Wetskills-Jordan 2023

Case 1: Sponge City Irbid

Case owner: World Waternet

Jordan faces a severe water crisis due to limited rainfall; mean annual rainfall is only 107 mm of which 75% falls during winter. In Irbid, in the North of Jordan, World Waternet has a Water Operators Partnership with Yarmouk Water Company, the drinking water and waste water company. For this case we want to find solutions on how rainwater can be harvested and used in a later stage. The short rainfall period causes overflows of the sewerage system and it is a struggle to produce enough drinking water. Irbid is warm, water demand is high, for both households as well as industries and agriculture. Making use of nature based solutions, how can rainwater be harvested? Where can this water be stored? And how to reduce the need for drinking water, and prepare for future changes like climate change and a growing population?

Case 2: Water Quality Monitoring

Case owner: World Waternet

Ensuring safe drinking water is vital for public health, yet maintaining water quality in distribution networks presents challenges. Scarce water amplifies contamination risks, aggravated by inadequate sanitation. Collaborative efforts and innovative technologies are key. For this case, the task is to design a cost-effective monitoring and communication plan, adhering to WHO standards. Using two case study areas, North Hebron and Salfit area in the West Bank, the monitoring system should be adapted to regional circumstances and constraints, like considering possible contamination by rooftop tanks, supply interruptions, contamination hotspots, climate change, and existing lab infrastructure.

Poster & Pitch

Poster & Pitch – winning team!

Case 3: Rainwater Harvesting for farmer communities

Case owner: Acacia Water

This case is part of a project by Acacia Water, to promote, pilot and have discussions about rainwater harvesting and nature-based solutions in Jordan. The project is supported by the Dutch Embassy, with an ambitious portfolio of work on the role of nature in helping to address societal challenges, like water and soil conservation, and climate change mitigation. The assignment for this case: How can the widespread adoption of rainwater harvesting and nature based solutions for farmer communities be realized, through a comprehensive model that ensures sustainable integration of strategies, taking into account all relevant factors, such as water security, employment prospects, effective communication and community engagement?

Case 4: Sustainable Wastewater Reuse

Case owner: GIZ

Wastewater reuse is a sustainable approach to address water scarcity and environmental concerns. Treatment of wastewater and repurposing the effluent for various non-potable applications, such as irrigation and industrial processes, could be a way to reduce pollution and at the same time conserve freshwater resources. The project is working on promoting a more efficient and responsible water management system. The assignment for this case is: Assess the feasibility and potential benefits of implementing a wastewater reuse system in a specific region or industry. And also: how should social acceptance of using treated wastewater for landscape irrigation be defined?

Case 5: Action-driven follow-up of great ideas

Case owner: AYGV & Wetskills

‘Stop Talking, Start Doing and talks in Arabic’. That was the result of the Arab Youth Green Voices (AYGV) participation on COP27 In Sharm Al-Sheikh in 2022. AYGV and Wetskills are youth programs which have been uniting talent for more than a decade. A lot of co-creation (like Wetskills ideas) and community building have been realized. The challenge of this case: Empowering an Alumni Community for Action-driven follow-up of great ideas in Arab Countries. How can AYGV and Wetskills accelerate follow-up activities of fresh (WetsNext) ideas with the combined Water Talent Community?

Poster & Pitch

Poster & Pitch

Poster & Pitch