Quarterly Newsletter Saafconsult B.V. Newsletter December 2012 Contents: Introduction | Projects & Pipeline | CarboWet Foundation | Christmas greetings
Introduction This is the last newsletter of SaafConsult this year. Although it is the end of the year and winter and Christmas are knocking at our doors, new developments, assignments and opportunities are coming our way. But before we start with an update of the on-going and upcoming projects at the moment, and before closing this intro, we want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Projects & Pipeline Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Israel and the Netherlands Ele Jan Saaf is Team Leader for the evaluation of the Middle East Desalination Research Centre’s (MEDRC) educational and research activities. For this assessment, Ele Jan is working with Loay Hidmi of IdRC. The team is evaluating the extent to which MEDRC’s educational and research activities have successfully contributed to the Middle East peace process and the advancement of desalination technology in the region. The assessment identifies lessons for the future on the basis of interviews with key stakeholders, surveys amongst a selection of former trainees of MEDRC and research of the consultants. SaafConsult is conducting this assessment for the Directorate General for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. In November and December Ele Jan travelled to Oman (with Loay), Palestine and Israel to evaluate MEDRC. During the first week of December he presented the outcomes of the evaluation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague.
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Consultants involved: Ele Jan Saaf and Loay Hidmi (IdRC) Photo’s by: Heleen Saaf van der Beek Sabrina Doetjes
Quarterly Newsletter Saafconsult B.V. Newsletter December 2012 Projects and Pipeline Egypt - Sabrina Doetjes attended the Wetskills Training in Cairo. Wetskills is an international two-week programme to promote the Netherlands as an important water center in the world. Our team was commissioned to find a solution for the use of brackish groundwater in Egypt. Consultant involved: Sabrina Doetjes Jordan - SaafConsult was asked to host an Early Stage Researcher for the Seventh Framework Programme, Marie Curie Actions – in Jordan. The objective of this program is to provide a scientific forum for the establishment of a common ground for the Jordan River Basin and Guadiana River Basin as case studies of conflict and cooperation in river basin management and to identify the principles and mechanisms that both promote and hinder cooperation. Consultant involved: Sabrina Doetjes and Clive Lipchin Jordan - SaafConsult signed a contract with GiZ to review and document various GiZ supported private sector activities in the Jordanian Water Sector and develop an article on one or more success stories to be submitted to an international water journal. Consultant involved: Ele Jan Saaf Tunis (and the rest of Africa) - We are still working on the water and sanitation project evaluations’ review and synthesis for the African Development Bank. Vincent has recently completed the first draft of the synthesis report on the Bank’s project assistance for Water supply and Sanitation. This project is expected to be completed by January 2013. Consultant involved: Vincent van Haaren
Quarterly Newsletter Saafconsult B.V. Newsletter December 2012 Tajikistan - Marie Körner was asked to start as the Team Leader and PR Expert for the Central Tajik Water Rehabilitation Project Stakeholder Programme in January 2013. The project objectives are to (i) rehabilitate the water supply system and, where applicable, allow selected wastewater improvements; (ii) improve billing and collection efficiency, and (iii) improve financial and operational management. Correction Newsletter September: We wrote in our previous newsletter that Marie Körner is the expert for the SDC funded “Drinking Water Tariff Research and Development of the Tajikistan Water Supply and Sanitation Project”. We omitted to mention that she was contracted by OXFAM GB to carry out this project. Consultant involved: Marie Körner Danube Delta - Ele Jan was asked to be the Danube Delta Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Expert for WWF. The project includes a comprehensive study of the possible impact of climate change on the Danube Delta. The Climate Change Adaptation Strategy should outline the general action plan to address the impacts and threats from the climate change, including its uncertainties and extremes with the aim to reduce vulnerability of the biodiversity as well as main natural resources and economic sectors to the climate changes. Consultant involved: Ele Jan Saaf
Quarterly Newsletter Saafconsult B.V. Newsletter December 2012 CarboWet CarboWet is planning to cooperate with Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) in Jordan. The core concept upon which the proposed cooperation between FoEME and CarboWet is based is to dedicate part of the funds that CarboWet can attract for carbon offsetting through treeplanting, watershed protection and wetland conservation/ development in the Sharhabil bin Hassneh Eco Park (SHE) on an annual basis. The SHE and the Ziglab (Wetland) Initiative have been created as pilot projects whose goal is to establish a model for preserving ecologically important habitats within the Jordan Valley. In return FoEME will provide high profile publicity for the CarboWet Foundation and its work as well as the joint FoEME/CarboWet work. Both parties will also continue to advertise the carbon off-setting work of CarboWet through the SHE. We are planning to sign the MoU in the beginning of 2013 and organize a high-profile signing ceremony. If this cooperation proves successful the MoU will be updated for a longer period of validity. Best regards, Ele Jan Saaf Managing Director SaafConsult B.V.
Found out more about the CarboWet Foundation: http://saafconsult.com/carbowetFoundation.html
Quarterly Newsletter Saafconsult B.V. Newsletter December 2012
SaafConsult wishes you a M erry Christmas and H appy N ew Year