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2017
- 29 December
- By Isabelle Mousset / Daniele Passalacqua
- KSV/015
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Kosovo - 622 teachers trained on the new Career Guidance Information System
One of the main components in which Project KSV/015 is currently intervening is the establishment of a Career Guidance Information System. Developed by the Swiss-Kosovar consortium consisting of Smart Bits and Basic Check AG, the system is based on a career guidance process which begins with the testing of subject-based and subject-neutral interests, values, aptitudes, and preferences of each student through a questionnaire containing scientifically-tested questions. After the examination process, students proceed with using the services of “School Finder”, “Occupations Explorer”, “Internship/Apprenticeship Finder” and “Online Coaching” modules based on the received results of the above-mentioned examinations.

^Depiction^{of the Bussula.com, the new Career Guidance platform for Kosovo}

Busulla.com offers several services to its users, including the testing of subject-based and subject-neutral interests, values, aptitudes, and preferences, a “School Finder”, an “Occupations Explorer”, an “Internship / Apprenticeship Finder” and a “Online Coaching” service. It is compatible with IOS and Android.

The new Information System constitutes an essential part of the new national career guidance model for Kosovo and will affect the entire pre-university education system.

For the developers, the Project as well as for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) it was important that at this stage of development (completion of phase one out of three), to present the system to relevant audiences in order to receive feedback for further improvement and adjustments to the classroom experience and the overall teaching process. This process should not only increase the relevance of the system with the pre-university educational institutions, but also ensure a higher usage by the students in the future. In this optic, the Project supported a series of workshops with teachers specialising in the field of “Life and Work”, a subject introduced in the framework of the new national career guidance model, which will integrate the use of the digital Information System. The workshops were held between 6 November and 2 December 2017 in nine different municipalities throughout Kosovo, and a total of 662 teachers benefited from the training.

^{The CEO of Smart Bits and the Officer for Lifelong Learning from MEST during a workshop for teachers on the new Career Guidance Model for Kosovo}

During the workshops, held by the Chief Executive Officer of Smart Bits, his team and the Officer for Lifelong Learning from MEST, participants were informed in a detailed manner about the Career Guidance Information System and they learned about the process of student-system interaction throughout all of its testing processes and other available modules. At the same time, teachers were asked to provide proposals on the integration of the new career guidance model and the components of the Information System in the teaching process. Their feedback and results of the workshops have been recorded and will be used by the Project in evaluating the additional needs of educational institutions in the sector of Career Guidance and in supervising the consortium in the application of the recommendations given by the participating teachers. The results of these workshops are also relevant for the upcoming LuxDev intervention, as Project KSV/020, successor of Project KSV/015 is planning to support the development of curricula, teaching and learning materials, and capacity building for the subject “Life and Work”, in addition to the continued support to the development and implementation of the Career Guidance Information System.

^{Teacher training in full swing}
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- 19 December
- By Sarah FABER
- Cabo Verde Office CVE/082
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Cabo Verde - En route vers une amélioration de la qualité de l’eau
L’amélioration de la qualité d’eau est de grande importance pour l’archipel. N’ayant pas eu de régulation officielle sur ce sujet dans le passé, le gouvernement cap-verdien a récemment approuvé le règlement de qualité de l’eau portable. Ce règlement est opérationnalisé par des Plans de contrôle de qualité d’eau (PCQA) qui visent à définir les paramètres et la fréquence des contrôles d’eau que les opérateurs des différentes îles ont à suivre et exécuter.

Le programme d’Appui au secteur de l’eau et de l’assainissement (CVE/082) encourage les efforts du gouvernement et a apporté son appui dans ce domaine par le biais d’une assistance technique afin d’améliorer le contrôle de la qualité de l’eau.

