Uniting young water professionals and students across the globe
25-09-24
Fourteen countries, thousands of water related challenges, but one clear solution: collaboration. For Danida fellows and Danish students, successful water management hinges on working together across borders, sectors and their individual expertise.
By Elena Adamo
On 21 August 2024, at Låsby Kro in the country town of Låsby around 200 kilometers from the Danish capital, Copenhagen, 44 water professionals and students from 13 countries were working on a case study focused on three key areas: groundwater, water distribution and wastewater management. They had been participating in the Advanced Water Cycle Management Summer School, a two-week highly intensive programme, since 11 August.
Among the participants were 23 Danida fellows—young water professionals from both the private and public sectors, representing ministries and water organisations from seven countries that partner with Denmark through the Strategic Sector Cooperation. This year, these countries included Ghana, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, and Morocco.
The Danida fellows were working alongside Danish students and other junior water officers in mixed groups, learning how to solve problems by drawing on each other’s skills and experiences. They found that cooperation across national and cultural boundaries was key to addressing global water issues.
“Students bring fresh perspectives and new ideas. Meanwhile, professionals from different countries bring a good theoretical background and share the specific challenges they face in their regions,” says Anand Mohan, administrative service officer at TamilNadu Water Supply in India.
There may not be a single one-size-fit-all way to manage the many different water disciplines, but one thing is certain: collaboration is crucial. You can hear more from the participants about their experiences and insights in the videos below.
Mr Anand Mohan, India
Ms Emma Støvring, Denmark
A water collective network is behind the summer school
The Advanced Water Cycle Management Summer School was organised primarily by the private sector in collaboration with the Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology (WATEC). Read more HERE. A consortium of Danish private and public sector water companies and institutions supported the participants throughout their journey, documenting their progress and sharing their stories. These were WATEC – the Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology in close collaboration with AVK, Grundfos, Kamstrup, NIRAS, Water Valley Denmark, IGIS, DHI, CLEAN, Aarhus University’s School of Engineering and the water utility, Aarhus Vand.
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