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IHE Delft provides capacity development services to knowledge institutes and water sector organizations around the world. Through these operations, the Institute increases its global impact and helps to build sustainable organizations that are equipped to properly manage water resources and deliver water services to all communities. Services include institutional development projects, tailor-made training for organizations and individuals, and policy advice.
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World Water Week: What’s needed for science to support policy?
Written by Eddy Moors, on 16 September 2022
Science should play a key role in underpinning sound policies that protect the planet and promote prosperity. But often, scientists and...
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World Water Week: Rising tide of women’s leadership in transboundary cooperation
Written by Bhavna Bhasin, on 1 September 2022
Women are pivotal to the way water is shared and cared for, and water diplomacy is incomplete without their voices and leadership. This was the key...
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World Water Week opening: sharing water in the Anthropocene
Written by Joyeeta Gupta, on 31 August 2022
Joyeeta Gupta, IHE Delft Professor of Law and Policy in Water Resources and Environment and University of Amsterdam Professor of Environment and...
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World Water Week: Transboundary water management and capacity development
Written by Bhavna Bhasin and 1 other, on 26 August 2022
As climate change intensifies and exacerbates water challenges, there is a growing need for effective transboundary water management. However,...
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Diploma course: Strengthening skills in the humanitarian WASH
Written by Ewoud Kok, on 18 August 2022
Providing access to toilets and water in emergencies and other fragile contexts is a huge challenge. Professionals in the Humanitarian Water,...
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Special Issue: Water needs programmatic, professional approach to capacity development
Written by Susanna Lööf, on 29 July 2022
In three decades — the typical period required for putting in place large programmes and infrastructure — the world will be predominantly water...
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IHE Delft researcher wins challenge with report on reducing hydropower dam’s harm to salmon in Norway
Written by Susanna Lööf, on 28 July 2022
Hydropower dams produce low-carbon energy, but they also threaten many species who live in the rivers they are built on. IHE Delft researcher Bich...
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Diving Deep: a look at water conflict and policy
8 July 2022
No matter who you are or where in the world you come from, there is one thing that unites us all and makes us uniquely human: our need for clean...
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Revamping design thinking to create sustainable delta futures
Written by Bhavna Bhasin, on 30 June 2022
The world’s deltas face unprecedented threats deriving from stressors such as rising sea levels, more frequent and intense rainstorms and droughts,...
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From waste to value: project aims to improve food security in Africa
Written by Emma Meurs, on 4 July 2022
Agriculture is a huge social and economic influence in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 60% of the population are smallholder farmers who together...
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Picturing hope in the Nile Basin
Written by Bhavna Bhasin, on 9 June 2022
The Nile River has been a source of many stories, some that have been amplified and others that did not make the headlines. InfoNile, a cross...
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World Oceans Day: IHE Delft alumna calls on all to close the tap of plastic pollution
Written by Susanna Lööf, on 8 June 2022
To celebrate World Oceans Day, 8 June, we checked in with an IHE Delft alumna whose work is focused on protecting these crucial bodies of water.
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Be bold for water, IHE Delft alumna says
Written by Susanna Lööf, on 30 May 2022
IHE Delft alumna Teresa Liguori worked hard to hold back her tears as she delivered a passionate graduation speech at the MSc graduation, held...
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GIS for everyone: new book aims to spread use of open source software for hydrological applications
Written by Rachelle Dwarka and 1 other, on 18 May 2022
The water sector uses a lot of commercial software with expensive licenses for hydrological models and analysis of spatial data, with professionals...
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Iraq’s water challenges underline need for capacity, Water Resource Minister Al-Hamdani says
Written by Bhavna Bhasin, on 17 April 2022
Iraq needs to develop capacity so that it can handle water-related challenges arising from climate change and the absence of agreements with...
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Young Water Diplomats Program – helping future leaders learn about water
Written by Bhavna Bhasin, on 13 April 2022
Policy interventions for water related-challenges, at regional and global scale, are largely shaped by two groups: water experts, equipped with...
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4th Water and Peace Seminar: Emotions and human relations key to water diplomacy
Written by Bhavna Bhasin, on 17 March 2022
Science often has been considered to be a purely objective pursuit, with no place for emotions and subjective explorations. It was thought to be...