En conséquence, dans le cadre du renforcement des capacités nationales en matière de régulation de la qualité d’eau potable, le programme CVE/082 a récemment organisé une formation sur le nettoyage et l’hygiénisation des réservoirs d’eau, ainsi que sur les systèmes de désinfection de l’eau (chloration). La formation s’est déroulée du 27 au 30 novembre 2017, à Praia, et avait pour objectif le renforcement des connaissances et des bonnes pratiques de chloration et de nettoyage de réservoirs d’eau. L’ensemble des techniciens des opérateurs d’eau et d’assainissement du pays, responsables de la qualité de l’eau, étaient présents.

Outre sa partie théorique, la formation contenait également des séances pratiques, durant lesquelles les techniciens ont eu l’opportunité de participer à des démonstrations en direct visant l’hygiénisation d’un réservoir, ainsi qu’une visite à un réservoir d’eau traitée destinée à la consommation humaine avec un système de chlorage mis en place.

La mise en œuvre des connaissances acquises lors de cette formation permettra une amélioration significative de la qualité de l'eau distribuée aux utilisateurs du Cabo Verde.

^{Session pratique de nettoyage et hygiénisation d’un réservoir}

^{La formation théorique a été présentée par Maria Azeres, recrutée par le programme CVE/082}
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- 19 December
- By Projet NIC/026
- https://luxdev.lu/en/news/rof/man NIC/026
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Nicaragua - Le Centre national de formation des enseignants et instructeurs fait le point sur l’année lors de son atelier d’évaluation

Cette année encore, le projet NIC/026 - Renforcement institutionnel de la formation professionnelle en hôtellerie, tourisme et industrie a soutenu l’atelier annuel d’évaluation du Centre national de formation des enseignants et instructeurs (CNFDI).

Les 11 et 12 décembre, les conseillers pédagogiques et les enseignants formateurs qui travaillent dans les 11 sièges du CNFDI répartis dans les différents départements du Nicaragua, ont présenté les résultats quantitatifs et qualitatifs liés à la formation pédagogique des instructeurs et enseignants de l’INATEC et des centres privés de formation professionnelle. Ils ont également identifié les difficultés auxquelles ils ont dû faire face, planifié des actions d’amélioration et établis de nouveaux défis pour 2018.

La Coopération luxembourgeoise va continuer de soutenir le CNFDI l’année prochaine afin de renforcer les capacités des enseignants tant au niveau technique que pédagogique à travers l’élaboration du matériel nécessaire pour standardiser et dispenser des cours de qualité.

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- 19 December
- By Proyecto NIC/026
- https://luxdev.lu/en/news/rof/man NIC/026
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El Centro Nacional de Formación de Docentes e Instructores (CNFDI) hace balance del año en su Taller de Evaluación

Un año más el Proyecto NIC/026 de la #Cooperación de Luxemburgo ha apoyado el Taller Evaluativo Anual del Centro Nacional de Formación de Docentes e Instructores (CNFDI).

Durante el 11 y 12 de diciembre, los Asesores Pedagógicos y Docentes Formadores que trabajan en las 11 sedes del CNFDI, repartidas por todos los departamentos de Nicaragua, han presentado sus resultados cuantitativos y cualitativos relacionados con la formación pedagógica a instructores y docentes de INATEC y de otros Centros Privados de Educación Técnica. Así mismo se han identificado algunas dificultades y se han diseñado acciones de mejora y fijados nuevos desafíos para el año 2018.

La Cooperación de Luxemburgo continuará apoyando el CNFDI durante el próximo año, para seguir fortaleciendo las capacidades docentes tanto a nivel técnico como pedagógico en la elaboración del material necesario para normar e impartir cursos de calidad.

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- 8 December
- By Raja CHOWDRY
- Asia Office VIE/034
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Vietnam - Tackling Climate Change at Bac Kan Vocational College
Vietnam is ranked among the countries most affected by climate change. This, in effect, is jeopardizing the country’s sustainable development. In an effort to support Vietnam's mitigation and adaptation efforts to climate change impacts, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation is implementing its climate change adaptation flagship project – VIE/033, in the lagoon areas of Thua Thien Hue province. After initial positive results from the first phase, a second phase of this project is about to start (VIE/433) in 2018 with funding from the Luxembourg “climate finance”, under the umbrella of the Luxembourg Ministry for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure.

