Watershare at the Risk Forum in Nicosia

The CERIDES Centre of Excellence at the European University of Cyprus, a Watershare member, organised the annual international Risk Forum event on 21 and 22 November 2019. On the first day, scientific experts, utilities, first responders, and public administrators presented and discussed advances and challenges related to climate change and natural hazards (flood, fire and drought). On the second day, all the drinking water utilities of Cyprus attended a workshop about Watershare.

The workshop was attended by the ten water utilities of Cyprus and organised by Professor George Boustras and his team (CERIDES), with assistance from KWR (Marielle van der Zouwen PhD MA) and the Watershare Programme Director Lydia Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia PhD MEng. The attendees discussed the challenges and benefits of international collaboration, sharing knowledge, technologies and tools, as well as the means and ways of collaboration for future projects to face the challenges of climate change in Cyprus. All the expressed utilities interest in working together in this way. They are therefore planning to join Watershare formally through their association (which includes the management authorities for sewer systems) in 2020.

Watershare is contemplating a range of collaboration formats: webinars, industrial research exchanges, participation in international projects, technical consultation on specific topics (e.g. smart water), participation in international research projects, and dissemination activities in Cyprus and beyond, with CERIDES as local hub organisation.