How can degraded farmland in the Surinamese jungle be regenerated? Johan Tijms from agricultural mechanisation company Tijms Mechanisatie VOF can explain. Together with consortium partner Attro Trading Africa, he is addressing Suriname’s drought and salinisation challenges through an innovative pilot project funded by Partners for Water. Discover how they are bringing soil back to life through an affordable and effective approach.

Johan Tijms, director of Tijms Mechanisatie VOF, has been working in the international field of soil regeneration and sustainable irrigation systems for over 25 years. From his office in Geesbrug, he elaborates on the innovative ‘Precise Irrigation Systems’ project. Together with the business consulting and project development organisation Attro Trading Africa, he aims to provide sustainable solutions for problems in agriculture arising from poor soil conditions. In Suriname, the consortium is tackling these challenges through a pilot project funded by Partners for Water. This pilot is testing a solar-powered, sensor-controlled drip irrigation and desalination system designed to address local drought, salinisation and flooding issues, ultimately rehabilitating degraded agricultural land owned by an indigenous Surinamese community.

Drought and salinisation

“Due to drought and unsustainable farming practices, Surinamese agricultural land is rapidly becoming comparable to concrete,” says Johan. “In some areas, the soil is so degraded that it doesn’t absorb water anymore. This causes water to accumulate, leading to both flooding and unusable farmland.” Suriname suffers not only from drought but also from salinisation. “The salt content of groundwater in Suriname is often too high for irrigation practices, leading to crop failures and threatening livelihoods. For instance, the members of the indigenous community where we are conducting the pilot project cannot sustain themselves with their conventional farming practices and must buy additional food from the market.”

From concrete to sponge

“Our solution creates usable irrigation water and turns soil into a water-absorbing sponge,” says Johan. “We achieve this through a drip irrigation system which applies water slowly and efficiently at the root zone of the plants. By doing so, it reduces the amount of runoff and therefore soil erosion.” In addition, the consortium desalinates ground water by using a desalination machine that utilises calcium carbonate. Johan explains: “This method is more cost-effective than others, such as reverse osmosis, due to its lower energy consumption and cheaper materials.” Both the drip and desalination machines are powered by solar panels. “All together, this makes the solution affordable for the relatively poor local community.”

In practice

“The piece of agricultural land we are regenerating covers an area of about five hectares and is located in the middle of the Surinamese jungle. It belongs to an indigenous community of about 300 people.” Johan explains that the land had been declared unusable. “In practice, an unusable piece of farmland means new land will be cleared by cutting down trees. When that land also becomes unusable, the same cycle is repeated. Now that the local community is receiving tools and training to keep the land farmable, not only are their livelihoods improving, but consistent deforestation is also prevented.”

A self-sustaining project

Tijms installed the machines together with Attro. “We train the users to maintain the machines themselves and we’re ready to assist whenever necessary. For instance, a water pump broke down initially because it had pumped up too much sand. We decided to get on a plane with new parts to repair the pump ourselves,” says Johan. He continues: “The success of such a project depends on the commitment and effort from both you and the users. If both parties are dedicated to its success, then you ensure it happens.”

“We also provided financial and business training to prepare the community for maintenance costs,” notes Johan. “Essentially, the installation should facilitate enough harvest to not only sustain livelihoods but also sell crops at the market. This enables the community to save money to replace certain installation components when they near the end of their life cycle. This way, the project becomes self-sustaining.”

Successful collaborations

“So far, the project has been a great success, and we owe much of that to some fantastic collaborations,” notes Johan. “For instance, the Dutch Embassy and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Suriname have actively helped us with their network and by connecting us with the participating community. Additionally, the community leader was incredibly motivated. Thanks to her dedication and involvement, the project has been embraced by the whole community.” Johan continues, “our collaboration with Partners for Water has also been incredibly valuable. The Partners for Water team has provided significant support, always responded quickly, and demonstrated their commitment to the successful completion of this project in every way.”

What’s next?

“In November, we will complete the project. So far, it seems to be very successful! Based on soil samples, we see that desalination is working and the soil is becoming nutrient-rich and porous again. Additionally, the local community is already selling products at the market.” The solution has significant potential for scaling up both within Suriname and internationally. Johan notes that they already plan to implement parts of this concept in another region of Suriname. “Through the drip irrigation system in combination with a bio enzyme, we plan to clean the soil of Fusarium, a common fungus in banana plants, in certain banana plantations in Suriname.”

