Together with Egypt as guests in Morocco

On 29 October 2009 World Waternet and the Moroccan water cycle company ONEP (Office National de l’Eau Potable) signed a cooperation agreement. This event was witnessed by the World Waternet’s Egyptian partners, the water cycle company Beheira Water and Drainage Company and the Holding Company for Water and Waste Water, and the Netherlands Embassy in Rabat. This agreement fits into a larger picture and calls for more detailed explanation. What is the case?
 

The African Triangle

In 2010, apart from the existing links, World Waternet intends to focus on countries on the African continent in order to help them attain the Millennium Development Goals. Especially on this continent there is a great backlog in achieving Millennium Development Goal No. 7, access to drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities. In order to kick-start the processes to make up this lost ground, assistance is required from well-run water companies on this continent. Countries such as Egypt, Morocco and South Africa have the necessary facilities.

 

Training centres in Egypt and Morocco

The Egyptian and Moroccon water companies have in the meantime indicated their willingness to take on responsibility for achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa. First of all, by setting up training centres, water academies or perhaps even better, Capacity Building Centres.The partners aim to achieve a cascade effect by knowledge transfer in the fields of integrated water management (operational, organisational, financial, institutional and political), Research and Development and Human Capital. This is to lead to the creation of more and more regional Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs). These regional WOPs focus on capacity building of water companies with the ultimate goal of access to drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities in a safe environment for everyone. World Waternet has been asked to provide assistance and coaching.

 

In 2009 World Waternet and the water companies from Egypt (Holding Company for Water and Waste Water and Beheira Water and Drainage Company) and Morocco (Office National de l’Eau Potable) joinedly endorsed this vision and approach. The Dutch and Egyptian embassies in Rabat have welcomed the realisation of this initiative.

 

Covenant

In 2010 the water companies from these two countries and World Waternet will sign a covenant for the implementation of this initiative. Water companies in South Africa will be approached in 2010 to be involved in this plan.

In addition partners from the water sector, knowledge institutes and the business community will be sought who wish to contribute to this concept. In the meantime in the Netherlands the Stichting  Wateropleidingen (training institute for water management), the  Delft University of Technology and Lettinga Associates Foundation (LeAF) have indicated their willingness to be involved. Internationally, organisations such as ACWUA (Arab Countries Water Utilities Association), AfWA (African Water Association) and GWOPA (Global Water Operators’ Partnership Alliance) will be contacted to make a substantial contribution to this scheme.
 

Netherlands Waterland

In the long run, the three cornerstones, Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa, from where water expertise will be exchanged with the aim of achieving the MDGs on the African continent, can be developed into a showcase for “Netherlands Waterland”.

 

A brief look at our partners

Meanwhile ONEP has opened a well-equipped training centre in Rabat and there are plans for a similar institution in Egypt. Egypt has asked World Waternet to assist in setting up this training centre. At the request of World Waternet, our Egyptian partners travelled to Morocco in order to learn from the training centre in the Moroccan capital of Rabat and to coordinate with Morocco and World Waternet on matters with regard to the concept and approach to help countries on the African continent to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The joint visits and meetings in Rabat on 28 and 29 October 2009 have made a great contribution towards achieving these goals.

 

Cooperation between ONEP and World Waternet

In addition, ONEP wishes to exchange know-how in the fields of drinking water, sanitation and wastewater management both for urban as well as rural areas. It is precisely the rural areas, where most poor people live, which ONEP aims to focus on in providing adequate sanitation facilities. Morocco is currently drawing up a funding proposal (ORIO application) to the Dutch government and is being assisted by the Dutch Embassy in Rabat. This concerns the realisation of a drinking water supply for the city of Essaouira, 400 km southwest of Rabat. To this end, 3 km north of the city, a dam is currently being built for the storage of raw water. From this dam a transport pipeline will be laid to the new production company. The transport pipeline will run through rural areas, and a connection to the drinking water supply to the inhabitants in these areas has been planned. Finally, the question remains how the wastewater treatment and sanitation facilities can be realised in these areas.

ONEP and World Waternet are now examining the question of what role World Waternet can and will play in this ORIO application. And, also, how World Waternet together with ONEP can install sanitation facilities and wastewater treatment in rural areas. ONEP is keen to cooperate with World Waternet in various other areas for the purpose of strenghtening its own capacity. The following areas have been mentioned in this context: reduction in energy and leakage losses, reuse of water, low-cost sanitation facilities, infiltration and underground storage of water, research and development, training and promotion of WOPs.
 

Embassies enthusiastic

After the signing of the agreement, all present paid a visit to the Dutch ambassador in Rabat, Mr Jos van Aggelen. For this occasion he had also invited representatives from the Egyptian Embassy in Rabat. Both the Dutch and the Egyptian embassies have expressed their enthusiasm for this integrated cooperation.

Gerard Rundberg