Ideas for addressing... Public Health

We could reduce knowledge & capacity gaps by offering more trainings in local communities to various stakeholders  - in the knowledge development and in the sustainability of each specific theme & dimension - by the promotion of capacity building of decision makers, farmers, users of water-energy-food nexus, farmers, fishermen, technical professionals and the population as a whole.

The government is not employing enough WASH experts and waste waster treatment specialists.

Preserve available resources with more governance and a better coordination of infrastructure investments.

Human and institutional capacity needs to be strengthened as foundation to address all other existing knowledge gaps. Capacity building should be done in close consultation with affected parties and preferentially on location or in neighbouring African countries  and not necessarily at educational institutions overseas. Local needs should be carefully evaluated in consultation with local individuals. Try to avoid "top-down" approaches, but rather foster partnerships an alliances to increase acceptance of capacity building. Gender issues need to be addressed. 

The African curriculum are theoretical base with no practical, take for example an agricultural officer who study from the city right from primary up to university has never seen the process through which a plant go through up to the time of harvest, this is an officer who can not differentiate between a plant and weed.   

Outcomes of climate change risk and vulnerability assessments need to be mainstreamed into key implementing institutions. These assessments should be the departure point for capacity building excises owned by local institutions.

Accompany stengthening of institutions, accountability of public servants. A stronger governance at a political level is the first step for effective international cooperation. Perception of corruption also disencourages entrepredurism and trust in communities

Improving information flow within existing water governance structures such as Uganda Parliamentary Forum on WASH, water user committees, farmer groups and other decison-making platforms, so as to foster better and informed public participation in decision-making. 

There are still huge gaps in water technology development, research and innovations in Africa. There is need to invest in young people as potential innovators and entrepreneurs capable of creating solutions to water and climate change challenges 

Increase awareness, skills and access to the available technologies through multi-level and multi-stakeholders "sharing platform"  

Multi-level and integrated approach to issues related to sustainable management of water/natural resources

Technologies for  themes is readily available however the current old school thinking legislative framework makes it difficult to purchase such outbound and inbound tech. This leads to reluctance to implement new technologies and you find people reverting to default mode. Investigations on to the opportunities and misalignment of innovation, regulation and legislation.

A water technology platform that will unlock knowledge and insight about the entire water value chain to water and sanitation (W&S) stakeholders. It will obtain raw data from different sources, build synergy, enrich the data through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Business Intelligence (BI) and make the enriched available to stakeholders for beneficial use. (from here follows elaborate explanation put on website comment box) This research will improve W&S transparency, reporting, decision making, equitable allocation of water, cooperation between stakeholders, water/energy/food nexus integration, water quantity and quality management, international co-operation, trans-boundary water management, skills development, climate change resilience, financial management and performance, water resource protection, assurance of supply, water demand management, water conservation, non-revenue water and infrastructure asset management.
It is generically designed mainly for water, but is adaptable for food and energy using the generic structure. It will interface with other sectors like health, food, energy, education, security etc to determine cross-correlations. 
"Technology","Technology","Technology","","","Technology","","Water Mathematics holistically aims to improve Water and Sanitation  management by applying state-of-the-art Big Data concepts, Internet of Things (IOT), AI, BI and data mining technologies to assist all stakeholders involved in Water and Sanitation. The idea is to develop a generic model linking the full value water chain together to improve the silo type operation currently experienced at National, Regional and local level. Also to install near real time sensors along the value chain to bring new data for processing and converting to information, knowledge and insights."

1 Integrated water resources management and ethics
2 Upscaling potential of water harvesting across Africa
3 Arid African alluvial aquifers for agriculture
4 Sustainable intensification for resilience and food security
5 Efficient and innovative small scale irrigation
6 Minimized fragmentation
7 Demand-driven research and social innovation
8 Improved tools for water and climate change
9 Enhanced knowledge sharing and technology tran

Governance structures methodologies hardly impact as expected as little is known on what to is needed, when and where, thus misplaced priorities.

Use of citizen science to raise understanding and to create change

Include water management training including demonstrations as part of the curricula at all education levels from primary level.

The human and institutional capacity dimension has the potential to positively impact the other dimensions, i.e., technology, governance structures, interaction process users and solution providers, and business opportunities among others.

There should be combination of themes and disciplines to reduce the knowledge gaps.

Thresholds for early warning for climate-related disasters.

