Category Archives: Friday, 20th of March 2015

Friday, 20th of March 2015

How does it work?

Leave a comment

Topics of the day

  • Waterworks Friedrichshagen
  • Water Conflicts and Climate Change
This day had the premises of a mystical day, with a solar eclipse on the spring equinox, but it it started on a rather pragmatic note.
We began the day by watching the eclipse through termofoil, which might not be the ideal filter for looking at the sun, but for us it was fun and energetic. And speaking of energy, some of the residues from the sewerage system, are transformed in bio-gas and phosphorus for agriculture.

DSC_0106

DSC_0118

We visited the Waterworks in Friedrichshagen, one of the 9 waterworks in Berlin. It was interesting to have the opportunity of visiting such a facility and we were very happy with the tour.
There are 8000 km of pipes that run water throughout Berlin, all supervised by engineers from a star trek-like command chamber that monitor the pressure fluctuation round-the-clock and manually adjust the water pressure, in accordance to the municipal water demand.
We were surprised to find out water is not chlorinated and, above all, is tested using a sensor that observes the movement of a particular species of fish found in the water tank; one can tell from their movement whether the water has the optimal quality or not.
The water comes from local aquifers and goes through several processes like aeration, oxidation, flocculation, filtering, so it is good to drink before it is pumped into the local grid.
It was rather unsettling to find out that, due to Berliners’ now low household water use, they must pour fresh water into the sewage system, in order to wash the pipes and avoid the bad smell getting out. This happens because the pipe profile is designed for a higher debit than Berlin used to have. Therefore, although Berliners are saving water in their homes, a real save is not made at all from the municipality’s point of view.

DSC_0138


DSC_0165

After a delicious Indian lunch, we headed back to Kubiz, where we met our next speaker.

DSC_0172

The topic discussed in the afternoon referred to water conflicts and climate change and was introduced by Christiane Gerstetter from the Ecologic Institute in Berlin. She presented the results of the Clico research project (Climate change, water conflicts and human security: Regional Assessment and policy guidelines for the Mediterranean, Middle East and Sahel).

The project was build on the climate-water-security nexus and set the grounds for debating human security in the context of climate change on the international stage, by analyzing the region of the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East and Sahel.

The premises of the research are set by the fact climate change is a global issue which impacts, both directly and indirectly, all areas of human security, by enhancing the already existing tensions in different regions of the world and by creating  marginalized communities, which generates conflicts and insecurity. Regional and national instabilities became of global importance with the growing interdependence between nations. As a global issue, climate change needs internationally coordinated efforts to ensure fast responses to weather events and diminish the security risks.

The research concluded that factors related to climate change are particular to the regional and national context of various areas, and this is why governments need strategies for adaptation, as well as a coordinated concrete framework in which they analyze and eliminate the risks.

Furthermore, it offered several recommendations, which include measures both on an international and national level. The state itself is a key actor in the climate-water-security nexus, and it needs to create and support “adaptation measures” which include fostering research and knowledge sharing, improving capacities to make and implement solid social security systems, as well as flexible policy cycles adapted to national and regional needs. It further needs to increase its communication, cooperation and coordination outside its borders and support institutional accountability in an institutional framework competent in conflict resolution related to climate change.

The presentation of the overall study, as well as of two case studies (Ethiopia and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) stimulated reflection on the fact that climate change is a topic sensitive to subjective interpretation and conflicting political goals, which means education and critical thinking are key elements in understanding conflicts related to climate change and water.