quality monitoring and surveillance
• Field trip to Yamuna River for on site water quality analysis

B. Water quality management

• Introduction to Preventive and Remedial Measures
• Basic Water Purification Methods
• Advanced water treatment technologies
• Visit to water treatment plant-Wazirabad

Fee: INR 7,500 per participant

Application and payment deadline: 10 Dec 2008.

Contact: Bhavana Gadre, Manager-Training, New Delhi, India, Tel.: 011-26132718, email: bgadre@devalt.org

More information

Urban Rainwater Harvesting course, 17-21 Nov 2008, New Delhi, India

Organised by: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)

This course is open to civil engineers, architects, urban planners, environment consultants, municipal water managers, policy makers, government officials and NGOs interested in learning more about the theory, practice and policies of urban water harvesting.

The programme allows you to gain knowledge, acquire holistic perspectives and get hands-on practice in planning and designing urban water harvesting systems . It will help you to solve real-life water problems of today and give you the unique chance to meet and interact with experts and professional in the field of rainwater harvesting.

Registration deadline: 07 November 2008

For more information and registration details go to the CSE web site

Pakistan: PCRWR technicians training course launched

The 18th Technicians Training Course of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) was launched on [27 Oct 2008].  [...] Forty sub-engineers and technicians working in different water sector organisations of Federal Area, Punjab, Balochistan, NWFP and Fata are participating in this weeklong course. This [course] is one of the five components of PCRWR’s project ‘Provision of Safe Drinking Water’ under which the Council has, by now, given comprehensive training to over 800 personnel working in water related departments, providing them with the latest know-how about water quality monitoring and testing, water borne diseases, assessment of water supply schemes, disinfection/ treatment of polluted water, rainwater harvesting, and preservation, transportation and analysis of water samples for microbiological and chemical examinations, etc.

Source: The News, 28 Oct 2008

Sri Lanka: USAID assists local governments in sanitation management

United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Water and Drainage, and the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government have sponsored a national workshop in Sri Lanka to disseminate best practices in sanitation management.

[...]

USAID’s Environmental Cooperation-Asia (ECO-Asia) program, managed from Bangkok, is leading this effort in cooperation with local partners.

Source: ColomboPage, 02 Oct 2008