Each specific theme & dimension is interrelated to other. Therefore, we could use an inclusive down to top community based approach with the participation of Indigenous Peoples, teachers, women, traditional - cultural - social - religious leaders and all the marginalized in local communities.

Data, information and analyses is key in providing options for operational partners in changing contexts, along with capacity building surrounding collecting this information and providing analyses

Together with capacity building, both institutional and human, supporting governance structures need to set up to ensure sustainability of approaches to reduce knowledge gaps in all sectors. Address issues of balanced PPP's as alliances and not biased to uncontrolled influence of multi-nationals.

The demand for services is much higher than the available resources and more public participation (and training) is required. Government cannot take risks and this causes major delays. Public participation shifts the "blame" to those who take local responsibility in the area within local customs and understanding. Government remains responsible to coordinate but has limited resources and could provide more security in public health than in controlling "everything".

Increase participation to specific networks among stakeholders (not only process users and solution providers but also researchers, institutions and SMEs).

A smart guideline for interaction of all themes is required. It is difficult to relate and participate in solution based ideas with one service provider because of the PPP and the fact that everything should be transparent and fair even if you are dealing with IP related solutions. This also makes users reluctant to participate in such engagements dampening the spirit of solution engagements. Create a framework or guideline for user supplier interaction without breaking the rules of engagement covering all scenarios.

The integration of local communities in all aspects affecting them is the key to narrow the gaps related to the above themes.Subsidies on tech products for local communities to harness alternative  energy (solar and thermal) and a deep understanding of their adaptive capacity could shine a light on improvement.

Technology is the bedrock for development. Promotion of these themes at engineering and technical schools are important. Government funding in terms of laboratory equipment is also necessary. Technology hubs can also be created with a focus of creating local/adaptable technologies in this areas. Publicity of breakthroughs and achievements from universities and other research bodies is necessary in creating awareness and developing the interest of the next generation.

There is a need to support developing countries in science and technology related to water protection and assist them finically in water treatment

Development and diffusion of new tools for waste water and organic waste treatment without the production of toxic volatile substances and recovery of raw materials with the production of green energy

Improved soil and crop productivity would contribute to food and nutritional security. Also vegetable gardens through the practice of above-ground cultivation enhances the quality of vegetables and will therefore improve the health of consumers.

Strengthening and activation of waste resource at city level (both solid and liquid/faecal waste) to harness the energy in the ecosystem, at the same time prevent health and climate related impact of poorly managed waste. By creating business opportunities around waste, it encourages a sustainable way of getting the ecosystem within the city to manage waste effectively without need for ad-hoc processes or donor funded short term interventions.

The issue of governance structures has little room of capacitating policy makers.

Due to my experience working with enterprise associations and directly with government environment institutions I realize there were several obstacles in the legislations that were producing missfall waste water treatment plants. But I saw it was not necessary to change the legislation but using citizen participation became a key to guaranee long term treatment plants and thought working together public and private sectores could make a huge difference. Treatment and sanitation plants could become recycling, reuse or recharge water systems (SARx in spanish), by using state of the art technologies instead of conventional technologies. This is a way to lower the operation costs, low sludge producing and more efficient pollution removal as well as high treated water quality. This can make this system the center of a local economy by giving not only environmental improvements but aslo economical and social aspects will be fundamental to make them much more atractive to the municipality and benefitial society as well. This systems could maybe more expensive but with the possibility of having a pay back in time. Could be financed, build, operate and transfer with a more favorable monthly payment and good operated interess due to the low operation and maintainance costs and aslo the whole society interess with benefits that can a 24 hours 365 days per year that treated water will be available and give to the agriculture or industries and others. This can be of course an integral way of doing projects and seeing also advantages in warm climates countries due to biological treatment chance

What is needed most is to increase populations’ awareness on all types of water mismanagements; be it potable water, water for irrigation or for industry or just water in water authorities’ facilities. How to address each case should be at increasing levels from community to local up to regional international level. In each level key of stakeholders should be closely involved for finding adequate solution that will enrich a web-based knowledge platform.

Strengthens public institutions to be independent from individual influences (ie. rogue politicians). Implementation is very poor on these areas and there is a poor monitoring and evaluation procedures on the fields of actions. Actual applications of policies on the field ought to be a empirical reality not theoretical on documents by experts. B

Bringing about enabling environments for fieldwork by experts would further facilitates reaching-out-to the-people who are the real target. Empower field experts to bring about changes and application of their various research findings for the benefit of the African peoples.