Module 2 – Socio-economic Impacts of Wastewater Treatment Using Natural Systems and Related Industrial Application and Development

Topics:	Socio-economic impact of water as a resource in Egypt and Tunisia; The water purification system; The phytoremediation’s industry; Reuse of treated water; Case studies.
Tutor:	Prof. Bernardino Quattrociocchi (module coordinator) Dr. Francesco Mercuri, Dr.ssa Valentina Lisena
Type:	Course
Date:	18.02.2014 (First on-line lesson)
Duration of event:	January – June 2014
Location:	web-based & Field Work

How to register	on-line registration form
Contents and Structure	go to page
Tutoring	go to page

Background

Water appears to be a strategic resource, able to influence the social and economic development of a country. Currently, in the Mediterranean countries, water has an uneven distribution and its limited availability subject them to increasing pressures related to population growth and the expansion of irrigated areas.

The optimization of this resource has become a crucial element in the pursuit of socio-economic objectives such as environmental protection and the realization of sustainable development.

It is necessary to make a rational management of water through innovative approaches oriented to rectify the current imbalance between demand and availability of water resources from the different economic sectors. Optimization of the management of water services by the responsible entities, could result in the reduction of resource consumption.

One of the main technologies being studied by various scientific lines is the “phytoremediation”, an eco-technology based on a plurality of processes for the treatment of polluted water, where the filter used is the soil-vegetation system.

The European Union will try to implement these concepts in the project SWIM through an e-learning program, working in parallel with the construction of a phytoremediation pilot plant.

The main purpose is to transfer the experience of the Improware project to the course’s students

Learning Objectives

The e-learning module provides a series of lessons in which the technical skills and experiences resulting from the project Improware will be transferred, so to implement a sustainable culture of water management and re-used water treatment.The Improware Message is building trust on the safety of treated water – the distrust emerged clearly in both countries in stakeholders meetings. Treated water is perceived as unsafe, and therefore it is not used. This program should transfer confidence in the processes implemented, allowing the involved countries to build a cooperative climate.

Methodology

The program foresees a preliminary preparation to the course. It will be preparatory to a more efficient use of the concept taught during the course.

The lectures will be divided into five main topics, through which we will analyze in detail the economic social and technical components of phytoremediation.

This analysis is preparatory to the design, planning and installation of a constructed wetland, in a context such as North-Africa.
The first lesson will offer a deep understanding of the socio-economic development of Egypt and Tunisia, with particular reference to the use of water resources.
The second and third lessons will further analyze the technology of a phytopurification system and the potential role of this technique in the industrial sector.
The fourth lesson will propose various solutions to wastewater reuse, treated by the constructed wetland.
Finally, the analysis of some case studies, divided into two lessons, that have similar characteristics to the context of North Africa will be considered.
The aforementioned modules will be covered through a power point presentation and a video explanation.

Within the course, students are invited to submit a paper, based on a relevance case study of their choice, and present it to the course’s tutor. Elaboration of the paper should be pertinent to the objectives and should be representative of the knowledge acquired during the course. The paper will be evaluated by the course’s tutor to verify the appropriateness, the territorial pertinent and the deepening of the study.

Entrance and final self-evaluation tests for each lesson will be implemented.

The module foresees the implementation of a field-trip to Tunis in June 2014.

Targeted Audience

This course is designed specifically for:

University researchers
Civil servants in relevant national agencies
Technical staff in relevant national agencies
NGOs staff working in the area

Additional Information

A certificate of completion will be issued jointly by CUIEM and IMPROWARE under the patronage of the Unviersity La Sapienza, Rome Italy – at the end of the course.