[2024] Groundwater monitoring training programme for Timor-Leste and Ecuador

Monday, 14 October 2024 - 9:00am to Thursday, 17 October 2024 - 5:00pm

Documents

Background

In 2021, UNOSD undertook an assessment to analyse the policy advisory requirements of Member States in preparation to expand the existing policy advisory services it offers to developing countries. This assessment was made with a view to offering needs-based, tailor-made advisory services that assist in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDGs 6, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 15. The assessment identified potential countries for a successful partnership, this led to a scoping mission in June 2023 to Timor Leste and in July 2023 to Ecuador.

Objectives and target participants

This training will provide a comprehensive understanding of groundwater, covering its role in addressing the water crisis, principles of groundwater flow, recharge, and hydraulic properties of aquifers. It includes practical exercises in well hydraulics, aquifer testing, groundwater chemistry, and monitoring, as well as advanced topics like managed aquifer recharge, climate crisis impacts, and sustainable groundwater management. The course will also explore the use of groundwater in geothermal energy and addresses issues like seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers.

The target participants are the groundwater officers of government institutions. For Ecuador, institutions that are part of the Governing Council of the Special Regime of the Province of Galápagos will be particularly encouraged.

Co-organizers and partners

The United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), UNESCO’s International Centre for Water Security and Sustainable Management (UNESCO i-WSSM), and the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-Water) will work in collaboration with the National Planning Secretariat, Ecuador and the National Directorate for Water and Sanitation Regulation, Timor-Leste, to organize a training programme that develops the capacity of groundwater officers of government institutions. UNRCO Ecuador and Timor Leste has been consulted throughout the process.

Training structure and format

The training will be structured around the standard UNESCO i-WSSM groundwater module, tailored to the needs and interests of the participants from Timor Leste and Ecuador according to the respective focal points. The format will be training room lectures and a short field trip to the K-Water exhibition centre. The training will be developed by K-Water.

Programme and Agenda

Day 1 (14 October)

Welcome Remarks

Mr. Chun Kyoo Park, Head, UNOSD
Mr. Bong Woo Shin, Director, UNESCO i-WSSM
Mr. Yong Deok Cho, General Director, K-Water
Ms. Maria Luisa Cruz Riofrio, the Deputy Minister of Water at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition of Ecuador
Mr. Belarmino Freitas Gomes Dos Santos, Director of the Regulation of Water and Sanitation, Timor Leste

Country Presentations

Moderator: Yongcheol Kim (Ph.D., Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)

Groundwater Status and Challenges in Ecuador
Groundwater Status and Challenges in Timor Leste

Short Introduction to Groundwater Management and the Role of Groundwater in the Water Crisis

Speaker: Yongcheol Kim (Ph.D., Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)
- Presentation

Groundwater Recharge in Water Cycle

Speaker: Yongcheol Kim (Ph.D., Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)
- Presentation

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR)

Speaker: Yongcheol Kim (Ph.D., Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)
- Presentation

Groundwater Management Strategies and Policies in South Korea

Speaker: Hyunjong Choi (Senior Manager, K-water)

Day 2 (15 October)

Groundwater Well Drilling & Development