3R Seminar on the World Water Day 2012, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Wageningen welcomed visitors for the national World Water Day celebration on March 22, 2012. Visit the main event page for overall overview, feedback, presentations and more. But of course, feel welcome to go through this page and view the presentation given during the side session at 13:50 & 15:25 that was organised by the 3R consortium.

Title: Water buffering in coastal areas – innovating options for securing water supply

Aim: trigger practitioners / professionals to include water buffering in water and food security proposals, as well as underline the importance for the private sector and (civil society) investors to participate.

Summary: Managing the water buffer aims to integrate the planning and design of suitable 3R solutions (Recharge, Retention , Re-use) in water resources management. Four members of the 3R consortium (MM, A4A, IGRAC, Acacia Water) have carried out a quickscan of 3R techniques in four different deltas (Bangladesh, India, Mozambique, Kenya).Common challenge in delta areas is the decreased quantity and quality of fresh water, strained by the changing river flows from hinterland, changing rainfall patterns and the washing sea. A combination of old and new technologies and management practices can offer solutions; such as storage of fresh water in brackish aquifers, flood and recession based farming, dune infiltration etc. The outcomes of the quick scan have resulted in two proposed follow up projects looking towards innovating and up-scaling the efforts vis-a-vis shared learning and public and private involvement. The proposals will be presented as action research programmes to share experiences and test suitable 3R options in two ‘similar’ delta areas. A call will be made to form consortia of public and private partners to implement the action research. Highlighting the options, we aim to spark the interest for investment opportunities in water supply, industrial development and alternative farming practices.

Presentations that were given:
- Introducing 3R Water, text (pdf) and picture version (pdf)
- Fresh Water Buffering - Combating the threat of Salinization (pdf)
- 3R in Vulnerable Saline Groundwater Areas for Agriculture and Drinking Water - Bangladesh Case Study and Outline of Concept andNote for Out-scaling in Similar Environments (pdf)
- 3R potential in coastal water resources systems - Application of dune infiltration (pdf)