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There is a growing reliance on desalination as an alternative to tackle increasing water stress. Shifting towards alternative energy sources to power desalination plants and other sustainable and energy efficiency technologies will contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Still, there is another important public concern that the desalination industry is responding to: the impact on the marine environment posed by the discharge of concentrate, the high salinity-by product of the desalination process, through wastewater.

The concentrate contains approximately double the salts than ocean water, as well as other chemicals. If not properly diluted and dispersed, it could form a dense plume that extends through the sea bottom. During the last decade, as awareness of the real impact of the concentrate is spreading, regulation is toughening. The webinar will discuss the issue of concentrate management related to desalination and how the industry is also developing innovative solutions to reduce the environmental impact of the concentrate discharges.

Join the webinar on Thursday, 5 December 2019, from 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Nairobi time (EAT). Please register using this link: https://bit.ly/2CPk2Y3. 

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Organizers

The webinar is organized by ECOSTEC Water Technologies, a member of the Global Wastewater Initiative (GW²I). The GW²I is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together UN agencies, international organizations, governments, scientists, the private sector, and non-profit organizations with the goal of information-sharing and cooperation for an effective and comprehensive response to the challenges posed by wastewater management.

The GW²I is hosted by the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA) of UN Environment Programme, an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism that aims to prevent the degradation of the marine environment from land-based activities. Initially established to address nine source categories of marine pollution (sewage, persistent organic pollutants, radioactive substances, heavy metals, oils, nutrients, sediment mobilization, litter and physical alteration and destruction of habitat), the Programme has, since 2012, focused on marine litter, nutrient pollution, and wastewater. Together with its partners and through the Global Wastewater Initiative, the GPA seeks to enhance the understanding of wastewater as a resource and works on various issues related to sustainable wastewater management including policy guidelines, technology, knowledge generation, capacity building, and awareness-raising that contribute to the implementation of the sustainable development goal 6, target 6.3.1, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater discharged in our water bodies.

ECOSTEC is a company specialized in the development of innovative solutions for the sustainable management of discharges into the sea. It emerged as the technology brand of ECOS, an environmental and coastal engineering consultancy specialized in the marine sector, with a cumulative experience of 12 years providing environmental and marine consultancy services to the desalination and wastewater industries. ECOSTEC was born in 2009 after a long experience in the evaluation and monitoring of poorly designed desalination and wastewater plants' discharge that has substantial environmental impacts on marine biodiversity.

 

Speakers

Enzo García

Enzo holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences with a strong background in Environmental Impact Assessment, Research and Development, and Applied Sciences to solve sustainability challenges within the desalination, solar, and eolic energy industry. During the last years, Enzo has gained relevant experience in assessing the environmental impact of brine discharges. Currently, he is CEO of Bloom Alert, a start-up focused on improving the water quality and the efficiency of the desalination plants. Recently he has been awarded by the International Desalination Association. 

Juana Betancor

Juana is responsible for Water Quality R&D at the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands. She graduated in Marine Sciences in 1992 and holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Since 1998, Juana is working as a full-time researcher on national and European projects related to water quality (seawater, sewage, desalinated, and tap water) and seawater pollution. Manager of the water laboratory, Juana works on developing physicochemical and microbiological analysis techniques (ions, nutrients, POPs, metals, bacteria, biofouling, etc.) and water sampling techniques. In 2008, Juana became the water quality R&D field responsible. The main activities and responsibilities include management/coordination and direct participation in European projects related to water quality. 

Manuel Ruiz

Mr. Ruiz has been a marine biologist involved in the water sector for over 15 years. He has been a researcher at the Canarian Institute of Marine Sciences and is the founder and CEO of ECOS, an environmental and coastal engineering consultancy specialized in the marine sector, where he has developed innovative solutions to manage the brine and wastewater discharge from an environmentally friendly point of view. Also, Manuel is the founder of Marine Park, a collaborative space focused on finding innovative solutions related to blue growth and the President of EMERGE, an association of start-ups.

The webinar will be moderated by Mr. Leon Awerbuch, President & CEO, International Desalination Consultancy Associates (IDCA). 

Leon Awerbuch has been involved in the desalination industry for more than 35 years. During his career, he has overseen desalination programs involved in R&D, design, and engineering, as well as EPC and IWPP of desalination and power projects. He is currently involved in providing technical and commercial consultancy expertise to several leading suppliers and utilities covering reverse osmosis, thermal desalination, and power projects as well as assessments of new desalination technologies. Mr. Awerbuch holds 28 patents and has published over 90 technical papers. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from IDA at the 2007 World Congress in Grand Canarias and Life Achievement at the Inaugural Power Generation and Water Solutions Middle East Awards in October 2009. In January 2015, Leon Awerbuch was voted one of Water and Wastewater International’s top 25 industry leaders. He has received a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry from Warsaw Technical University. 

Did you know?
Only 12 per cent of cities have air quality measures that meet WHO standards.

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