Wetskills Innovation Challenge

Wetskills is an international programme to promote the Netherlands as an important water center in the world. The Netherlands has many excellent water training institutes with well-trained staff. For both Dutch and foreign students, these institutes provide an ideal opportunity to gain experience with international work and to build relationships.

Wetskills is a series of events where Dutch water-related students meet foreign students and follow lectures together, make field visits and work on innovative solutions for existing water cases.

Wetskills is part of the project Human Capital Water & Delta, and is coordinated by the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP).

More information
Stichting Wateropleidingen
Johan Oost
+31 6 20 28 1271
johan.oost@wateropleidingen.nl

Netherlands Water Partnership, programme Human Capital Water
Huiberdien Sweeris
+31 70 304 37 16
h.sweeris@nwp.nl

Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
Rick Heikoop
+31 649 610 646
t.h.heikoop@hr.nl

Read more about the Wetskills events that already took place or about to happen:

Sixth Wetskills challenge, South Africa (May 2012)

On the occasion of the biannual water conference of the Water Institute of South Africa (WISA) the sixth Wetskills Challenge took place in Cape Town, South Africa in May 2012. For two weeks students from all parts of the world (10 Dutch, 8 South Africa, 1 Cameroon, 1 Zimbabwe and 1 Tanzania) joined the teambuilding programme in Cape Town.

Wide range of water topics

Each teams was assigned to a specific project that was provided and sponsored by Dutch water sector organizations, such as Water board Groot Salland, DHV, Vitens Evides International and World Waternet. The topics that were addressed ranged from water retention functions, to large scale water sanitation ideas, technical solutions to reduce the water spilling, energy from wastewater and re-use of effluent water for agricultural purposes. Study areas included Incomati River Basin, Gansbaai, uMgungundlovu, eThekwini (Durban) and Swellendam.

Winning team: wetlands to treat waste water

The award ceremony was one of the highlights of the gala dinner held during the WISA conference. The final ideas were presented through a catching elevator pitch and inspiring posters. The winning team presented the plan ‘Sewage treatment; a walk in the park’, a wetlands in the town of Barrydale for treatment of the municipal waste water.

According to the jury, the idea of the winning young water professionals really stood out. Their solution uses the creation of wetlands to treat wastewater in the village of Barrydale so that it can be reused as surface water.

The team consisted of students with different backgrounds and nationalities: Linda Carol Zulu (Tschwane University of Technology), Nadine Wacka (Wageningen University), Sanne mouse (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) and Peter de Jong (Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences).

Easy to apply in the South African context

Linda Carol Zulu Wacka: "Civil engineer lives in South Africa and was familiar with the local sanitation. Our collective knowledge about land planning, hydrology and ecology was decisive for our idea. "The jury was enthusiastic about Sewage treatment; a walk in the park because the concept is simple and easy to apply in the South African context

Nadine Wacka, member of the winning team is very happy with the award: "It feels good to know that within a short time like a week we could come up with a solution that is feasible and imaginative to potential clients; the brainstorming with team members from different cultures was very inspiring, we learned a lot from each other."


Participating Dutch water related institutes:

  • Wageningen University
  • Free University of Amsterdam
  • Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences

Read the blog:
www.wetskillssouthafrica2012.blogspot.com

Fifth Wetskills challenge, Oman (January 2012)

On the occasion of the visit to Oman by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on January 10 - 12, 2012, ten Dutch traveled to Oman for a joint educational programme with ten Omani students on water management. The Wetskills challenge, enabled the students to learn about each others culture, visit water projects and study actual cases in Oman and finding new solutions.


The best solution was awarded with the 5th Wetskill price. The winning team had addressed the over exploitation of groundwater around Salalah, in the south of Oman.

Oman water related themes

Presently 20 percent more groundwater is pumped up than is received by natural replenishment. This lowers the groundwater level and leads to intrusion of salt groundwater from the sea.

The students suggested to improve the preservation of the monsoon rain water by reconstructing of dams, by placing rain collectors on roofs of buildings and by planting more trees.