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Izzat ka Pani – Water with dignity
15 March 2022
Qurratul Ain Contractor, an IHE Delft MSc Water Management and Governance student, collaborated with documentary filmmaker Jayant Parashar to...
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Important insects: Field guide aims to spark interest in dragonflies at East African lakes
Written by Emma Meurs and 1 other, on 14 December 2021
Can the buzz of dragonflies at the shores of Mabamba Bay in Uganda inspire future naturalists and citizen scientists? A new illustrated field guide...
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World Toilet Day 2021: Value toilets – and what goes into them
Written by Emma Meurs, on 19 November 2021
Almost half of the people in the world don’t have access to safely managed sanitation. Toilets, and the sanitation systems that support them, are...
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New IHE Delft course addresses knowledge gap on finance in the water sector
Written by Ewoud Kok, on 8 November 2021
A strong water sector that is secure and sustainable requires investments. Finding financing for such investments can be a challenge, with...
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Below sandy, dry riverbeds: a medicine against drought
28 September 2021
Water just beneath the surface in parts of Southern Africa? It seems unlikely, but dried up riverbeds sometimes harbor an unexpected resource....
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World day to combat desertification and drought
Written by Emma Meurs, on 17 June 2021
The 2021 Desertification and Drought Day to be held on 17 June will focus on turning degraded land into healthy land. Nearly three quarters of the...
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Community Empowerment through Sustainable Resource Use and Agricultural Value-Chain
8 June 2021
CES Rural is a 2-year-long project which features the Instituto Superior Politecnico de Gaza (ISPG), National University of Sciences and Technology...
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Portable microwave-based treatment system for on-site faecal sludge treatment: a promising technology
Written by Yaman Attar and 1 other, on 28 April 2021
‘Portable microwave-based treatment system for on-site faecal sludge treatment for the humanitarian and development WASH sector’ started in 2017 in...
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Building capacity in Middle-East and North Africa states (MENA-CD)
Written by Yaman Attar, on 15 April 2021
The MENA region includes the nations of the Middle-East and North Africa that share similar water challanges in terms of scarcity and resources...
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Perceptions of farmers towards Treated Sludge (Biosolids): Jordanian Badia case study
7 April 2021
The application of treated biosolids in agriculture can be an effective measure to fertilize soil in farming communities around the globe....
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WaPOR - putting open data and education into action
1 March 2021
Open. It’s a simple word that has a big impact when used in connection with things like education and data.
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Explorations on gender in the world of water
11 February 2021
To promote full and equal access to participation in science for women and girls, the United Nations has declared 11 February as the International...
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Saline agriculture has the power to change (and feed) the world
9 November 2020
As a rising sea level and longer dry periods threaten the world’s fresh water resources in coastal areas, the resulting increase in soil salinity...
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Long-term performance of Urban Blue-Green Infrastructure
Written by Ruth Webber, on 9 November 2020
Interview with Feikai Yang (Frenk), joint PhD fellow IHE Delft and South East University, China....
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When crises multiply: entrepreneurship and survival in the Zimbabwean countryside
Written by Annelieke Duker, on 25 August 2020
One can find so-called sand rivers in many dry parts of Africa. They are an important source of water for farming families in Zimbabwe, who invest...
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Mangroves, models and mud
Written by Laura Kwak, on 14 August 2020
Uwe Best and Sebrian Beselly, both PhD Researchers in Coastal Engineering at IHE Delft, chose to take the International Day for the Conservation of...
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Small-scale agriculture in crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic
Written by Jeltsje Kemerink - Seyoum and 1 other, on 30 June 2020
While most people in the Netherlands feel relieved because the measures against the pandemic are gently being relaxed and they can enjoy drinking...
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Distance teaching at IHE Delft during the Coronavirus crisis
15 April 2020
How IHE Delft is using this crisis as an opportunity to optimize the investments that have been made in online education. With the current...
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How Dutch greenhouse gases cause land grabbing in Ethiopia
Written by Jeltsje Kemerink - Seyoum, on 3 December 2019
One of the investments we in the Netherlands make to meet the climate goals is focused on reducing deforestation. This sounds great, but in...
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IHE Delft honours Prof. Álvaro Carmo Vaz with 2019 Alumni Award
18 October 2019
The IHE Delft Alumni Award for 2019 has been awarded to Dr. Alvaro Carmo Vaz from Mozambique. He came to Delft to study hydraulic engineering,...
