Engineering the future of water
Friday September 29th 2006
Stephen HoareWater is the new battleground of the Middle East. A team from the postgraduate department of hydrology at the University of Newcastle in Britain has just completed a five-year project in partnership with the Palestinian Water Authority to help resolve an issue that divides Israel and the Palestinians.
The West Bank aquifer is a valuable resource, greening the arid desert for growing crops. Seventy per cent of the aquifer lies beneath Palestinian land, yet Israel extracts 70% of the water. Any lasting peace in the region has to recognise a joint responsibility to manage the water more equitably.
Dr Geoff Parkin, senior lecturer in hydrology at the university, says: ?We have left the Palestinians with groundwater computer modelling tools to assess the impact of extraction and the recharge of the aquifer. And we have helped them set up an NGO, House of Water and the Environment, whose mission is to establish an integrated water resource management system between the two countries. A successful outcome to negotiations over the management of the water will form a key part of any future peace deal.?
It has often been said that future wars will be fought over access to water rather than any religious or territorial disputes. Water is a crucial resource in many parts of the world, and hydrologists are playing an important role in helping resolve arguments over the management and allocation of scarce water resources before they turn into full-blown conflict.
Andrew Allan, lecturer in national water law at the centre for water law, policy and science at the University of Dundee in Britain, says: ?Water is a big issue in Israeli-Palestine relations. It?s a problem from a security point of view, but it?s an issue that?s rarely talked about.?
With a network of experts across the world, Dundee offers masters degrees in law and PhDs in water management, mainly for overseas students. The programme has 12 students, most of them from developing countries. ?We have students from Iraq, Mozambique, Kenya and Namibia ? all countries looking for conflict resolution,? Allan says.
Water management is not just about heading off political conflict, but an even more vital role: saving the planet. Scientists who first drew attention to global climate change cover a wide range of academic disciplines, from meteorology and biology to hydrology. Dr James Bathurst at Newcastle points to the importance of research into the effects of climate change on rainfall, groundwater and river flow.
As extremes of weather become more common, hydrologists and water engineers monitor the effects of global warming on river basins and work on drought alleviation or flood prevention. Newcastle?s MSc programme in sustainable management of water environment is one of only three specialist postgraduate water engineering degrees in the UK. Imperial College London and Birmingham University are the others. All three require a high level of maths from applicants for water management MScs, and an engineering degree is the preferred entry qualification. Most students are recent graduates of British universities. A high proportion receives studentships or grants from the Natural Environment Research Council to cover tuition fees and living expenses.
Unusually for a maths-based postgraduate degree, more than half of Newcastle?s MSc students are female. Bathurst says his MSc is competing for a diminishing pool of engineering graduates with a high level of mathematics. ?Each year the university produces 10 MScs from our one-year full-time programme. We could easily recruit more, as there is a huge demand for our postgraduates. Water engineers are snapped up by big water consultancies.?
Postgraduate water engineers can expect higher-than-average starting salaries and will be working on important issues affecting communities. They advise on construction of flood defences and plan water management programmes to reduce the risk of flash floods.
Newcastle postgraduates are doing excellent practical work in the field, developing sustainable water strategy in the UK. Students are researching water management for the River Eden in Cumbria, northwest England, to ensure that farmers can play a bigger role in flood prevention by building small storage reservoirs near the river?s source. The programme also highlights the role played by planting vegetation on river banks to slow sudden surges in water and prevent catastrophic flooding downstream. The scheme shows that sustainable river management can meet the needs of agriculture and consumers.
Another research project is looking at measuring pollution and finding an engineering solution to prevent groundwater supplies from becoming contaminated by nitrates ? the run-off from fertilisers and agri-chemicals used in intensive farming.
Accreditation is a big issue with UK universities, most of which compete strongly in the international market with universities in the US and Australia, particularly for distance learning students. In Australia the universities of Sydney, Adelaide and Flinders run internationally recognised water management postgraduate degrees.
Dundee?s water law degree is recognised by Unesco, which is a partner with the university in overseas projects. Newcastle participates in EuroAquae, a trans-European project with the universities of Nice, Barcelona and Budapest that arranges student exchanges and work placements.
In the UK, seven university postgraduate water management departments are accredited by the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management, which is a strong selling point for overseas students. Among the institute?s recognised postgraduate courses are those at the universities of Loughborough, Cranfield, Glasgow Caledonian and Sheffield Hallam.
Loughborough?s paper-based distance learning MSc in water management is popular in developing countries and covers the basics of environmental assessment and integrated water management for professionals involved in the water industry and related fields.
With 50-60 students a year, Cranfield runs the UK?s biggest and most popular postgraduate water management degree. The university has links with water companies, consultants and the UK Environment Agency. Full-time and part-time options are available. The course covers environmental water management, community water supply, advanced irrigation and water for sustainable agriculture and development.
The Cranfield MSc is popular with EU students who come via the Erasmus exchange project. Professor Sue White, course leader of the MSc in water management, says: ?Since the EU?s water framework directive, more attention has been focused on water management. There is now more emphasis on pollution control for the land itself rather just treating sewage. If you manage the land better, it?s good for the land itself.?
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