Taking EAWA to stakeholders: knowledge and technological transfer through interaction

VENUE & DATE: Kisumu Hotel, Kisumu,13th and 14th June, 2008
ORGANIZERS: EAWA and IPGL
FUNDED BY: Austrian Development Cooperation

The "Kisumu Exhibition" is a follow-up of the "Mombasa Workshop" titled “Bridging Research, Technology & Development: Sustainable Freshwater Resource management in eastern Africa“. The workshop was attended by more than 130 participants drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Sudan, Austria, France, Germany, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The main theme of the workshop was to bring forth research application and reduce the gap between research and development. This was in line with the overall project goal which was to upgrade the livelihood of the eastern Africa people via the development of sustainable strategies for the management of aquatic ecosystem resources and services. The output of the workshop brought forth a nouvelle conceptual model which focuses on an inclusive approach of all stakeholders involvement in translation of research findings to development processes in the region.

The "Kisumu Exhibition" is aimed at reaching a much wider participation of the eastern Africa region through exhibition engaging government ministries, researchers from universities and research institutions, civil societies, entrepreneurs, industrialists and communities. The "Kisumu Exhibition" will initiate an interactive partnership for sustainable water resource development, towards improving the livelihoods of the people of eastern Africa through pro-poor innovations and technologies for safe water supply & sanitation and sustainable water resource management. The "Kisumu Exhibition" will create opportunities for interaction of various stakeholders, policy coordination and cooperation for sustainable management of water resources in the region for development. The exhibition of pro-poor water technologies and innovations will contribute a milestone to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) such as improvement of water quality, food security (aquaculture and fisheries), and environmental health via reduction of water borne/transmitted diseases such as malaria. Another major impact of the exhibition will be the establishment of partnerships of scientists and water & environmental resource managers, with industry, NGO’s, and communities for development.