World Water Day: Theme for this year devoted to “Water for cities: Responding the urban challenge”

9-11 March: Capacity building programme capitalization's regional workshop organized in Ouagadougou by 2IE.

14-17 March: Water Utilities Africa Conference & Exhibition, Cape Town, South Africa.

20-21 March: First bi-annual Global WOPs Congress, Cape Town, South Africa.

16th African Water Association Congress & Exhibition
Marrakech 2012
Theme: "Collaborative mechanisms and innovations for sustainable development of water and sanitation sector in Africa"
 

The official event marking the celebration of the World Water Day will take place on 22 March in Cape Town, South Africa. The theme for this year focuses international attention the impact of rapid urban population growth. It aims to mobilize and encourage governments, communities and individuals to actively engage addressing the challenge of urban water management.

This celebration is co-organized by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), UN-Habitat and UN-Water.

The World Water Day, celebrated each year on 22 March, was instituted in 1993 by the UN General Assembly as a means of focusing attention on the importance of water and advocating for sustainable management of water resources.

Researchers from the Ecole doctorale eau, qualité et usages de l’eau (EDEQUE) of the Cheick Anta Diop University in Dakar have developed a process for defluoridation and desalination of drill water with solar energy, using a new photovoltaic solar unit for filtration of potable water.

It will be recalled that EDEQUE was designated as a centre of excellence for water science and technologies for West Africa by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). This centre of excellence proposes 14 doctorate courses in shore management, water resources, uses and water demand, environment and societies.

CERTIFICATION : SDE certified QSE

The Sénégalaise des eaux (SDE) obtained, last January, the Quality, Security and Environment (QSE) certification awarded by the Association française de normalisation (AFNOR).

This certification, according to ISO 9001 international standards version 2008 (Quality), OHSAS 18001 (Safety, Health and Hygiene at Work) and ISO 14001 (Environment) makes SDE, the first African water company to be certified QSE. This is in appreciation of the constant improvement in its performance, in terms of workers’ safety, environmental protection and meeting the needs of clients.

The SDE, which started its activities in 1996, had already obtained a certification in the ISO 9001 standard version 2000 in 2002 before graduating to version 2008.