Leveraging the legacy of the Alter Aqua Programme activities since 2011, the Programme in its 3rd phase (2019-2020) places youth at the forefront.
Seeking to mainstream NCWR applications and water saving in Malta, the Programme collaborates with tertiary education institutes to engage youth in training and hands-on activities to gain experience in designing and implementing NCWR systems, as well as in the design of communication, marketing and cultural activities related to water.
Alter Aqua Phase III, designed and implemented by Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med), in partnership with the Energy and Water Agency (EWA) and Coca-Cola in Malta (General Soft Drinks S.A. and Τhe Coca-Cola Company), and supported primarily by The Coca-Cola Foundation and co-funded by EWA, concluded the first phase of capacity building and youth engagement in November 2019, through capacity building workshops organized for young professionals and tertiary education students.
The workshops, organized by the Programme and hosted by the Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (MCAST) aimed to share knowledge and insights, as well as engage participants and facilitate their professional development in water related jobs.
Through the workshop ‘Communicating Water Trends & Innovation to Engage Locals and Tourists’ participants learned about the value of water and its linkages to various aspects of life, economy and culture, deepened their understanding on outreach and communication activities and tools, and gained valuable insights about non conventional water resources through the experience of project partners and through an interactive break-out session.
Through the workshop 'Non-Conventional Water Resources Management: Local Solutions' participants learned about the importance of reviving traditional water management practices such as rainwater harvesting and about technological advancements and technical solutions that utilize non-conventional water resources and increase water efficiency and deepened their understanding of challenges and opportunities in Integrated Urban Water Resources Management and its potential in improving lives in cities.
Young professionals and students attending both workshops, participated in site visits to learn first hand about technical non conventional water resources applications, as well as about significant outreach and communication initiatives and tools.
Workshop material:
- Addressing global problems in local scales: Water management, history & trends in Malta
- Communicating water in local audiences and mainstream media
- Gaming as an engagement & awareness raising tool
- Engaging tourists and locals: why and how should we engage people? The national water conservation campaign of Malta