Scotland the Hydro Nation: annual report 2017

Hydro Nation – International: Utilising Our Expertise Abroad

Hydro Nation International is designed to reach out to the world to share our academic excellence and expertise in water governance and water management technology and there is a strong International Development programme of activity under this part of the Hydro Nation strategy.

The Scottish Government has commissioned the James Hutton Institute / Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters ( CREW) to develop Hydro Nation International and a detailed project outline has now been approved.

The HNI project aims build on the strengths of the CREW model and approach to bring better alignment and consistency between the various strands of international Hydro Nation activity including project management of international-facing collaborative research projects, delivering improved and more actively-managed networks across the academic sector, supporting commercial opportunities for the public sector being considered under Hydro Nation Commercial and helping to develop the role and profile of the UNESCO Category 2 Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science at Dundee University. Overall, the HNI approach is intended to provide greater coherence across Scotland's response to UN Global Goal 6 on Access to Water and Sanitation.

HNI will provide central co-ordination and project management support, and seek additional added value from these collective efforts by:

• Developing continuity through greater co-ordination of the various Hydro Nation contributors;
• Enhance the profile and significance of HNI;
• Underpinning the delivery of the Hydro Nation International Strategy agreed by the Hydro Nation Forum;
• Building on the process and operating procedures already established for CREW;
• Co-ordinating delivery and delivering project management of international projects supported by Hydro Nation;
• Ensuring that project outputs and outcomes of international significance are appropriately publicised;
• Considering future opportunities for wider alignment of Scotland's international delivery on water; and
• Encouraging and supporting the CREW network to align and respond to international opportunities for collective success.

We are committed to support work in Malawi, most importantly through the Hydro Nation programme's contribution to the Climate Justice Fund. We are working with the Government of Malawi, academic institutions and NGOs on water governance, policy exchange, water-resource mapping and refurbishment and water supply enhancement. Together, we aim to make ( UN Sustainable Development Goal 6) access to water and sanitation a reality in Malawi.

We are pleased to report further progress with the Malawi Water Futures Project which is a key project. We are building on our successful Climate Justice Fund programme in Malawi which has already delivered real benefits to thousands of people by extending the scope to include water pump technology enhancement trials in country which will increase the efficiency of pumps. We are adding additional technical and project management support to the programme and will enhance the work on sustainable water management for both domestic and business users including around good water management to support Malawi's food export sector.

We are responding to the huge potential and need in India in relation to water resources by engaging with key Indian partners to introduce Hydro Nation and help build links between the scientific and research communities. Our objectives remain to address the Scottish Government's broad International Development Strategy and deliver against SDG6 with a view to tying in the provision of other expert services or technology through engagement in projects and collaborative workshops including:

• Supporting a Ganga River Health Project led by the UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science
• Supporting a Modular Rural Waste Water Treatment Project led by the James Hutton Institute
• Developing MoUs between Hydro Nation and CGanga and between Hydro Nation and the National Mission for Clean Ganga ( NMCG)

In June 2017, the Scottish Government hosted and participated in the inaugural meeting of the UK Chapter of CGanga (Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies) at Scotland House in London. The meeting was chaired by the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, His Excellency H K Sinha, which gives a clear indication of the political importance India attaches to the Ganga clean-up effort.

Officials from the Scottish Government, SDI, Scottish Enterprise and CGanga are currently working with seven companies from across Scotland as well as Scottish Water International and Scottish Environment Protection Agency to assess their readiness to set up demonstrator technical projects to address some of the key water challenges of the River Ramganga, a tributary of the Ganges. Hydro Nation and SDI are supporting a mission to India in August to meet potential partners and assess potential sites. Thereafter, the companies will be invited to establish pilot projects in India to demonstrate how their technology can help CGanga in its long-term mission to clean up the river.

Scottish Water International ( SWI) undertakes a diverse range of consultancy assignments around the world to help transform utilities. SWI uses an innovative model drawing expertise from the core business creating value for the economy and developmental opportunities for staff. Examples of recent successes are set out below;

Jenny Steele, SWI consultant outside the newly constructed Ashgal customer service building in Doha, Qatar where she has developed new customer processes and systems with client

• Qatar - helping oversee the management of a 6-year Drainage Asset Management Programme, as sub-consultants to MWH Global, to transform drainage and waste water services, improving efficiency, levels of service and customer service.
• Ireland – continuing to provide advice and support for the creation of Irish Water, Ireland's new water utility, to help develop its operations and maintenance functions and support, as a subcontractor to EY, a major project to design and develop the Water Industry Operating Framework in Ireland.
• Canada – following the successful delivery of consultancy to support The City of Calgary to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of water services, SWI concluded a second assignment for the City of Calgary Water Resources Unit. The review evaluated three areas: service levels for wastewater, capital delivery, efficiency and effectiveness and data management/analytics and has identified potential savings of around $15m.
• Australia – supporting SA Water, the utility serving the water and waste water needs of the state of South Australia, as sub-consultants to KBR, to build asset management capability, drive efficient capital investment delivery with a focus on customer service. SWI also worked with Water New South Wales' executive team to support them to drive effective and efficient water services in New South Wales.
• England – assisting the Market Operator Services Ltd ( MOSL) in the planning for drafting of Codes associated with opening of the Retail Market in England.

In Malawi, around 1.7 million people do not have access to safe water. 10 million people do not have access to adequate sanitation and over 300,000 children under 5 die each year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation.

One of the key objectives of the Hydro Nation Strategy is to support international water aid. To this end, SWI has started to work with the Scottish Government and Strathclyde University to support their efforts in achieving SDG 6 by 2030 in Malawi.

The approach that is being developed will improve the capability of the water supply assets by improving the data and asset register of all water access points through water point mapping. This will document the condition and location and will be the basis for best practice asset management to prioritise interventions and to target the funding of improvements.

Capacity building is also planned at all levels with the Scottish Government/ Strathclyde University supporting the Malawi Government, Scottish Water International supporting the water companies and charities such as WaterAid supporting the development of water and sanitation hygiene knowledge within the communities.

Ricky Grierson, Scottish Water employee, on recent WaterAid fundraisers visit

The desire is to align the efforts of NGOs for maximum benefit and return for the communities of Malawi. This approach ensures a sustainable legacy with government policy supporting the Water Industry, the correct asset stock being established and maintained, capabilities developed at all levels in the water industry and community buy in to hygiene. With the basic need of water being satisfied, communities can become better educated and time can be focussed on growing their economy.