Workshop // The Nexus Approach and Safe Use of Wastewater in Agriculture, Tunis

The programme will start with a brief introduction to the Nexus Approach in resources management and then elaborate on SUWA as an example, and then move on to what is lacking especially in the “safety” aspects, and finally discuss the possible ways to find solutions through modelling. We believe bringing different viewpoints on to one platform is crucial in this exercise and therefore material will be presented by both international and local experts. We hope this event will be a good opportunity to learn from one another and to lay the foundation for a long-term working relationship and research collaboration.

Background

Wastewater irrigation provides an excellent practical example of the water-soil-waste nexus. On a global scale, over 20 million hectares of agricultural land are irrigated using wastewater. Water scarcity and the cost of energy and fertilisers are perhaps among the main factors driving farmers and other entrepreneurs to make use of wastewater. However, environmental, sanitary, and nutrition concerns have resulted after its application in a large scale. To address the technical, institutional, and policy challenges for a safe water reuse, developing countries and countries in transition need clear institutional arrangements and a deep understanding of opportunities and potential risks that the use of wastewater might bring with it. The SUWA initiative currently led by UNU-FLORES is intended to address these needs. During the past few years, UNU-FLORES has established working relationships for SUWA hotspots in South America and Asia, and is now looking for new challenges in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Where and when

National Research Institute for Rural Engineering, Water, and Forestry (INRGREF)
Tunis
Tunisia 12-14 Dec 2017

Co-organisers

• UNU-FLORES
• INRGREF

More Information

UNU-FLORES website