UNESCO category II regional center for capacity development and research in water harvesting

Assessment of Needs & Priorities in Research & Capacity Building in Water Harvesting

(19-20)Nov. 2016, Corinthia Hotel

 

The RCWH aiming at obtaining a better perspective of most pressing research need of water harvesting, defining the gaps and needs, and setting the priorities.

The aim of the workshop was to define a platform for Water Harvesting (WH) community, including the construction industry, water agencies, universities and regulatory professionals, for brainstorming about research needs and priorities related to WH. Specifically, the workshop aimed at:

1. Critically reviewing the current status of knowledge and research.
2. Defining the gaps and needs in researches in WH.
3. Setting the research priorities in the WH for the next decades.

The workshop was attended by 65 Researchers, experts, and professional in fields related to water management and water harvesting. Those participants represent different academic, research, governmental institutions, contracting and consultancy firms, and the end users.

In order to achieve the objectives of this workshop, participants were divided into five specialist working groups. The mandate of each group was to identify the priorities in research and capacity building within their specific theme.The groups were formed as follows:

 

• Water Resources,

 

• Water supply for domestic use and livestock and light animal production,

 

• Water use for irrigation and agro-industries,

 

• Socio- economic and environment,

 

• Water harvesting techniques and technologies.

 

• The primary task was to prepare an evaluation form for each group, where the following steps were completed:

 

• the suggested research topicswere completed and adopted

 

• appropriate evaluation criteria were updated and adopted

 

• weights for all criteria were set

 

• each specialist group has explained each research topic with respect to the criteria in a factual way
• The final evaluation formshave beenapproved for scoring by the respective group and other groups’ members. Any suggested modifications (addition/ deletion) made by any of these groups were considered for further approval/disapproval by the respective group members

 

• each group has scored the topics in the approved evaluation forms
• scoring of other groups’ topics was made by each group members’ on rotational basis
• eventually, each group has compiled all scores done by other groups in their respective discipline and presented the final results
• the overall prioritized topics for all disciplines were compiled by the workshop secretary and presented for discussion

The outcome of this two days’ workshop has resulted in the identification of Knowledge gaps and needs in the field of water harvesting; the interaction of researchers and professionals from the industry; and the formulation and listing of key priorities of immediate as well as long term research topics in water harvesting. the 46 topics suggested by the respective five groups and their ranking as defined by each group.