In the presence of the Dutch queen the 5th Wetskills price was handed out by professor Ruud Schotting, who holds the Sultan Qaboos Chair for Water Management in Semi-Arid Regions at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands.

Participating Dutch water related institutes:

  • Saxion University of applied science
  • University of Utrecht

Read the blog:
www.wetskillsoman2012.blogspot.com

Fourth Wetskills challenge Jakarta, Indonesia (November 2011)

Ten Dutch student from different water-related training institutes went to Indonesia and joined a group of master students Coastal Watershed Management of Gadjah Mada University of Yokyakarta.

Getting involved in the global water affairs

On the occasion of the World Delta Summit both Dutch and Indonesian students visited field projects, followed lectures and worked in mixed groups on specific cases, e.g. the protection of Jakarta against flooding, sanitation and cleaning of channels.

The purpose was to become better acquainted with the international water world and to work together despite cultural differences.


Read the blog:
www.wetskillsindonesia.blogspot.com

Participating Dutch water related institutes:

  • Hogeschool Rotterdam

Third Wetskills challenge Amsterdam, the Netherlands (October/November 2011)

From 23 October till 4 November the third Wetskills-Innoviation Challenge took place in Amsterdam. This challenge was part of the Young Water Professionals Programme of the International Water Week. Some 40 student from South Africa, Zimbabwe, China, Taiwan, Greece India and the Netherlands, were divided over 8 multidisciplinary groups, following lecture, making field trips and participating in workshops.

Case of urban polder in Amsterdam

To concluded the event the groups participated in a competition. Each group had to present a solution in a pitch and poster. The solution concentrated on a real case of the urban polder Watergraafsmeer, in Amsterdam. The groups had to design a new future proof water system, taking in account the climate change and urban densification.

The winners of the challenge were Wouter Knoben (Dutch - Twente University), Rocy Ocwelwang (South African - NWU), Niels Deijkers (Dutch - Hogeschool van Amsterdam) and Mehdi Koopaeidar (Iranian - Hogeschool Saxion) with their integrated water concept 'Living with Water, and Loving it’. The jury praised the group’s enthusiasm, looking not only for technical solutions but also for possibilities for enjoying water.

Read more:
www.internationalwaterwerk.cm/young/wetskills

Participating Dutch water related institutes:

  • Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
  • VU University Amsterdam
  • Twente University
  • Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
  • Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
  • Saxion University of Applied Sciences
  • Unesco-IHE
  • Delft University of Technology

Second Wetskills challenge Casablanca, Morocco (October 2010)

Eight Dutch students from different universities visited Morocco in October 2010 to join Moroccan students in order to develop a broader understanding of the water management issues that the world is currently facing and especially in Morocco.

Out of the box solutions

The program provided water management cases in which Dutch and Moroccan students participated, with the goal to come up with innovative, creative out-of-the box solutions for some pressing water management issues in Morocco.

The results were presented at the Water Forum during a special seminar on October 5, 2010 in Casablanca.

Read the blog (in English, French and Dutch):
www.waterkanaal.nl

Participating Dutch water related institutes:

  • University Rotterdam
  • University Twente

First Wetskills challenge Shanghai, China (June 2010)

The first Wetskills Innovation Challenge took place in Shanghai in June 2010 as part of the Holland Water Week during the World Expo 2010. For this event, a mixed group of Chinese and Dutch young water professionals joined in workshops searching for creative solutions for global water issues.

Feasible solutions in time and budget

These water issues included the increasing sedimentation around river areas, stabilizing ground water levels in urban areas and area development with levees. For these problems, the students sat together to come up with feasible solutions in time and budget.

Read the blog (scroll down to: 'Wing should join the Shanghai program again'):
www.waterkanaal.nl/blog

Video report by two participating students, Tao Hong and Erwin Vonk (in English & Dutch):

Participating Dutch water related institutes:

  • Delft University of Technology
  • Twente University
  • Wageningen University
  • Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
  • Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
  • Zeeland University of Applied Sciences

Institutions