Development Aspects Impressum Editors

References

Agenda 21, Chapter 34 – Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technology, Cooper- ation and Capacity-building. Accessed at http://habitat.igc.org/agenda21/ a21-34.htm.
De Palma, R. and M. Csutora (2003). Introducing Environmental Management Accounting at Enterprise Level: Methodology and Case Studies from Central and Eastern Europe. Vienna, Austria: United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
De Palma, R. and V. Dobes (2004). Increasing Productivity and Environmental Performance: An Integrated Approach. Know-how and experience from the UNIDO project “Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technology (TEST) in the Danube river basin”. Vienna, Austria: United Nations Industrial Develop- ment Organization.
Mérida, J. and F. García (2005–2006). Diagnóstico de la Calidad del Agua Super- ficial del Río Blanco. Un Enfoque Físico Químico y Ecotoxicológico. Teguci- galpa, Honduras: Centro de estudios y Control de Contaminantes.

Chapter 5:

Capacity development for safe use of wastewater in agriculture

Hani Sewilam and Jens Liebe

UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC), Bonn, Germany

Abstract

Wastewater use in agriculture is one of the topics to be addressed in the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) as a significant issue for the global Green Economy. It is estimated that 200 million farmers worldwide irrigate at least 20 Mha with treated, partially treated and untreated wastewater. The use of wastewater in agriculture is an effective and economic way of recycling urban wastewater especially as it contains nutrients important for agricultural pro- duction. But using it without adequate treatment or practices leads to increased health risks and environmental and economic impacts.

The global understanding of such impacts and mitigation measures has gaps and, therefore, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) brought together, in a multi-year project under UN-Water, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations University Institute on Wa- ter, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), the International Commission on Ir- rigation and Drainage (ICID), and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to start a global initiative aimed at developing national capacities for the promotion of safe use of wastewater in agriculture in developing countries and countries in transition.
The capacity development approach targets organizations in a vertical direc- tion (individuals, institutions, system) as well as in a horizontal direction (health, water and agriculture sectors). The initiative included capacity needs assessment of individuals and organizations at a national level in many countries and develop- ment of their capacities by sharing knowledge at an international level. Different capacity development techniques were followed in this initiative, such as interna- tional knowledge-sharing events, hands-on training, development of web-based learning systems and making use of the relevant materials developed by the UN- Water members and partners.