Impressions from the industrial waste water management event in Kosovo

In her opening remarks, the Dutch Ambassador to Kosovo, Her Excellency Ms Gerrie Willems emphasised the importance of addressing the entire water chain, also when dealing with topics such as industrial waste water management. “Policy and actions should not only address the end of the process (being the waste water), but should ideally start at the beginning by making sure the production processes are as clean as possible” she said.

Dutch representatives of the public and private water sector, including those from the Union of Waterboards, AVANS University of Applied Sciences and Yuniko, and NWP brought different aspects of industrial waste water management to the table. Local water professionals showed their interest in the Dutch experience with management of waste water from the agri industry and shared their concerns about the lack of implementation of the ‘polluter pays’ principle in practice.

Opportunities for Young Experts

During the round table discussion, NWP introduced the Young Expert Programmes (YEP Programmes) to the local stakeholders. Currently, there are two YEP Young Experts in Kosovo: Ms Fjolla Lasku (Yuniko) and Ms Ylberine Baliu (Afmitech Friesland). As they were present at the event, they both had the opportunity to introduce themselves and expand their professional network.

Representatives of the Kosovar ministries showed their interest in these programmes and expressed the need for young experts in the country. YEP Programmes is open to development cooperation activities in countries that are eligible for grants from the Dutch Good Growth Fund, and Kosovo is one of them. This means that there are opportunities for more young water professionals looking for first-hand experience in the Kosovar water sector. For more information about employing Young Experts follow this link.