International Training Programme on Wastewater Management and Solar Energy - 1st day report

On the first day of the International Training Programme on Wastewater Management and Solar Energy, organized by ICPE and co-sponsored by the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), the Acting Director General of ICPE, Mr. Janez Podobnik, warmly welcomed the participants. ADG also presented the history of ICPE, ICPE’s successful past and current activities as well as the postgraduate MBA programme in cooperation with the Faculty of Economics of University of Ljubljana.

Then the participants listened to the lecture of Dr. Danijel Vrhovšek, founder of LIMNOS, Company for Applied Ecology Ltd. Dr. Vrhovšek presented Ecoremediation or ERM – a method for stabilization or for removing pollutants from contaminated sediments, soil and wastewater. It is based on the idea of self-purification, a natural process and ability of water to rid itself of pollutants, with the help of plants.

With ERM being at the heart of every project of LIMNOS, Dr. Vrhovšek presented two innovative solutions to wastewater management, LIMNOWET and LIMNOS. The first is a constructed wetland (CW) and therefore an ecological solution for the treatment of wastewater (from households or industry) by aquatic plants, as Dr. Vrhovšek explained to the participants and the latter is an innovative rehabilitation method of landfill sites, approved in accordance with legislation. Due to their long-term, sustainability, efficiency, cost moderation and landscape attractiveness, this method is becoming more and more popular in Slovenia as well as the world.

Dr. Vrhovšek concluded the lecture by asking the participants to think of ERM as a bridge between man and nature, to always turn to nature and see how it resolved the problem, as well as to remember the importance of teaching children about the environment.

The participants concluded their first day with a field trip to the Central Wastewater Plant, Domžale – Kamnik, where Dr. Meta Levstek presented the two-stage biological treatment plant designed to remove carbon components from wastewater.

One week International Training Programme on Wastewater Management and Solar Energy

ICPE is organizing an International Training Programme on Wastewater Management and Solar Energy, which will be held between 10 - 15 February 2014 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, European Union.

The one-week training programme is co-sponsored by the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).

The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) is the development finance institution established by the Member States of OPEC in 1976 as a collective channel of aid to the developing countries. OFID works in cooperation with developing country partners and the international donor community to stimulate economic growth and alleviate poverty in all disadvantaged regions of the world. It does this by providing financing to build essential infrastructure, strengthen social services delivery and promote productivity, competitiveness and trade. OFID’s work is people-centered, focusing on projects that meet basic needs - such as food, energy, clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education – with the aim of encouraging self-reliance and inspiring hope for the future.

Stable access to clean water and energy at affordable prices is the part of basic needs of all. Despite this, even fast economic expansion and advancement of education and technology does not ensure that these needs are met in many countries. On one hand, inappropriate or absent wastewater management deteriorates drinking water sources and natural environment and endangers human health. While on the other, environmentally and economically unsustainable usage of traditional resources for energy production, limited access to the electricity in remote and rural areas, and underexplored available renewable resources creates significant threat to sustain economic growth and rising living standards of the population. As a result, drinking water and access to electricity became one of the major problems in the Africa and Middle East region. Countries in extreme need are Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Sudan and Burkina Faso. This impedes development in economic, social and environmental perspective. In addition, the fact that the population is expected to double from about 300 million now to approximately 500 million in 2025 has put a significant burden on the existing infrastructure.

Therefore, the major objectives of the programme are, firstly, to introduce and provide relevant information about the new approach to the wastewater management, and, secondly, to present and share Slovenian experience as well as the world best practices in the field of solar energy. Moreover, the programme aims to reach specific goals as followed:

1. Familiarize the participants with development of new technology and concrete solutions of the wastewater treatments;
2. Enhance appropriate usage of water and energy resources which will contribute to the wealth of local communities;
3. Raise the awareness towards the environment, both in dealing with wastewater management and solar energy and energy efficiency;
4. Introduce with the concept of solar energy and its possible usage for variety of purposes;
5. Present technological and technical solutions for solar energy that are used in Slovenia and have already been implemented in other regions worldwide;
6. Analyse the required legislative framework as a solid base for enhancement of solar energy projects implementation and their usage as a source of clean energy;
7. Establish partnership with participants, programme co-partners, namely, OFID, ICPE as well as counterparts in Slovenia for knowledge transfer and future cooperation; and
8. 8. Encourage partnership and networking among participants in terms of exchanging information and transfer of knowledge.