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Open source mapping tools prepare new generation of water managers
Written by Hans van der Kwast, on 22 October 2019
Traditionally the water sector uses a lot of commercial software with expensive licenses for hydrological models and analysis of spatial data....
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‘Bone-dry’ sand river of vital importance to Zimbabwean farmers
Written by Annelieke Duker, on 11 September 2019
In a seemingly bone-dry area of Zimbabwe, farmers still manage to find water. They’ve found a unique water source in meters thick sand layers....
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Finding the right balance: sustainable growth in SIDS
Written by Kimberly Wakkary, on 9 July 2019
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are located in the most vulnerable regions of the world and frequently experience natural disasters. Such...
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Why is fetching water considered a ‘woman’s job’?
7 March 2019
In many parts of the world, fetching water is mainly considered a job for women and children. It is well known, that this places a huge burden on...
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How can European open data developments inspire the rest of the world?
Written by Hans van der Kwast, on 2 March 2019
March 2 2019. Today it is Open Data Day 2019 - a great occasion to reflect on how open data can contribute to solutions of environmental challenges...
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World Wetlands Day 2019: the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands remains important
Written by Anne van Dam, on 31 January 2019
The Netherlands is a country built on water and wetlands. What is the traditional Dutch way of dealing with wetlands? Drain them and turn them into...
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When education, partners and research combine
Written by Michael McClain, on 22 January 2019
At IHE Delft, our mission is to strengthen capacity in the water sector and support sustainable development through aligned educational programmes,...
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Before & After: Balancing Development and Conservation in the Mara River Basin
24 June 2018
Mara River originates at the Mau Water Tower of Kenya and flows to Lake Victoria in Tanzania. Mara is a modest sized river but essential to both...
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A water crisis of urban proportions
24 June 2018
The term “water scarcity” generally brings to mind images of arid desert regions in parts of Africa and the Middle East. But times are changing and...
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Taking on the water crisis in the Middle East
27 November 2018
Arguably the least water-secure region in the world, the Middle East faces exceptional water-related challenges for the foreseeable future....
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Managing the invisible: Groundwater salinity in coastal areas
Written by Tibor Stigter, on 6 September 2018
Around 40% of the world’s population lives within 100 km of the coastline. With the numbers increasing rapidly, the pressure on coastal freshwater...
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Kerala floods: Recovering through resilience in a disaster
Written by Mohan Radhakrishnan and 2 others, on 3 September 2018
Kerala, the south western state of India, known for its beautiful landscape and touristic attractions, has been devastated by flooding. Kerala is...
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Many hands make light work: improving transboundary water management in the Tekezze-Atbara sub-basin
Written by Kimberly Wakkary, on 13 July 2018
The Tekezze-Atbara tributary of the Nile is perhaps lesser known than the more famous Blue Nile and White Nile. Yet, millions of people call the...
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Turning up the voice of youth
Written by Rachelle Dwarka, on 4 July 2018
Tatiana dos Santos Silva is a co-founder of the non-governmental organization FA.VELA, that leads resilience and entrepreneurship projects in low...
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Improving leadership to kick-start climate change adaptation, from City-to-City
Written by Berry Gersonius, on 17 May 2018
Not too long ago, a story was published on the Global Partnership webpage about the “building leadership capacity to drive city-to-city learning on...
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Under pressure: relieving the pressure from traditional water supply sources
Written by Janez Susnik, on 13 April 2018
In many water-stressed cities in the Global South, the poorest do not have access to a reliable and safe water source. With the populations of...
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Building capacity in Small Islands Developing States (SIDS)
Written by Kimberly Wakkary, on 28 March 2018
Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) are a distinct group of countries that share similar sustainable development challenges. Such challenges...
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Sharing knowledge and building leadership from City to City
Written by Kimberly Wakkary, on 28 March 2018
“When people work together, their voice is stronger” says Quan, associate professor in Hydrology at Vietnam National University. Nguyenhong Quan...
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Alumni Award winner 2017 Arie Setiadi Moerwanto about his career
25 October 2017
The 2017 IHE Delft Alumni Award has been presented to Dr. Arie Setiadi Moerwanto. Currently the Director General of Highway Engineering at the...
