„Network building and research in water and wastewater management at university level in South Africa and Germany “ (WATNET)
Project funding:
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Project duration: 05/2017 bis 04/2021
BUW- head of project:
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Londong
BUW- Project co-ordinator:
Dr.-Ing. Christian Springer
Project partner:
North-West-University - Potchefstroom Campus - Southafrica (NWU)
Project description
The aim of the proposed WATNET project is to promote and expand the joint research and research capacities in the field of “urban water resource management as part of an integrated and improved nutrient, energy and water management” between the Unit for Environmental Science and Management at North-West University (UESM), Potchefstroom and the Bauhaus-Institute for Infrastructure Solutions (b.is) at Bauhaus Universität Weimar. Within WATNET the necessary prerequisites for a sustainable and resilient water supply and sanitation system for informal settlements will be developed by combining innovative approaches with existing infrastructure. Decentralized concepts, such as container based sanitation (CBS) as a key part in an integrated sanitation concept will be explored. Hereby challenges regarding the implementation of alternative systems will be investigated and strategies and frameworks for a successful implementation will be outlined. An important goal is a balanced knowledge transfer and exchange between the two partners avoiding a dominant north-south flow.