1. Didactics Meet Water: Providing First Level Response Officers in Cape Town the Dedicated Training they Need

    J. Oost1,2, M. De Sousa-Alves3

    1.World Water Academy, Groningenhaven 7, The Netherlands.
    2. AquaDactics, South Africa.
    3. City of Cape Town, South Africa.

    Abstract:

    City of Cape Town in partnership with the South African training centre AquaDactics and Vitens-Evides International (The Netherlands) started the development of training modules for First Level Response Officers. The main aim of this capacity building project was to showcase the philosophy and way of thinking of the World Water Academy in The Netherlands, the mother organisation of AquaDactics. The first intervention took a week, excluding preparations and after-care. The basic philosophy is empowering local professionals to train their peers with a quality programme and quality materials by quality trainers in a quality environment. All aspects with the focus on one thing: learning efficiency.

    The time for training for professionals or adults training, also Life Long Learning is lacking, because the major priority is working. Training is often of secondary importance, because of lacking of time, funding, motivation or a lack of a good and accredited or acknowledged training programme. Meanwhile the employer mostly pays the training and the less time and money, the more attractive for the employer. The focus of training time reduction, without losing relevant content and which is applicable in the daily routine, the next day. Key is the prior knowledge, skills and attitude of the professionals (including learning charactistics) and the learning objectives, based on the tasks and performance indicators the learner needs to learn or grow.

    Keywords: Capacity building, Water Reticulation, Training, Didactics

    Pages: 63 – 71 | Full PDF Paper

  2. The Worth of Hydro Geochemical Data Factor Analysis (PCA) in Interpretation of Underground Water Origin. Megalopolis Lignite Bearing Fields Mine Water and Regional Waters Relations Case Study

    Louloudis G.

    Dr Mining Engineer, PhD in Hydrogeology N.T.U.A.. Public Power Corporation S.A.. Mines Central Support Department, 29 Chalkokondili str., Athens 10432, Greece.

    Abstract:

    In the region of Megalopolis basin (Peloponnese, South Greece), a number of lignite open pit mines are developed by Public Power Corporation S.A. in order to provide the electric power plants of 1200 MW with lignite. From environmental point of view is important to avoid negative effects of mines exploitation to significant regional ground and surface water reservoirs.

    In this paper there was an effort to implement factor analysis in order to determine principal components on water analysis acquisition data in the region of Megalopolis Greece. The results of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicate two between five significant Principal components corresponding to samples collected from the internal mines dumping sites or pumping sites. The regional samples of water outside mines areas have  factor scores insignificant to these two principal components.

    Thus beside national legislation’s and international standard limitations compliance that is company’s environmental policy, PCA analysis confirmed the fact that there is no effect to the regional ground and surface water system by mine water.

    Keywords: Statistics, Principal Component Analysis, hydro chemistry

    Pages: 72 – 82 | Full PDF Paper