International Training Programme on Water Sensitive Urban Design and Planning at Cape Town, South Africa

Date: January 23 - 26, 2017

Venue:  CAPE TOWN LODGE HOTEL, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA.

Language: English

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in collaboration with Water Resource Commision (WRC) and University of Cape Town (as Technical Research Partners) is organizing a four day training programme on “Water Sensitive Urban Design and Planning”.  The four day training includes first three days of classroom training, followed by a field exposure visit (optional). 

The WRC was established in terms of the Water Research Act (Act No 34 of 1971), following a period of serious water shortage. It was deemed to be of national importance to generate new knowledge and to promote the South Africa’s water research purposefully, owing to the view held that water would be one of country’s most limiting factors in the 21st century. 

CSE is geared towards building larger societal support for policy, practices and implementation and form a south-south partnership with a particular focus on Africa in 2014-2019. The need for support on capacity building for state and non-state actors involved in urban water management in Africa was identified during the India-Africa experience sharing Workshop (New Delhi, India)
Click here. 

South Africa was one of the countries from where non-state actors (academics and NGO) participated and represented the water and sanitation profile of the country and indicated the current water challenge a holistic approach for sustainable water management of ‘Water Sensitive Design and Planning’ that would promote capacity building in sustainable urban water management. 

About the Training

South Africa is regarded as amongst the twenty most water stressed countries in the world. Added to this stress is the inequitable distribution of its annual average precipitation of 600mm with most of it falls in one third of the land area to the east. The response towards water security and assurance of supply has seen nearly 95% of all surface runoff being committed and utilized to date, through an intricate network of dams and transfer schemes.The growth in the economy and population is facing greater pressure of limited water resource. As per Census 2011, access to improved sanitation in the country was 79% in urban areas. Country has National Sanitation Policy since 1996.However, 55% of wastewater treatment plants, especially smaller ones, do not meet effluent standards and some do not even measure effluent quality.

To meet the scale of challenges in area of urban water and sanitation management, a cadre of professionals who work in implementing sustainable water management solutions in urban areas of South Africa need to enhance their knowledge with upcoming water sensitive planning, designing methods. This training programme will deliver a range of informative and engaging sessions, covering topics from concept of WSD&P to discussion on good practices.

To view the previous training programme Click on Highlighted:

Rwanda | Kenya | Sri Lanka | India

Aim: Capacity enhancement of city officials for ‘Integrating water management at the strategic scale of planning and design to achieve sustainable development in towns/cities’.

Objectives:

• To provide knowledge, skill development and attitude change of participants towards sustainable water management.

• To capacitate participants for planning, designing and implementing low cost decentralised water and wastewater management at different scales.

• To share experiences on existing and upcoming policies and practices from International experience on urban water management.

• To build south-south network of practitioners (state/non-state) for mainstreaming sustainable water management practices.  

The details of the training programme is as follows: 

Day 1: Module onConcept of Water Sensitive Design and Planning (WSD&P):

This module will focus on latest WSD&P guidance and policies. The sessions will give the overview of the aims, benefits and the components of WSD&P for any new developments and redevelopments.

Day 2: Module on Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) as WSD&P component: 

This module will showcase some of the diverse interventions introduced on stormwater harvesting and  new urban design processes aligned to stormwater management and benefits at different scales. This module will also focus on urban RWH and the potential it holds in augmentation of water availability by using public spaces to recharge their groundwater or store and reuse the rainwater. 

Day 3: Module on Wastewater (WW) as WSD&P component:

This module will focus on decentralised wastewater treatment (DWWT) treatment and local reuse. The sessions will include understanding characteristics of domestic wastewater, principles of waste water management, hands on experience in planning, designing implementation of DWWTs at different scales.

The  training will be conducted by state of the art teaching – through learning tools, interactive sessions and experiential learning using detailed case studies and groups exercise on planning and designing of decentralized water management options for variety of situations.

FIELD EXPOSURE VISIT (Optional)

November 10, 2016

To learn more about ground implementation of best management practices for sustainable urban water management one day field exposure visit is planned. This is optional for participants.

Target Participants 

The main target audience for this training programme are- engineers, architects, urban planners, and geologists from government organizations and urban water supply and waste water management companies across the globe. Professionals from leading non-government organizations, academic and research institutions who are supporting various initiatives on urban water management are encouraged to participate.  

FOR AFRICAN NATIONALS :

Full and part fellowships available for candidates from other African countries. 

HOW TO APPLY?

Please fill in the application form for registration and scholarship through the following web link:

Application form (click here)

 

Local contact (South Africa):-

Dr. Sudhir Pillay
Research Manager
Water Research Commission
Marumati Building
491 18th Avenue
Pretoria

+27 12 3309007, +27 605 021841
Email: sudhirp@wrc.org.za

India contact:-

Ms. Chhavi Sharda (Coordinator)
Programme Officer
Water Programme
CSE, New Delhi, India
+91-11-40616000+91-11-40616000 (Ext:244)
Email: chhavi@cseindia.org

Ms. Shivali Jainer
Programme Officer
Water Programme
CSE, New Delhi, India
+91-11-40616000+91-11-40616000 (Ext:257)
Email: shivali@cseindia.org  

For more information on the training programme kindly contact:

Dr. Suresh Kumar Rohilla 
Programme Director- Water Programme
CSE, New Delhi, India
Email: srohilla@cseindia.org 

Dr. Mahreen Matto (Coordinator)
Programme Manager 
Water Programme
CSE, New Delhi, India
+91-11-40616000 +91-11-40616000 (Ext:257)
Email: mahreen@cseindia.org