Currently, Bac Kan Vocational College (BKVC) has been seeking and exploring climate change related occupations in the climate change vocational education/training context. So far, the school has initiated a solar energy program by installing and operating solar panels at the electrical faculty. Greening the campus is also an activity that will lead to better mitigate climate change by maximizing green spaces, as well as reducing the carbon footprint through water, energy and printed-paper saving.

The visit of the LuxDev Headquarter Climate Expert, was very timely for project VIE/034 and BKVC to focus more on the current provincial climate change issues and call for action to all key players from provincial policy makers to grassroots level.

^{The climate expert meeting Vice Chairperson, Bac Kan Provincial People's Committee}

On 27 November 2017, the expert met and exchanged information with the provincial authorities, departments, a national climate consultant and BKVC staff. Through these working sessions and group discussions on climate change issues with the project team and other provincial stakeholders, the expert gained an overview of the current situation of climate change mitigation and adaptation activities in Bac Kan and other northern mountainous provinces.

As stated by an officer from the Bac Kan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, though climate change impacts in Bac Kan are less severe than in the Mekong Delta or central coastal areas, the province has recently endured severe weather phenomena with an increased occurrence of flash floods and landslides.

Moreover, with the high forest cover of 70%, including 283 000 hectares of primary forests; the province is facing issues of illegal logging, overexploitation of non-timber forest products, and resulting deforestation. The decreasing water level in main rivers and streams of the province recorded in the past few years, including Cau River, is also an emerging challenge for the province.

^{Example of locally well-managed forests in Bac Kan province}

Many other projects are implemented to support Bac Kan to tackle climate change issues. At this time, Bac Kan is one of the six pilot provinces in Vietnam to implement the UN-REDD initiative (REDD - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). In addition, as a part of the UN-REDD project, the province is working on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification to ensure that the timber comes from a forest that is managed in a responsible way by local people. However, most of the funding for climate activities comes from the central government and foreign organizations. “Bac Kan is a poor province; therefore, the provincial budget is prioritized for economic development activities rather than climate change mitigation and adaptation”, said the Vice Director of Bac Kan Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

At the meeting with BKVC, the LuxDev climate expert identified the needs of Bac Kan province and local communities in strengthening sustainable and legal forest management, as well as promoting sustainable livelihoods for forest-dependent communities. His recommendations pointed towards the linking the province to central ministries in order to foster Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). This is because, in May 2017, the European Union (EU) and Vietnam formally concluded their negotiations towards a Voluntary Partnership Agreement after six years of negotiations, which will enable Vietnam to issue FLEGT licenses to products it exports to the EU. The FLEGT licenses intend to end illegal logging, which causes deforestation (which causes land erosion), loss of biodiversity, conflicts with indigenous and local populations, and assist local governments to implement sustainable forest management.

For BKVC, as a human resource training centre, one suggestion is to explore ways and means to transform the Vocational College into a provincial hub that links climate change mitigation and adaptation activities with the needs of the province and local communities.

According to a member of the VIE/034 project management team, with the main function of vocational training and education, BKVC needs to build capacity among its teaching staff for them to deliver training on climate resilient agricultural techniques for farmers, and increase knowledge and skills on new initiatives such as FLEGT or REDD+ for community groups. Moreover, via VIE/034, which is promoting BKVC’s education programs on community tourism, or safe and organic agriculture production, the contribution to the provincial climate change mitigation and adaptation is highly appreciated by the school and local communities.

The LuxDev climate expert’s mission to Bac Kan has motivated the College as well as the provincial counterparts to develop further initiatives on how to approach the impact of climate change in their home province.

^{BKVC’s Tan Son safe agricultural model – A model working for sustainable livelihoods of indigenous people living around the primary fores}
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- 5 December
- By Charline GUIBÉ
- Mali Office
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Mali - Visite du Premier ministre luxembourgeois
Le Premier ministre, ministre d’État, Xavier Bettel, est venu au Mali les 27 et 28 novembre, pour une visite de travail.