An Indian water delegation is visiting the Netherlands from July 14-17, 2024, as part of the strategic partnership on water between India and the Netherlands, implemented under the Partners for Water Programme. Alongside Dutch counterparts from the ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management and Partners for Water, they will visit innovative Dutch water works, Nature-based Solutions and network events, strengthening the long-lasting water relationship between the two countries.

The delegation comprises Government officials who are responsible for strategic policy planning, decision making and implementation at central and state level.  The Ministry of Jal Shakti, Central Government of India, are representing the National Mission for Clean Ganga, Central Ground Water Board and Central Water Commission. From the Government of West Bengal, the Irrigation and Waterways Department are present. And finally, from the Government of Kerala, the Water Resources Department and irrigation department are represented.

During their visit, the delegation will be accompanied by Luit-Jan Dijkhuis, delta coordinator India at the Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management and Liliane Geerling, programme coordinator of the Partners for Water programme from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).

Sharing water expertise

The delegation will visit various Dutch waterworks, such as the Zandmotor (Sand Motor), a nature-based coastal protection project; the Harnaschpolder wastewater treatment plant, known for its sustainable and efficient water treatment processes; the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier, a remarkable example of Dutch delta management; the Keersluis, a historic flood control structure; and the Afsluitdijk, the iconic dike that also serves as a causeway and separates the Waddenzee from the IJsselmeer lake. Additionally, they will delve into Dutch water history with a visit to the Watersnoodmuseum (Flood Museum) and gain inspiration from presentations and talks during visits to various Dutch water organizations. Moreover, ideas, innovations, and potential collaborations will be explored during networking events, where the Dutch water sector, active or planning to be active in India, has been invited to meet the delegation.

Strengthening partnerships

Partners for Water is delighted to welcome the Indian water delegation to the Netherlands and looks forward to fostering collaboration and partnerships between our two nations. This visit presents an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and explore innovative solutions to address water-related challenges. We anticipate that this visit will lead to fruitful collaborations and further strengthen the already strong water relationship between the Indian and Dutch water sector.

Read more about the strategic water partnership on Dutchwatersector.com

India Water Impact Summit

Are you also active or planning to be active in India? The India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) will be held in New Delhi from 17 – 21 September. If you are interested, please click here to read more about it.

The Partners for Water programme 2022-2027 still has one remaining subsidy round in February 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to give your innovative pilot project or feasibility study a boost.

Who is it for?

Partners for Water grants subsidies to Dutch companies, knowledge institutions, and NGOs for conducting feasibility studies and pilot projects for innovative solutions related to water security in deltas, delta cities, and river basins abroad.

Apply for a subsidy by scheduling an intake interview

An intake interview is compulsory before applying for a Partners for Water subsidy to assess whether your application matches the subsidy criteria. You can schedule the mandatory intake interview at any time via the E-loket. During the intake interview, you can discuss the terms of the scheme with one of our advisors. Would you like to apply for the subsidy round during the 2025 opening round? Make sure to schedule the intake interview no later than 28 February 2025. View the specific eligibility criteria for a subsidy on the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) website.

Have you already had an intake interview with one of our advisors? Then you’re ready to apply for the subsidy via our application page. Visit the RVO website for further practical information and the required forms to include with your application.

Partners for Water subsidy scheme explained

Watch this video to discover more about the Partners for Water subsidy scheme, in which we showcase several projects that have received funding.

Curious about previously funded projects?

During the Partners for Water programme, we have granted subsidies to various inspiring projects located in different countries, tackling a wide range of water challenges. Discover all the Partners for Water projects.

The Government of Indonesia, in partnership with the East Java Province and the Government of the Netherlands, continues to collaborate on addressing water challenges in the Welang Watershed works in East Java, Indonesia. The project began in 2020, and is currently midway through its second phase.

By engaging in a co-creation process with communities, regional experts, and provincial and local governments, the project further details priority interventions for key water challenges in the catchment area. Here are some updates on the progress.

A multi-stakeholder approach

Rapid urban and economic development in the Welang Watershed has led to numerous water-related challenges. These include erosion on slopes, sedimentation in rivers, urban flooding, and water distribution issues. Given the involvement of many stakeholders in both the problems and their solutions, the project adopts a multi-stakeholder approach, guided by three key principles:

1. Achieving Practical Co-Creation Results: Ensuring solutions are compatible with the Indonesian water framework.
2. Creating Replicable Solutions: Developing solutions that can be implemented without substantial external support.
3. Mobilizing Local Resources: Fostering an environment where local resources are utilized for joint solutions.

These guiding principles are applied across both the upstream and mid-/downstream areas of the Welang River, allowing the project to tackle challenges from multiple perspectives and involve various sets of stakeholders.

