Workshop on Wastewater Management and

Treatment Technology

PRESS RELEASE

An ECO workshop on wastewater management and treatment technology was held on 5-7 May 2004 at the Eastern Mediterranean University campus in Gazimagosa.

Participants from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkey as well as ECO Secretariat staff were present at the workshop along with the representatives of the host.   

The workshop was inaugurated by a high dignitary of the host authorities HE Ms. Ayse Donmezer, Economy and Tourism Minister, who welcomed the participants and expressed her confidence that the workshop would be a successful and fruitful event. She  stressed the particular importance of reuse of water for countries with limited water resources and expressed her hope that the workshop deliberations would be beneficial and such issues as underground basins, irrigation systems, desalination plants and other related matters  would be addressed and discussed.

Director for Energy, Minerals and Environment of the ECO Secretariat Dr. S. Aleskerov, in his statement, conveyed to the participants the best wishes of ECO Secretary General HE Mr. Askhat Orazbay for the success of the workshop, and thanked the host for the excellent arrangements made and the warm hospitality extended to its participants. He spoke of the situation with water in the world and ECO region, shortage of water resources available in many countries and vitality of wastewater management and treatment under these conditions as well as for decreasing pollution of the environment. He expressed confidence that the deliberations and findings of the workshop would help in further joint work of the member states in this important field of cooperation.

Presentations by the participants covered priority water issues, problems faced in respect to water supply and use, its reuse, related physical infrastructure and technical manpower, institutional strength and capacity building, investment requirements, etc. as well as actions taken in this regard. A number of specific technologies and existing wastewater plants were reported and discussed.

As a result of the deliberations held, a number of recommendations were formulated, emphasizing the need for an integrated approach at national level in addressing the problems related to water pollution, improvement of wastewater management and treatment supported by actions at local level, increasing the awareness of population, institutional and capacity building, training of personnel, financing of water treatment technologies application as well as development of ECO projects/activities addressing the wastewater related problems , encountered in its member countries, and contributing to their solution.   

Also, visits to local water treatment plant and irrigation system were organized for the participants, which were highly appreciated by them.

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