Les Premiers ministres belge et luxembourgeois, Charles Michel et Xavier Bettel, ont eu une entrevue avec le Premier ministre de la République du Mali, Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga. Lors de cet échange, Xavier Bettel a souligné les liens d’amitié et de solidarité existants depuis une bonne vingtaine d'années entre le Luxembourg et le Mali. Il a souligné que « les relations bilatérales se sont diversifiées. Au-delà de l’engagement à long-terme dans le domaine de la coopération au développement, le volet sécuritaire est également un engagement ». Xavier Bettel a ensuite été reçu par le président de la République du Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Le Premier ministre a souligné que les « contributions luxembourgeoises visent à stabiliser et développer le Mali en intégrant les aspects sécuritaires et de développement, tout en étant attentives au respect des droits de l’homme, des femmes et des enfants, ainsi que le principe de bonne gouvernance ».

Avant son départ, le Premier ministre a organisé une réception pour remercier l’ensemble des acteurs de la Coopération luxembourgeoise. À cette occasion, une délégation de LuxDev a pu échanger avec lui. Xavier Bettel a salué l’engagement de LuxDev sur le terrain particulièrement au vu de la situation politique et sécuritaire complexe qui prévaut au Mali.

http://www.gouvernement.lu/7583854/28-bettel-mali
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- 23 November
- By Proyecto NIC/026
- https://luxdev.lu/en/news/rof/man NIC/026
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Nicaragua - Comienzan las primeras clases en la Escuela Hotel Casa Luxemburgo

El 9 de noviembre, los alumnos del Tecnológico Nacional de Hotelería y Turismo de Managua, realizaron las primeras clases en la Escuela Hotel Casa Luxemburgo (EHCL) ubicada en el centro turístico de Pochomil.

La infraestructura de la Escuela Hotel Casa Luxemburgo acoge actualmente a 90 alumnos y 13 profesores que se desplazan diariamente desde Managua, y que con el apoyo del Asistente Técnico en Hotelería y Turismo y el Asistente Técnico en Alimentos y Bebidas del proyecto NIC/026, ponen en práctica sus competencias adquiridas en las diferentes formaciones. Los alumnos que se han desplazado son de las especialidades de: Técnico General en Cocina y Gastronomía, Técnico General en Restaurante, Bar y Cafetería, Técnico Especialista en Atención al Cliente y Recepción Hotelera y Gestión del Departamento de Habitaciones en Hotelería.

Se espera que en los próximos meses se lleve a cabo la inauguración oficial y que todos los clientes del Hotel puedan disfrutar de la primera escuela hotel de Centroamérica cuyos servicios a los clientes serán ofrecidos íntegramente por los alumnos y docentes.

La Cooperación de Luxemburgo apoya con asistencia técnica, dotación de equipamientos e inversión en infraestructuras a INATEC, institución rectora de la Educación Técnica en Nicaragua y por tanto de la oferta formativa de la EHCL.

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- 23 November
- By Projet NIC/026
- https://luxdev.lu/en/news/rof/man NIC/026
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Nicaragua - Les premiers cours à l'Escuela Hotel Casa Luxemburgo

Le 9 novembre dernier, les étudiants de l'École nationale d’hôtellerie et de tourisme de Managua ont assisté aux premiers cours à l'Escuela Hotel Casa Luxemburgo (EHCL) dans le centre touristique de Pochomil.

Les infrastructures de l'Escuela Hotel Casa Luxemburgo accueillent actuellement 90 étudiants et 13 enseignants qui s’y rendent tous les jours depuis Managua et mettent en pratique, avec le soutien de l'assistant technique en hôtellerie et tourisme et l'assistant technique en alimentation et boissons du projet NIC/026, les compétences acquises dans leurs différentes formations. Ces étudiants suivent des spécialisations en cuisine et gastronomie, restaurant bar et cafétéria, service à la clientèle et réception hôtelière et gestion du département des chambres en hôtellerie.

