Les om NFR-prosjektet INTWASTE

Ingunn Burud

IMT-forsker og Razak Seidu leder NFR-prosjektet INTWASTE som startet med en workshopi Ghana i august i år. Her kan du lese hva han skriver om prosjektet.

Project on Integrated Health Risk Management of Urban and Peri urban Wastewater Irrigation (INTWASTE)

Wastewater has many benefits but can also present significant health risks. Integrated Health Risk Management of Urban and Peri-urban Wastewater Irrigation, short named INTWASTE will assess the contribution of urban wastewater irrigation practices to disease risks to enable the development of integrated interventions for their mitigation in a cost-effective way. INTWASTE is financed by the Norwegian Research Council (Project No: 204066), and is led by Razak Seidu of IMT, UMB. The project will be undertaken in Kumasi, Ghana with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the International Water Management Institute as the local partners.

Foto: ukjent

Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshop

From 29th to 30th August, 2011, a stakeholders’ consultation workshop was held in Kumasi, Ghana to among others, present INTWASTE to key stakeholders in the water, sanitation and health sectors, discuss the methodological framework of the project and establish a working relationship between the stakeholders and the project team. The workshop was attended by 45 participants drawn from key institutions including the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Environmental Health Department, KNUST Wastewater Treatment Plant Department, Kumasi Waste Department, Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, and Wastewater Farmers’ Association. IMT, UMB was represented by Razak Seidu, Hans Overgaard and Thor Axel Stenstrom. The following resolutions were made during the workshop to:
i) Establish a Memorandum of Understanding between the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
ii) Establish a project steering committee to support the project with various competencies

Foto: ukjent

Students Exchange and Development

A cardinal objective of INTWASTE is to facilitate the exchange of students between Norway and Ghana. In particular, the project aims to build the capacity of Norwegian students on water and sanitation issues in developing countries. Two master students, Ingrid Sjolander and Eivind Bovim Kvenberg will both undertake their MSc. Research work under the INTWASTE project. Ingrid Sjolander will apply quantitative microbial risk models to assess the health risk associated with wastewater irrigation in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area. Eivind Bovin Kvenberg will characterize the raw wastewater, and critically assess the existing treatment processes of a wastewater treatment plant in Kumasi, for rehabilitation to support wastewater irrigation in Kumasi in a cost-effective manner. Ingrid and Eivind will be supervised by Razak Seidu and Arve Heistad of the Department of Mathematical Sciences and Technology, UMB, with local supervision by Prof. Robert Abaidoo. In addition, three master and two bachelor students from the Department of Biological Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology will carry out their thesis research work on a wide range of topics. Amina Abubakar and Mary Antwi, both female PhD students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) will undertake their PhD studies under the INTWASTE project. Amina Abubakar will assess the contribution of wastewater irrigation to diarrhoeal and malaria disease risks using both epidemiological and quantitative microbial risk mathematical models. On the other hand, Mary Antwi would apply spatial statistical models integrated with Geographical Information System (GIS) to assess the spatial relationship between wastewater irrigated sites and the incidence of malaria. Both Amina and Mary have already collected the base line data for their work, under the supervision of Dr. Razak Seidu and Prof. Robert Abaidoo. To ensure mutual benefit between the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Sciences and Technology, efforts are made to ensure the joint award of PhD from both Universities.

For more information on this project and possible collaboration contact:Razak Seidu E-mail: razaks@umb.no

Publisert: 04.10.11
Oppdatert: 12.10.11
Utskriftsvennlig versjon

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