Integrated focus across the catchment

Wonosari and Surorowo
In the upstream areas of the Welang River, the focus is on water resource conservation. This is achieved by introducing low-cost and low-tech soil and water conservation measures, such as gully plugs. These measures are designed to reduce runoff and soil erosion, and increase water infiltration. Project activities in the upstream areas center around the Wonosari tea plantation and the Surorowo sub-village.

At Wonosari, coordination with the tea plantation administration ensured strong support throughout the implementation phase. This collaboration resulted in the successful installation of 140 gully plugs. A month later, feedback from the tea plantation administrator confirmed that the plugs effectively mitigated runoff onto the streets after heavy rainfall.

To begin implementation in Surorowo, a collaboration agreement was needed between Perhutani, the concession permit holder, and the East Java Province, the project partner. Thanks to the strong commitment from both parties, the administrative process was completed much faster than usual. This efficiency allowed ground implementation to start in parallel, resulting in the completion of 18 gully plugs by April, with plans for more.

Community

The active involvement of the community in the construction process sparked enthusiasm among local people. Many expressed interest in replicating similar infrastructure on their own, empowered by the realization that these initiatives can be achieved with locally available materials. Pak Imam, the manager of the tea plantation, explained: “Yes, it works. Before we implemented these gully plugs, there was usually runoff after it rained, and we couldn’t pass the small roads in the plantation.”

Additionally, in collaboration with the University of Malang, the implemented measures are being monitored to collect baseline data on runoff volume, existing gullies, sedimentation, and infiltration rates.

Sidogiri / Welang Lama

In the downstream and midstream areas of the Welang River catchment, specifically in Sidogiri and Welang Lama, significant progress is being made to address frequent flooding issues affecting local communities. A key part of this effort involved workshops with local schools to raise awareness and encourage community participation in waste management, recognizing that waste blockages are a major cause of flooding. These initiatives emerged from the initial co-creation session where stakeholders identified waste management as crucial for flood mitigation.

Collaborations with Universitas Negeri Malang, Universitas Brawijaya, and ITS Surabaya have driven progress. Students conducted detailed field surveys to understand the dynamics of flooding. This data, combined with a hydraulic assessment by the project team, formed the foundation for a co-creation workshop where stakeholders reviewed and provided feedback on proposed flood mitigation measures. This inclusive approach ensures that solutions have community support and incorporate local knowledge, paving the way for lasting impact in managing the river basin’s challenges.

Strategic alignment with ongoing NL-funded projects

One of the goals of the Welang project is to integrate and align its activities with other initiatives in the East Java region to enhance capacity-building and promote local ownership. The Welang project has partnered with the OKP tailor-made training program, designed to equip civil servants in East Java Province with essential skills for cross-sectoral collaboration and addressing water management challenges.

Additionally, the project is exploring collaboration opportunities with the Brantas River basin project, which aims to improve wastewater management. In February and March, site visits to the Brantas River were conducted to gain insights from the Brantasae application, with the aim of integrating its features into the Welang project. Brantasae is a map-based application that collects public-uploaded data on water quality, waste generation, and overall river basin issues or initiatives. It serves as a data inventory platform to support river assessment and monitoring.

Background Information:
The Dutch-Indonesian Consortium embodies a collaborative and sustainable approach to addressing Indonesia’s water challenges.
The project is facilitated by the consortium comprising three key organizations: Witteveen + Bos, Nuffic Southeast Asia, and AidEnvironment.

• Witteveen + Bos: Leads overall project management and provides expertise in hydraulic modeling, alongside coordinating community waste management activities.
• Nuffic Southeast Asia: Ensures the integration of co-created solutions within institutions, engaging regional experts and students in the process.
• AidEnvironment: Facilitates community involvement and implements agricultural solutions focused on water conservation and erosion control.

Funded by Partners for Water

This project has been receiving funding by Partners for Water because we underpin the longstanding cooperation between the governments of Indonesia and the Netherlands on water management (MoU Water) and are dedicated to enhancing water security globally through enduring partnerships between local stakeholders and the Dutch water sector. By fostering knowledge exchange, promoting innovations, and advocating an integrated approach, we aim to contribute positively to water security for people, plants, and animals.

For further inquiries, please contact: Simon van Meijeren, Programme Advisor Partners for Water Indonesia.

How can we revolutionise Ghanaian horticulture? SOSIA+ aims to do so by providing farmers with a new perspective on growing vegetables through game-changing technologies.

