World Waternet enters into two more Blue Deal projects

Twenty million people in forty catchment areas worldwide that are better protected against water and have access to sufficient, clean water. That is the ambitious goal of the Blue Deal, initiated by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Infrastructure and Water Management and the 21 Dutch Water Authorities. In April 2019, 11 partnerships were kicked off, World Waternet is involved in 5, as leading partner or consortium partner. Now, World Waternet entered into two more partnerships as leading partner: in Kenya and the Palestinian Territories.

Kenya: Tana River, Thika Upper & Mid Catchment

Sufficient water is an increasing problem, especially in Africa. The partnership, together with water authorities Aa & Maas and Hoogheemraadschap de Stichtse Rijnlanden, focuses on improving quantitative water management in the upstream areas of the Tana River in Kenya. This area is important for the water supply for the capital Nairobi. In the first phase of this Blue Deal partnership, we work together on drawing up water management plans and water allocation plans. Special attention is paid to the required information about water availability and water users and to improving data management by setting up water information systems. In addition, work will be done on improving licensing and enforcement. This Blue Deal partnership is linked to the ongoing WaterworX project in Nairobi.

Palestinian Territories

World Waternet will continue the previously initiated knowledge exchange on water management reform in the West Bank. World Waternet (as leading partner) and Vechtstromen are the executive agencies operating on behalf of Dutch Water Authorities in the municipalities of Halhul and Salfeet in the West Bank. The key objective of the partnership is to improve access to clean, sufficient and safe water for the people of the Palestinian territories. The partnership aims to mobilize technical expertise, support and advice from the Netherlands for a range of issues from water governance and policy making, integrated water resources management, operational efficiency, water supply and wastewater services. We do this through peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and capacity building of local professionals and thus working at practical level.