Il est prévu que l’inauguration officielle ait lieu dans les mois qui viennent et que tous les clients de l'hôtel puissent profiter de la première école hôtel en Amérique centrale dont les services aux clients seront exclusivement offerts par les étudiants et les enseignants.

La Coopération luxembourgeoise soutient ce projet avec une assistance technique et l’apport d'équipements et d'investissements dans les infrastructures de l’INATEC, l'institution majeure de l'enseignement technique au Nicaragua.

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- 16 November
- By Sandrine THINNES
- Asia Office VIE/034
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Vietnam - Bac Kan Vocational College - Partner in promoting organic farming in Bac Kan province

In recent years, Vietnamese families have increasingly opted for organic and healthy food. Aware of this trend, Bac Kan Vocational College (BKVC) embarked on a new intervention with the support of project VIE/034 to promote organic and clean agricultural production by offering training courses for the farmers of Tan Son commune in Cho Moi district. The training is aimed at guiding farmers in growing organic vegetables, applying standardized processes and measures to ensure the produce meets the standards. Besides funding the construction of a lightweight protective growing facility covering a 660m2 area to be used as a demonstration and practice site, project VIE/034 also sought professional technical support from PUM, a Senior Expert organization from the Netherlands, to help BKVC in developing and upgrading the training curricula for agricultural trades.

^{Safe agricultural production project in Tan Son commune}

During the PUM expert’s two-week mission from 16 to 28 October 2017, former Director of De Groene Welle Vocational Training College in the Netherlands, visited the local agricultural cooperatives, agro-forestry production models including Tan Son project, tree nurseries and safe food stores. The discussions with the teachers of BKVC Agro-Forestry faculty and the farmers provided him with sufficient insight on the agricultural sector and agricultural vocational training of Bac Kan. The director of BKVC shared that currently they are studying the feasibility of growing, on a larger scale, a special indigenous tomato variety that is currently exclusively grown by Dao ethnic people, in the effort to market this new variety. BKVC is capable of offering a specialized program for interested producers.

^{Visits to local agricultural cooperatives}

^{The director of Sa Ha cooperative introducing the local “Bo}^khai^{” vegetable (Erythropalum}^scandens⁾

Beside field visits, the expert also experienced local tourism to Ba Be Lake (Three Lakes) in Ba Be National Park, the largest natural fresh water lake in Viet Nam. The expert learnt of the great potential for community based tourism which is still underexploited today. At the end of the mission, the workshop “Vocational training in association with developing safe agricultural production models in Bac Kan province” was held to present the findings and recommendations for improving training programs of the Agro-Forestry faculty. During the workshop, the participants including representatives of local authorities, farmers, cooperatives and enterprises also had a chance to listen to multiple experiences and professional consultations about how to promote organic farming in Bac Kan province, as well as how to create a value chain and build better linkages between farmers and markets. The workshop ignited an inspired and motivated discussion among the participants and signaled more aligned synergy for future development of the agricultural sector in the province. The issue of sustainable ecotourism in combination with agriculture was also raised by the expert and attracted a lot of interest.

^{The PUM expert presenting his findings and recommendations from the field trip in Bac Kan}

“Thanks to the support from VIE/034, I had chance to attend a workshop in Moscow and learned about the Industry 4.0 in education. I realized that the Industry 4.0 will bring both opportunities and challenges for everyone, including farmers. BKVC should thus update its training programs in order to adapt to the development trends because agricultural and rural development is a main focus of Bac Kan province. As a training centre, BKVC will try its best to meet educational requirements and become a center of excellency for high quality agro-forestry education with the support from the Luxembourg development cooperation”, remarked the director of BKVC.

The VIE/034 Project Coordinator added: “BKVC plays a key role in promoting agricultural production and organic farming in the province. In the second phase of Luxembourg’s support to the school, project VIE/034 has paid more attention to the Agro-Forestry faculty. The project has found reliable partners in the agricultural sector, including PUM from the Netherlands. I hope that contributions shared in the workshop today will be valuable in forming a relationship between PUM and BKVC and I hope that the school will strengthen its cooperation with PUM not only in agro-forestry field but also in the field of eco-tourism and other sectors”.