Amid the bustling atmosphere of Cafe de Huiskamer at The Hague central station, we sit down with SOSIA+ project members Lindsey Schwidder, Benny Ampong, Samuel Kwame Darbah, and Prince Baffour to discuss their collaborative efforts on this innovative pilot project.

Lindsey is the Project Manager at the Innovation & Impact Centre at Delft University of Technology and the project leader of the SOSIA+ project. As the Technical Manager at Holland Greentech, Benny serves as the SOSIA+ pilot irrigation expert in Ghana. Both Samuel and Prince are SOSIA+ training facilitators at the Kwadaso Agricultural College in Ghana, with Samuel also being the national coordinator of the ACHI Programme. This programme is part of the Dutch Combi Track approach, an initiative by the Dutch government where the government and businesses collaborate on projects in emerging markets. In Ghana, it supports better skills development for the younger generation of farmers.

The SOSIA+ project, funded by Partners for Water, is a collaborative effort conducted in Ghana by a consortium consisting of TU Delft, FutureWater, Holland Greentech and TAHMO. This pilot project aims to make the use of local weather data and climate-smart irrigation systems accessible for small-scale commercial farmers. By doing so, it seeks to improve water efficiency and crop yields, offering a renewed perspective on agriculture to the Ghanaian youth and farmers. Read our SOSIA+ introduction article to learn more about the project.

Transforming Ghanaian horticulture

“New technologies like SOSIA+’s irrigation systems are a game changer for the Ghanaian agricultural sector,” says Samuel. He explains: “Many farmers are unaware that they don’t need to carry buckets of water or use inefficient sprinklers to irrigate their crops. By teaching the application of SOSIA+’s technology at our college and introducing students to role models like young agronomists from Holland Greentech, young farmers are becoming aware that farming can be an economically viable practice; its popularity is increasing.” Prince adds: “This has huge implications for the current unemployment challenges Ghana is facing and for improving our self-sufficiency in food production.”

Promising harvest

“It’s almost time for the second harvest,” says Benny, “and most farmers are very hopeful because they already see more fruit on their plants compared to when they were not using the system.” Lindsey mentions: “During the first harvest, the farmers encountered a lot of unexpected rain, which resulted in not having to use the irrigation system as much as anticipated. This will be the first comparable harvest data.” “That season was still very useful, though,” adds Benny, “because the farmers got the chance to develop their skills in using the irrigation system.”

Farmers’ scepticism

“It took a while for the farmers to have faith in the drip irrigation system,” says Prince. “Generally speaking, Ghanaians can be quite sceptical when it comes to adopting new practices, and they like to see ‘proof’ first, instead of pioneering new technologies.” Samuel explains how they anticipated this: “Only farmers who already had a serious interest in improving their farming practices to become economically more viable were chosen for the pilot project. Additionally, both Holland Greentech and Kwadaso Agricultural College provide sufficient support to the participating farmers. We built a trustworthy relationship with them and truly take into account their worries, needs, and wishes.”

Understanding the farmers’ context

“To include the farmers’ needs, you need to have boots on the ground and be open to adapting according to their feedback,” says Benny. “One unexpected feedback outcome was the farmers’ liking of the water meter, which we initially added to collect water usage data. It turns out that the farmers also use it to monitor their farm managers’ practices remotely. Now, Holland Greentech provides the water meter as an additional irrigation tool.” Lindsey adds: “To make a project like this work, it is important to adjust to the local norms and needs. As a Dutch person, I’m unable to truly comprehend what exactly that means for the Ghanaian context. That is why it is not only valuable but also essential to work with local partners.”

Scaling up

A year and a half in, the SOSIA+ irrigation tool is becoming more widely known throughout Ghana. “People from all over the country apply to do the agriculture course at our college because we teach about this efficient technology and its practical application. There is more demand than we can meet at the moment,” says Samuel. Lindsey adds: “The collaboration with Kwadaso Agricultural College helps to widen the scope of the SOSIA+ project. Soon, we will expand to other colleges as well to teach new agriculturists to apply technologies that support farming to become a sustainable and economically viable business.”

Innovation in progress series

During the Partners for Water 2022 – 2027 programme, several projects that received the Partners for Water subsidy will be followed from start to finish. Over the next few years, they will take you with them on their transformative journey. You’ll be able to gain insights into their promising solutions, innovative processes and collaborations with local partners, as well as their struggles, challenges and valuable lessons learned. Stay tuned and follow their journey through the Partners for Water website and our LinkedIn page!

Partners for Water has granted subsidies to 10 Dutch entrepreneurs and research institutions. This is the result of the first round of subsidies under the Partners for Water 5 (2022-2027) programme.

