IWMI West Africa

Philip Amoah, Senior Regional Researcher Environmental Science, IWMI West Africa, was invited to participate in a Water Quality and Health Expert Group meeting organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Zurich, Switzerland from 18^th – 22^nd March. The meeting had the following objectives:

• Present and review administrative and procedural documents for the proposed process for preparing revisions to the WHO Water Quality Guidelines.
  • Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality
  • Guidelines for the Safe Use of Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater in Agriculture and Aquiculture
  • Guidelines for Safe Recreational Water
• Identify specific areas of collaboration for the harmonization of the three water quality guidelines with a view to the publication of revised guidelines for drinking water, wastewater and recreational water within the strategy period.
• Establish mechanisms to regularly update the guidelines for Safe Use of Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater and for Safe Recreational Water Environments
• Update and prioritize the post 4th edition work plan for the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, select priority activities for year 1 and assign focal points for implementation.
• Present and refine draft work plans for Safe Use of Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater and for Safe Recreational Water Environments and select priority activities for year 1 and assign focal points for implementation.

Bharat Sharma, Principal Researcher (Water Resources) & Coordinator IWMI India Program, presented yesterday at the Catholic Relief Services 5^th Conference on ICT4D, March 19-21, in Accra, Ghana. Bharat’s presentation entitled: Launching Next Generation ICT for Weather and Water Information and Advice to Smallholders in Africa, formed part of the “Mobile Services that Empower Vulnerable Communities” programme at the event.  Bharat’s presentation detailed the development and implementation of an IFAD-supported project to promote innovative approaches and ICT-based technologies for weather, water and crop – related information and advice to relevant end users in Africa.  The project is being carried out in four countries: Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan and Mali.  About 60 geo-referenced farmers at each of the sites have been provided with mobile phones that provide instant access to real-time agricultural and climatic information and advice. This was customized to each individual farmer allowing them to plan at the individual field scale not just what to plant and irrigate, but when the weather conditions will be just right for maximum success.