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Insights on strategic delta planning in Bangladesh, Vietnam and the Netherlands
Written by Chris Seijger, on 12 May 2017
Strategic delta planning is a planning approach to come to more sustainable deltas. During such a planning process a vision is developed – the...
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A tale of an unequal city: Delhi’s waters through the eyes of female domestic workers
Written by Tatiana Acevedo Guerrero, on 31 March 2017
Researcher Tatiana Acevedo Guerrero and MSc student Rachana Sarkari analysed the routine strategies of female domestic workers when they access...
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Mapping Nile controversies: the role of media in water conflicts
Written by Emma Meurs and 1 other, on 7 February 2017
Water wars have been announced by media and policy analysts over the last twenty years and the Nile has always been one of the rivers spotted as ...
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Levelling the playing field for IWRM
Written by Emma Meurs, on 3 January 2017
WaterNet is a Southern African network of university departments, research and training institutes designed to build capacity in Integrated Water...
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Delta planning: 60 Years of shared water solutions
Written by Chris Zevenbergen, on 3 January 2017
Bangladesh and the Netherlands have a long history of cooperation over water issues. Both countries face similar challenges with low lying deltas...
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Playing our part in the Magdalena river basin in Colombia
Written by Emma Meurs, on 21 December 2015
What if a certain part of the basin was used to generate more energy? How would that affect the quality and quantity of the water aquatic...
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Engaging citizens for innovative flood risk management solutions
Written by Emma Meurs and 1 other, on 29 September 2015
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provide new opportunities to involve citizens in collecting data about water. The EU FP7 project ...
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MaMaSe field trip: learning about soil and water conservation, wastewater treatment and rangeland management
Written by Emma Meurs, on 7 September 2015
As part of the Mau Mara Serengeti Sustainable Water Initiative’s (MaMaSe) annual meeting in August 2015, partners and beneficiaries visited five...
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Discuss Water Productivity Monitoring with IHE Delft at World Water Week
Written by Wim Bastiaanssen and 2 others, on 21 July 2015
The development of technology tools for achieving food security, especially under conditions of water scarcity, is thriving. One of these new tools...
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Wetslum upgrading: emphasizing locational aspects by using floating apps
Written by Emma Meurs, on 31 March 2015
One billion people live in slums, most of them close to open water. These locations are the most vulnerable to floods and sea level rise. With...
Read the full storyClimate change adaptation in Colombia: a tipping point analysis
Written by Leonardo Alfonso Segura and 1 other, on 23 February 2015
Under the lead of Deltares, IHE Delft and consultancy companies FutureWater and Sarvision collaborated in a project to demonstrate climate change...
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From unlivable to livable: improving the urban environment of Asian cities
Written by Assela Pathirana and 1 other, on 30 January 2015
The first phase of the MARE Asia project has concluded and phase two is about to begin. ‘Learning and action alliances’ have been set up in three...
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Drought forecasting in Africa
Written by Emma Meurs, on 14 October 2014
Drought is considered a natural hazard with a very large impact on people and the environment and is one of the largest water related disasters in...
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A Wakeup Call from the Drip Dream
Written by Margreet Zwarteveen and 1 other, on 19 August 2014
Drip irrigation is spreading among agro-entrepreneurs and smallholders in many countries, but it is not a miracle solution to water scarcity, food...
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International relevance Room for the River Programme
Written by Chris Zevenbergen and 1 other, on 6 June 2014
High water level protection for the 4 million inhabitants of the river catchments in the Netherlands, this is the goal of the Room for the River...
Read the full storyWhat England can learn from the Dutch about Water Management
28 March 2014
Julian Hunt is a member of the UK House of Lords, former head of the Met Office and visiting professor of fluid mechanics at the Technical...
Read the full storyWater Management takes center stage in Mongolia
Written by Wim Douven, on 5 December 2013
The Mongolian economy has entered a new phase of growth thanks in part to its booming mining sector, and whilst this has enabled strong socio...
Read the full storyNetworking on the Nile
Written by Jan Luijendijk and 1 other, on 25 July 2013
The Nile River is the longest in the world. Since South Sudan gained independence in July 2011, the Nile has been shared by 11 countries. It is one...
Read the full storyCapacity Building in the Nile Basin
Written by Jan Luijendijk, on 1 May 2013
IHE Delft's partnership with the Nile Basin Capacity Building Network (NBCBN) and the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI). The Institute’s role is to...
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