On January 25, the parties met in The Hague and presented the projects for which they received subsidies. In close cooperation with local partners, they will use their innovation power to make a positive contribution to water security in different countries in the coming years. For these feasibility studies and pilot projects, the organisations will work in Eswatini, Ghana (2), Nepal, Suriname, Ecuador, Malawi, Colombia, Kenya, and Mexico. Both returning and new organisations have applied for funding.

The 10 projects

Below you can read about the 10 participating organisations and their innovative pilot projects and feasibility studies on water safety and water security.

Water availability forecaster (Eswatini)
The consortium HydroLogic (the Netherlands), Emanti Management (South Africa), and FutureWater (the Netherlands) will launch a pilot project for the GLOW water availability forecaster. This service will provide water managers with information, warnings, and advice on current and expected water availability and demand. This will support water managers in Eswatini, Mozambique, and South Africa in taking mitigating actions on water availability.

Climate-smart irrigation system (Ghana)
The Technical University of Delft aims to further develop its innovative climate-smart irrigation system through a pilot project. This system provides farmers in Ghana with smart irrigation techniques that are provided with information from local weather stations. Farmers who have used the system so far experience 25% less usage and 15% more harvest.

Precision irrigation systems (Suriname)
Tijms B.V. and Attro Trading Africa aim to provide sustainable solutions for the problems that arise with unhealthy soil conditions. By improving the soil, they want to reduce flooding, drought, and salinization problems, increase crop yields and make the farmland more resilient. To achieve this, they will install solar-powered drip irrigation systems, use integrated farming practices, and transfer knowledge.

Powerful water pump (Nepal)
Together with Himalaya Agro-ecology Research and Development and Agro-Eco Advisors, aQysta B.V. is starting a study on the use of an energy-efficient and powerful water pump to irrigate higher-altitude lands and improve soil quality of Nepalese farmland. Combined with increasing the organic materials on the farmlands, it is expected that participating farmers will use 25% less water and increase their income by 200% within two years.

Flood prediction service (Malawi)
In Malawi, HaskoningDHV is launching a feasibility study on the use of their flood prediction service. This service is designed to be used by governments, aid agencies, and individuals. It allows users to monitor and predict floods in real-time and to receive warnings up to 12 hours in advance. This information will give people more time to evacuate in the event of a flood.

The use of natural groundwater buffers (Colombia)
The Colombian agricultural region Bananera experiences a severe water shortage during the dry season. To improve water security, the option to use underground water wells for storage is being studied by Deltares. During the rainy season, excess fresh water is infiltrated and stored through the wells to be used when a water shortage occurs. The research aims to assess the conditions and risks for storing and recovering fresh water in the subsurface, and to pre-design an Aquifer Storage and Recovery system for one of the local banana farms.

Affordable recirculating aquaculture systems (Kenya)
In Kenya, a consortium of the Wageningen Research, AquaFarmingConsult, EKAS Technologies, FOSPA-Africa, Laikipia University, KMFRI and Nyeri Fish Farmers Cooperative S. (LTD) will conduct a feasibility study for the use of affordable, solar-powered recirculating aquaculture systems (A-RAS) for small-scale fish farmers. This is aimed at reducing the water usage of the fish farmers by up to 90% and increasing their production capacity by 40 times. Not only will this improve the business model of the fish farmers, but it will also improve the food security of the community.

Circular water systems in cities (Mexico)
In Oaxaca de Juarez, the architecture firm Beccan Davila is partnering with Field Factors and the Mexican research institute Centro to conduct a feasibility study for the implementation of BlueBlogs in the city. Combining this innovation with proper urban planning, makes it possible to create a circular water system and add green spaces in the city. Excess rainwater can be stored and filtered in green spaces and used during times of drought.

Monitoring and combating algae (Ecuador)
In Ecuador, LG Sonic B.V. has started a pilot project to tackle the growth of algae in shrimp ponds. To counteract the algae bloom, the water quality will be constantly monitored. The resulting data will be used to predict the algae bloom and to combat the growth of the algae with specific ultrasonic sound waves.

Smart reuse of wastewater (Ghana)
Bureau M2 B.V. is conducting a feasibility study to explore the conversion of wastewater into irrigation water. The wastewater will be filtered through either sand or carbon, and the plant ‘Helofyt’. The resulting organic material will be converted into compost, while the remaining filtered water will be used for irrigation.

Do you want to participate in the next funding round?

There are still two subsidy rounds. Pleaes visit the subsidy scheme webpage for more information.

