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IWK Showcases Sustainable Cost Effective Sludge Management And Disposal
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Sharing Best Practices in Sanitation... Access to proper sanitation is a basic human right. According to IWK Director, Suhaimi Kamaralzaman, IWK is willing to share its technical expertise and experience in practitioner-to-practitioner exchanges of best practices in sludge treatment with cities and wastewater utilities in other Asian countries if called upon to do so. Pic: Courtesy of IWK |
KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) -- National sewerage service provider, Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) successfully concluded the country's inaugural Regional Water and Sanitation Workshop and Training Programme entitled 'Developing Comprehensive Domestic Sludge Management Programme in Asia', held here recently.
The event, which is organised jointly with Environment Cooperation-Asia (ECO-Asia) United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries (Sandec) and the Swiss federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag); aims at consolidating the region's knowledge about sludge management, sharing experiences and capabilities, and increasing the capacity to provide sustainable sanitation and wastewater treatment in major cities in Southeast Asia.
Representatives from 18 utility operators, government agencies and policymakers from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Indonesia assembled to present their views, experience and the challenges they face in providing domestic sludge treatment services for their respective jurisdictions.
Host IWK briefed participants on its role and contribution in setting a national framework and effective policies for a holistic approach to sludge treatment, including various aspects relating to funding, promoting public awareness and building physical capacity.
Workshop participants also toured IWK's waste treatment plant and training centre to appraise the physical components as well as the processes and procedures necessary for proper sludge management and assess the technologies being used to treat sludge.
The delegates regarded the event as an 'eye-opener' and welcomed the opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and share best practices and innovations in the treatment of sludge.
ACCESS TO PROPER SANITATION A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT
One of the most pressing concerns in cities all across Southeast Asia is that sludge is generated at a rate that outstrip the ability of municipal authorities to manage it, and the natural environment to assimilate it.
Inadequate sewerage systems have degraded rivers, turning them into open sewers; with dire consequences to the environment, human health and the quality of urban life.
Increasingly, access to proper sanitation is seen as a basic human right. The disposal of untreated wastewater directly into rivers is no longer acceptable.
Thus a practical and cost-effective strategy for providing sewerage services that matches burgeoning urban population is called for.
However, designing and implementing sustainable solutions to suit the needs of communities at different levels on the development ladder is a daunting task.
Drawing up a plan for successful and sustainable wastewater management requires a 'big picture' view and approach, which involves cross-border consultation, cooperation and coordination between the service providers and regulators.
For this purpose, ECO-Asia has conducted a study on the challenges in sludge treatment faced by seven countries in the Asian region and subsequently identified suitable operators to act as mentors under its twinning programme.
The twinning programme typically feature one partner operator with a good track record in water and sanitation service delivery, mentoring a counterpart who faces challenges and shortcomings in a similar area.
IWK PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE SANITATION THROUGH TWINNING PROGRAMMES
"Since its incorporation in 1994, IWK has greatly enhanced the sewerage services in the country by upgrading sewage treatment facilities, increasing service coverage and improving service levels," IWK director Suhaimi Kamaralzaman told Bernama in an interview recently.
The name 'Indah Water' is now synonymous to an environment caring organisation.
"IWK manages over 5,000 public sewage treatment plants, including a network of 14,000km of public sewerage pipelines serving approximately 17 million users," Suhaimi added.
The achievement has not gone unnoticed.
According to ECO-Asia's Water and Sanitation Team Leader, Niels Van Dijk, IWK has the ability to help build facilities and wastewater management systems in the region.
"IWK has much to share in
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