At UNESCO-IHE we are engaged with many partner universities and knowledge institutes, with whom we collaborate in education and research.

Research projects

I am lucky to be involved in several collaborative research projects with local and regional universities and institutions, the majority of which are located in Africa.

Tekeze (Ethiopia), Mzingwane (Zimbabwe) and Limpopo (Mozambique)

A4Labs – Arid African Alluvial Aquifers Labs securing water for development; a new farmer-centred action-oriented research project;
with Oxfam Novib, Acacia Water, Mekelle University, Dabane Trust, Oxfam Mozambique and other partners in Ethiopia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe; IHE Delft leads (DUPC2 funded; 2016-2019). See the A4Labs website. See also our new youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-jooLBWqXI  and our sandrivers.org website.

Irrigation package for sand rivers, a feasibility study in the Mozambican Limpopo Delta – IPSAR. This project is associated with the A4Labs project and initiated by Acacia Water, together with the Practica Foundation, Instituto Superior Politécnico de Gaza ISPG, Oxfam Mozambique and IHE Delft (PVO funded, 2018).

From the delta looking up…

In September 2018 we convened the high-level workshop entitled “From the delta looking up… Sharing lessons of downstream countries on transboundary water cooperation” held at the maritime MuZEEum, Vlissingen, The Netherlands. The outcome of this workshop was the Zeeland Call for Action; see https://www.un-ihe.org/news/sharing-lessons-downstream-countries-transboundary-water-cooperation

Water Peace and Security (Global)

The Water, Peace and Security Partnership – Enabling preventive action for water induced conflict is a pilot initiative to test whether it is possible to anticipate water-related human insecurity using and combining novel data and source. IHE Delft (leads), World Resources Institute WRI, Deltares, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies HCSS, Wetlands International and International Alert (DGIS funded, 2018-2019). See https://www.un-ihe.org/news/water-peace-and-security-partnership.

Incomati

IWACA-TECH – Improved water efficiency control based on advanced remote sensing technologies. This action research couples Mobile Model Predictive Control techniques with Advanced Remote Sensing to improve water productivity in large scale open canal irrigation systems – piloted in Xinavane Sugar Estate, Mozambique. VanderSat leads this action research, with Tongaat-Hulett, Mobile Water Management, Eduardo Mondlane University, TU Delft and IHE Delft (RVO funded). See IWACATECH.com.

Blue Nile

In Search of Sustainable Catchments and Basin-wide Solidarities; Transboundary Water Management of the Blue Nile River Basin;
with IWMI, Addis Ababa and Khartoum Universities and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NWO/WOTRO funded; 2008-2013). See: http://Blue-Nile-Hydrosolidarity.un-ihe.org

Mara

The Mara River basin is shared between Kenya and Tanzania, comprising the iconic Masai Mara and Serengeti natural reserves,  and flows into Lake Victoria; thus being a tributary river of the White Nile. We assist the Kenyan water authority WRMA to develop a Water Allocation Plan in the Kenyan part of the Mara River Basin, within the context of the Mau-Mara-Serengeti Sustainable Water Initiative MaMaSe, a programme in which the following partners collaborate:  WWF Kenya, Kenya Water Resource Management Authority WRMA, Egerton University, Masai Mara University, Alterra, ITC, SNV, GIZ and Deltares (see www.mamase.org).

With Jeremiah Kiptala of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology we recently acquired a grant from the European Space Agency ESA, under its Tiger initiative, for the development of a Dynamic Water Value Map in the Kenyan Mara (see http://www.itc.nl/tiger/phase2/research_project_403.asp). We will develop the dynamic water value map in the context of the MaMaSe project and Water Accounting.

Pangani

Upscaling small-scale land and water system innovations in dryland agro-ecosystems for sustainability and livelihood improvements;
with the University of Dar Es Salaam, Sokoine University of Agriculture, University of KwaZulu Natal, International Water Management Institute IWMI, Stockholm Resilience Centre and Delft University of Technology (UPaRF funded; 2009-2013); this is a follow-up to the Smallholder System Innovations in Integrated Watershed Management project (SSI) (WOTRO, Sida and DGIS funded).
See: http://ssi.un-ihe.org

Zambezi

Power2Flow: Hydropower-to-environment water transfers in the Zambezi basin; in collaboration with Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique, WaterNet in Southern Africa and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (UPaRF funded; 2009-2014). See: http://power-to-flow.un-ihe.org/

Pungwe

Water Planning Tools to Support Water Governance for ARA Centro, Mozambique, with FutureWater and Water Board Hunze en Aa’s (funded by Partners for Water, Netherlands, 2013-2014). See: http://www.futurewater.nl/uk/projects/water-planning-tools-to-support-water-governance/

Limpopo

Managing risk, mitigating drought and improving water productivity in the water scarce Limpopo Basin; implemented by WaterNet (CP17; CGIAR Challenge Programme for Water and Food; 2004-2009); see the research page of: www.waternetonline.org

Incomati

Risk-based operational water management for the Incomati River Basin – RISKOMAN; with Eduardo Mondlane University, Komati basin Water Authority KOBWA, University of Kwazulu-Natal (UPaRF funded; 2009-2014).
See: http://www.un-ihe.org/RISKOMAN

Capacity building projects

We collaborate with several universities and knowledge institutes to develop new postgraduate curricula. Here I list some collaborative projects I am involved in.

Mozambique

ZAMADZI – Capacity Development of the Agência de Desenvolvimento do Vale do Zambeze and seven educational institutions in complementary IWRM Education and Training; implemented with TU Delft (lead), Wageningen University, KIT and Eduardo Mondlane University (Nuffic funded; 2017-2020)

Introduction of Water & Sanitation curricula at the Escola Superior de Desenvolvimento Rural ESUDER of Eduardo Mondlane University; implemented with Delft University of Technology (lead) and IRC (Nuffic funded; 2011-2015)

South Africa

Capacity Building for Integrated Water Resources Management in South Africa; with Cape Peninsula University of Technology and University of the Western Cape; implemented with Wageningen University (lead), ITC, IRC and Pegasys (Nuffic funded; 2010-2014)

Ethiopia

Capacity building in Integrated River Basin Management for Higher Education Institutions to support emerging River Basin Organisations; with Addis Ababa University, Wageningen University, MetaMeta and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Nuffic funded; 2009-2012). See: http://www.universitywatersectorpartnership.org/

Mekong

Anticipating and resolving flood issues, differences and disputes in the Lower Mekong Basin – a capacity building programme for the Mekong River Commission (MRC funded; 2008-2009)

Ghana

Capacity Building for Sustainable Development of Water Resources and Environmental Sanitation in Ghana and the Sub-Region; with KNUST (Nuffic funded; 2005-2009)

Southern Africa

WaterNet – Human Capacity Building in IWRM (phases I, II and III; 1999-2016); see: www.waternetonline.org