The countries of Central America struggle with so-called red tides, or harmful algal blooms. This not only threatens their rich ecosystems but also local economies. The MAReS project, funded by Partners for Water, addresses this by developing a scalable service for detecting and monitoring harmful algal blooms using satellite data and citizen science, and considering the needs of end users. Consortium partners Dr. Andrea Suárez Serrano and Dr. Alexander Kaune discuss the innovative MAReS project with us.

Meet the team

Andrea, the general coordinator of the Centro de Recursos Hídricos para Centroamérica y el Caribe (HIDROCEC) at the Universidad Nacional (UNA), Costa Rica, has led various research projects on surface water quality, drinking water and coastal zones. In the MAReS project, the university validates the gathered data and provides scientific and technical support.

Alexander, who holds a PhD in Water Resources Management and has extensive experience in international hydrological and water resources projects, is an independent expert for Kaune Engineering and Science. He coordinates projects, co-develops services, and liaises between project partners and stakeholders.

MAReS

Water Insight, the Universidad Nacional (UNA), Costa Rica, and Kaune Engineering and Science are involved in a collaborative project related to water quality monitoring and management. The project aims to create a scalable service that provides near-real-time spatial insights into the location of harmful algal blooms (HABs), also known as ‘red tides.’ This project addresses critical issues affecting local economic sectors such as seafood farms and eco-tourism which depend on a healthy sea environment to be sustainable. Eventually, MAReS will deliver timely alert messages and near-real-time maps indicating the risk levels of red tides occurring in the Costa Rican Pacific, aiding in mitigation efforts.

Efficient data measurements

“We use satellite images as the basis of our tool,” says Alexander. “This results in a service that is affordable and scalable”. Alexander explains how the consortium validates the measurements: “To ensure the satellite data matches reality, we validate the measurements with data from Water Insight Spectrometers (WISPstations) placed in the ocean. These Water Insight Spectrometers determine the bio-physical water quality through high-frequency optical measurements of the surface water.” During the pilot project, Andrea’s team at HIDROCEC-UNA validates the data from satellite and  WISPstation through sea water sampling to obtain the concentration of different types of phytoplankton that can produce red tides. Andrea says: “We also receive daily images of the colour of the surface water through a citizen science approach, where people already working in the sea share images with us through an app. In this way, we have successfully managed to obtain data on red tides in the Costa Rican Pacific from four information sources: satellite images, optical instruments, water sampling and citizen science”.

Andrea adds, “The interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work of the MAReS project is a unique and innovative approach. From an academic perspective, the project is very useful as we work with communities dependent on marine resources. Knowing more about the occurrence and detection of red tides is fundamental in developing early warning mechanisms for these communities as well as for tourism, fishing and the environment.”

Problem-driven innovation

“Initially, we knew we wanted to work on water quality using satellite data, but we were uncertain about our specific focus,” says Alexander. “We decided to consult with individuals who face real challenges in water quality, aiming to respond to a need and develop a solution with direct impact.” From previous research projects, Andrea had two potential beneficiaries: Península Papagayo, a service company coordinating various activities and services for eco-tourism in the North Pacific Region of Costa Rica, and Martec-AquaFoods, a mariculture company producing fish in the ocean. “We met with them to explore how our expertise could meet their needs. They immediately identified a critical need to solve the problem of red tides.”

Designing for the end user

“Our end users want a service that timely alerts and maps potential harmful algal blooms and shows their risk level. They also want to see the variables used to generate this indicator, allowing them to compare with their own observations to better understand these events,” says Alexander. To meet these needs, the consortia have regular meetings and feedback workshops with the end users. Alexander states: “For the tool to be useful, the end users need to understand the information it provides. Only they can tell us if it has added value and what should be changed to improve information delivery.”

“In the beginning, we had to push for a participative approach, employees are busy with their own daily activities. We convinced the management to involve everyone in the process, as those on the ground dealing with harmful algal blooms daily know best what is useful for the tool,” says Alexander. Their effort to include the whole team paid off. “We had successful meetings with the employees who go out on the ocean for tourist tours and daily patrols. They were very critical and provided us with excellent feedback, but also eager to help. From them, we are receiving daily images of the colour of the surface water, that can help us to calibrate and validate our model. That’s exactly what we need to improve our tool.”

Scaling up

“The opportunity to scale up this type of project is vast,” says Andrea. “The Central American isthmus, bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, requires accurate information for effective decision-making regarding marine resources, which are crucial to the region’s economy. Additionally, our technology could be applied to lakes and rivers that supply water to communities, where monitoring and detecting harmful algae is essential.” Alexander adds, “As long as we can access satellite data, we can monitor the water quality in large areas without needing to take continuous and expensive water samples and provide our affordable service to customers in those areas as well.”

