New Interlink: April edition 2024

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In the next few pages, you can read about my exciting trip to Kyrgyzstan, which aimed to identify relevant water utilities for a non-revenue project similar to the LEAKman project; a project partnership carried out by Danish companies from 2016-2021, to develop the most effiicient leakage management solution.

Prior to the trip, the Kyrgyz government had visited Denmark. They wanted to see our solutions to one of the major challenges that they predict will face them soon, due to climate change: less water resources. Therefore, they need to focus on efficiency and minimal loss in the water infrastructure. This initiative makes me believe that governments around the world are finally realising the importance of taking care of our available water resources.

The EU has been focusing on drinking water for quite some time, and now the focus has shifted to urban wastewater. Initiatives have been launched to form a Water-KIC (Knowledge Innovation Community) that will focus on water in all its forms: drinking water, wastewater, marine and maritime water. In Denmark, we will contribute with a Co-location Center to be established under the umbrella of Water Valley Denmark, an organisation that AVK have helped to found.

The Water-KIC initiative was done by members of the current European Parliament, which will be replaced in 2024, so it is important that the lead candidates for the new European Parliament are also aware of water’s importance. Therefore, we were pleased to welcome a leading candidate from one of the Danish political parties at AVK, where we talked about the water initiatives we are part of, and what we fell is important going forward. The more we can highlight water’s importance, the more focus and possible action we are able to generate.

Presentation at the IWA

On World Water Day last year, there was a lot of talk about groundwater at the UN Global Water Conference, where Danish Water Forum held a side event with the World Bank on the hidden value of groundwater. Therefore, it feels like a huge pat on the back to the Danish Water Forum that we have been asked to give a full-day seminar at the International Water Association (IWA) conference and exhibition in Toronto this August.

The seminar will be about groundwater and the challenges that come with the use and protection of it. Among other things, Canada wants to focus on the water pollution that comes from a new type of mining, namely the extraction of rare minerals and metals that are used in the green transition, such as the production of batteries. AVK is part of the group that will prepare the presentation.

Introducing groundwater as a resource

The theme for this year's World Water Day is Water for Peace. I've talked about cubic kilometres of unexploited groundwater under the Horn of Africa before, and I'm currently trying to bring together a group of companies and aid organisations that can jointly implement a project where the groundwater is brought to the surface. On that basis, small local communities can be established that can stay in the area, have drinking water available, irrigate their crops, and give their livestock water and food. The challenge right now is to localise the groundwater geographically.

And since water knows no boundaries, certainly not in the Horn of Africa, the biggest question will probably become: who has the rights to the water, when it is made available. For sure, it will be exciting to follow.

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Enjoy reading,
Michael Ramlau-Hansen