As the result of the mission, the PUM expert promised that his institution will provide continued cooperation and assistance by sending more subject experts to train BKVC teachers on organic farming, plant diseases, agricultural economics, and aquaculture in combination with horticulture. Both sides will work together to plan a detailed training schedule and training program which is expected to take place in 2018.

^{Combined garden of seedless persimmon and bo}^khai^{vegetable (Erythropalum}^scandens)

^{Meeting with local farmers}
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- 8 November
- By Alessandro Gambella
- KSV/018
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Kosovo - Satellite Imagery reduces water leakages in Mitrovica
As a result of increasingly sressed water resources due to climate change and water utilities suffering considerable losses from leakages, LuxDev Project KSV/018 project looks at reducing so-called "Non-Revenue-Water" by using a NASA satellite technology which was developed to detect water on other planets. This could have an immediate impact on the reliability and sustainability of the water supply for the local population.

In developing countries, roughly 45 million cubic meters of water are lost daily, with an economic value of over EUR€ 2.5 billion per year. A World Bank study puts the global estimate of physical water losses at 32 billion cubic meters each year. If the water losses in developing countries could be halved, the saved water would be enough to supply around 90 million people around the world.

This water loss is referred to as non-revenue water (NRW), or water that is pumped and then lost or unaccounted for. NRW management allows utilities to expand and improve service, enhance financial performance, increase climate resilience and reduce energy consumption. Despite the benefits and decades of training and advocacy from international organizations, NRW reduction still receives little attention amongst those utilities which would most benefit from it – why is that?

Historically, water utilities in developing countries have focused more on safe water quality and increasing the continuous supply (on-demand) of water. Unfortunately, a similar focus has not been given to efficiency in the water supply process, and it is believed that many water utilities suffer considerable losses from leakage (high NRW).

With water resources being increasingly stressed due to climate change and growing populations, water utilities must become water-efficient throughout the entire supply process. By employing improved methods of water auditing and loss control, water utilities have potential to reduce the large volumes of treated water that are lost to leakage. Leak detection technologies have not changed much in 80 years. They continue to be costly and somewhat ineffective as companies around the world struggle to find leaks.

However, by using a technology used by NASA to find water on other planets – analysis of satellite imagery – the desired area is scanned for subterranean treated water leaks within the supply network, increasing the accuracy and number of leaks detected. Satellite based leak detection provides a non-invasive, innovative method to detect NRW and fresh water leaks from space.

The raw data from the satellite images is prepared for analysis by filtering bounces from buildings and other manmade objects, vegetation, hydrologic objects, and more. The prepared data is then analysed, using an algorithm, to track the specific spectral “signature” of potable treated water in the ground. All the possible leaks are then displayed as a GIS (Geographical Information System) report.

As part of a 50 000 EUR investment involving the cooperation of Aquasave & Utilis, LuxDev provided the Mitrovica Regional Water Company - MRWC with a satellite radar leak detection report. 93 suspected leakage sites were identified in the area, of which 90% were considered to be of high enough probability to be investigated. The leakages sites were scattered around 4 municipalities – Mitrovica South & North, Skenderaj and Vushtrri. During the second task of the activity, field verification of the probable leaks was performed by using specialised conventional detection equipment. 44 suspected sites were investigated with an 86% detection success rate, and a total of 62 leaks were detected.

On one hand, the purpose of the investment was to detect leaks in the MRWC water network and on the other hand to encourage the water company to take a proactive stance towards leak detection. On average it would be possible for MRWC to find 4 leaks per day, using this technology, which would be 400% more efficient than the industry average of 1 leak per day. This would greatly reduce non-revenue water as well as avoid major pipe burst, increasing the stability and durability of the water network, reducing maintenance and electricity costs. On top of that the beneficiaries would benefit from a higher water quality and a more reliable water supply, resulting in further benefits like higher economic productivity, improved environment & ecosystems as well as greater social and health-care savings.

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