To read a full introduction to the MAReS project, read the first interview here.

Innovation in progress series

During the Partners for Water 2022 – 2027 programme, several projects that received the Partners for Water subsidy will be followed from start to finish. Over the next few years, they will take you with them on their transformative journey. You’ll be able to gain insights into their promising solutions, innovative processes and collaborations with local partners, as well as their struggles, challenges and valuable lessons learned. Stay tuned and follow their journey through the Partners for Water website and our LinkedIn page!

“I believe that water is the main factor that can affect quality of life and lives within the community.”
In this Humans of Partners for Water series, discover how the FACE Association’s CEO, Hélder Domingos, addresses Mozambique’s water security challenges in partnership with Partners for Water.

Humans of Partners for Water

With the Human series, we showcase the people who are involved in and benefit from the Partners for Water projects. The Human series sheds light on the stories of the people with whom and for whom Partners for Water works, and on how water affects their lives. Discover below how water influences the life of the FACE Association’s CEO, Hélder Domingos, and how he is committed to a water-secure Mozambique.

Dutch – Mozambican water cooperation

Mozambique and the Netherlands will celebrate 50 years of bilateral cooperation in 2025. Throughout this cooperation, the two countries have been working on improving access to WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) services and water management in Mozambique, and plan to continue doing so.

The delta country in southern Africa is vulnerable to extreme climate events, which have manifested in numerous floods, droughts, cyclones, and storm surges over the last decades. To address this, Partners for Water has established a long-term partnership with the municipality of Beira to make the port city more climate resilient. This is done by supporting the development and implementation of the Beira Master Plan (BMP) 2035, initiating and co-financing land development in Beira’s Maraza neighbourhood, facilitating digitalisation and improvement of land registration, donor coordination and strengthening local institutions to enhance cyclone and flood resilience. These activities have been and will continue to be carried out mainly by local institutions, service providers, developers, and NGOs such as the FACE Association. With its capacity-building skills in Water, Sanitation, Solid Waste Management and Environmental Protection and local presence, FACE has contributed to numerous Partners for Water projects in Mozambique.

Hélder

Hélder is co-founder of the FACE Water and Sanitation Association which is a Mozambican non-profit organization located in Beira that contributes to the country’s development by improving living conditions in communities by working with communities.

“In 2000, I had my first encounter with a flood situation. We had one month without electricity and water. This memory has stayed alive in my mind since that day. I believe that water is the main factor that can affect living conditions and lives within the community.”

With his passion for community development and sustainable and integrated solutions with a special focus on vulnerable groups and gender, he has contributed to Mozambique’s water security through advocacy, consultancy, training, and implementing programmes and projects in ​​water, sanitation, hygiene and environmental protection. Discover more about his ‘why’ in the Humans of Partners for Water video below.

Partners for Water has granted subsidies to eight consortia aiming to enhance water security abroad with innovative solutions. This is the result of the fourth round of subsidies under the Partners for Water 2022-2027 programme. The scheme provides an opportunity for companies, knowledge institutions, and NGOs in the water sector to research and test their approaches to sustainable water management. The organisations that have been granted a subsidy will work in Vietnam, India, the Philippines, Kenya, Taiwan, the United States of America and Zambia.

The 8 subsidised projects

Discover the 8 participating organisations and their innovative pilot projects and feasibility studies on water security below.

PROCAS (Vietnam)

PROCAS aims to enhance water quality, reduce pollution, and establish a sustainable business model by treating wastewater and converting waste streams from cassava processing into valuable resources in Vietnam. The consortium will design and construct a pilot plant to process cassava fruit juice and recover its proteins. This initiative seeks to reduce nitrogen emissions, improve water quality, and promote a circular economy. During the pilot phase, comprehensive on-site tests will be conducted to optimise processes, and an economic analysis will assess the project’s feasibility.

Consortium: Colubris Cleantech, Yenbinh, STAMEX, Meijer Consult

Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring with Io(U)T (India)

This project aims to tackle severe water pollution and its monitoring in the Ganga River and key water bodies in Tamil Nadu and Goa, India. It will enable comprehensive water quality monitoring while minimising theft and vandalism risks through a submerged setup. This solution involves Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring (RTWQM) using Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) technology, creating a wireless sensor network for real-time data transmission to a cloud dashboard. Expected outcomes of the project include a robust real-time water quality monitoring network for one year at five key locations, aiming support data-driven environmental management and effective environmental regulations and policies.

