DEWATS Capacity Building for Primary Schools in Jordan and Palestine

Capacity building for Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Solutions (DEWATS) can play a significant role in the alleviation of water constraints in Jordan and Palestine. The paper summarises practical experience with a pilot teaching unit for primary schools based on demonstration technology and capacity building in the field of DEWATS. The training programme has the goal of raising public awareness and understanding of water issues, and gives pupils the opportunity to conduct experiments in water/wastewater analysis and build wastewater filters and construct wetlands models. This training encourages reflection about wastewater components and shows the participants the advantages of wastewater treatment and the potential for reusing wastewater in decentralised systems. Additionally, the experiments help students understand wastewater as a resource, especially in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) regions with water shortages. The students build a constructed wetland model, which helps them to view constructed wetlands treatment systems as a modern and ecological treatment technology that blends in well with the environment and can provide solutions for wastewater treatment and irrigation purposes. The paper aims to assess the results of a pilot training project conducted in primary schools during November 2008 in Ramallah, Palestine, and April 2009 in Al-Salt, Jordan. In addition, the paper looks at the essential challenges involved in developing the programme on a national scale in Jordan and Palestine, incorporating it into the official curriculum, and evaluating its local impact with the overall aim of more effective and equitable use and allocation of water resources.