Consortium: Planys Technologies and Variya Tech

Tackling fluoride contamination (Kenya)

In Kenya’s Rift Valley, fluoride concentrations in water sources often exceed the World Health Organization’s recommended guidelines by 2 to 6 times. These elevated fluoride levels cause widespread skeletal and dental fluorosis among the local population. This project aims to provide affordable, safe, and clean drinking water at the household level by enhancing the existing Nazava Water Filter, which removes bacteria, with an add-on to effectively remove fluoride. By doing so, the project addresses both bacterial and fluoride contamination simultaneously.

Consortium: Resilience BV, Nazava Water Filters Ltd., Delft University of Technology and Harbauer Ltd. Kenya.

GREENCHEM in Asian Water Treatment (Taiwan)

The GREENCHEM project aims to address challenges in algae-impaired water (AIW) treatment by introducing an innovative green chemical developed by FerrTech, named Fersol©. This sustainable alternative to traditional pre-chlorination enhanced coagulation offers improved water quality, lower treatment costs, reduced environmental impact, and simpler engineering. The project, conducted in Taiwan, will assess the feasibility of Fersol© for algae and algal toxin mitigation in local AIW for drinking purposes. During this feasibility study, the consortium will identify local treatment challenges, estimate improvements, evaluate the project’s strengths and weaknesses, and develop a pilot-scale implementation roadmap.

Consortium: IHE Delft, FERR-Tech, and others.

Restoration of Coastal Ecosystems with BESE-elements (United States of America)

This project addresses the challenges of restoring degraded ecosystems along the United States’ coastal zones by utilising BESE-elements developed by BESE. Their solution consists of a temporary structure crafted from biodegradable biopolymers, designed to provide a kickstart agent for restoring organisms crucial to the health of coastal ecosystems. Over time, these structures gradually degrade, creating space for the renewed ecosystem to flourish. During the pilot phase, the consortium will conduct field trials to determine the solution’s efficacy in restoring oyster reefs and salt marshes. This aims to assess the performance of their innovation and validate it before large-scale application can commence.

Consortium: RB Biobased Institute B.V., Bato Plastics B.V., Stichting NIOZ (Koninklijk Nederlands Instituut voor Onderzoek der Zee), the University of Florida, and the University of Central Florida

Real Life Water Budgets for Sustainable Water management (India)

In Bagalkot District, India, 70% of the population depends on agriculture. This district increasingly relies on groundwater extraction for irrigation, leading to rapidly declining groundwater tables. The consortium aims to address this issue by providing volumetric water budgets through real-time, sensor-based, time-series modelling. Watermappers’ level and flow sensors will be installed to monitor critical water resources in real time, with data shared on a real-time dashboard accessible to all participant farmers and the public online. The time-series model will calculate water budget projections, leading to actionable insights for the farmers.

Consortium: Whysor, Kiaar (K.J. Somaiya institute of applied agricultural research), Artesia, Solar Magic, Watermappers

Decentralised Wastewater Treatment (Philippines)

The Cleanblock pilot project addresses the critical challenge of wastewater management in Metro Manila, Philippines. Currently, only 30% of the wastewater is treated, posing severe environmental and health risks. The consortium aims to significantly improve water quality and public health by implementing the Cleanblock trickling filter technology to treat a substantial portion of the untreated wastewater. A former feasibility study has demonstrated promising results, with strong support from local partners eager to test the Cleanblock filters. By fostering ongoing collaborations and knowledge transfer, the project aims to expand the use of this technology across the Philippines, ensuring sustainable water management and environmental protection for the future.

Consortium:  Maynilad, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)

Portable Solar Pumps for Small-Scale Farmers (Zambia)

Zambia, like many Sub-Saharan countries, experiences long, dry seasons and increasingly unreliable rain patterns, leading to crop losses and food insecurity. Many small-scale farmers have fields near streams or shallow groundwater, and could double their production with efficient water distribution.

New technology offers a solution: a locally assembled, portable solar pump, light enough for daily storage and affordable within one harvest. Jacana will redesign this pump for mass production and develop a sustainable supply chain involving small retailers, large importers, distributors, and NGOs to support small-scale farmers.

Consortium: MetaMeta, Jacana

Would you like to participate in the next subsidy round?

The subsidy scheme aims to support innovative projects from entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions and NGOs in the Dutch water sector that improve water security abroad. A new subsidy round opened in June and will be closed in September 2024. To be eligible, you can apply now for the mandatory intake interview.