Written by Christine Al Halabi
“We never know the worth of clean water till the well is dry,” but that does not apply to those who pause to consider what life would be like without it.
As a civil engineer working in the design and establishment of roads, sewer and water networks, the grassroots environmentalist in me was easily moved after witnessing the bereft violations that continue to be used in the sewer networks division and placement in Lebanon. More pressing issues, however, are the absence of rigid environmental legislations along with the lack of consciousness among most of the investors and contractors, and their unwillingness to address the long-term threats of their establishments to the environment generally, and to water resources specifically.
WIL Canada… the most robust, inclusive and creative program to develop and advance ideas in a secure, supportive, immersive and innovative environment.
All of this led to the “YOU MUST DO SOMETHING, CHRISTINE!” thought that kept echoing in my mind until discovering the Water Innovation Lab Lebanon. Further knowledge about the program through the Waterlution website encouraged me stalwartly to join WIL Lebanon as it turned out to be the most robust, inclusive and creative program to develop and advance ideas in a secure, supportive, immersive and innovative environment.
One of the central problems of our local region is the contamination of water resources with substances of far-fetched potential for harm. Detrimental substances include Phenols and heavy metals that pose a serious threat to flora, fauna and land fertility. The mentioned substances are highly present in olive mill wastewater along with BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand). Due to the high focus of the olive oil industry in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and the discharging of untreated olive mill wastewater in Lebanon to the Litani, Hasbani (the two key rivers in Lebanon) and main sewer networks, it was critical to find an innovative low cost treatment method.
…the choice of activities and resource guests by the Waterlution team was spot-on to provide the inspiration among participants and to guarantee the accomplishment of the program’s aim.
“Moukafahat Al Zibar” that started as an idea and became a full-blown project that I worked on with my team at WIL Lebanon was based on previous research and testing which proved the efficiency of iron oxide nanoparticles in capturing each of Phenol and heavy metals substances. The innovative idea we added is to study the effect of iron oxide nanoparticles once the mentioned substances are present together, to reuse the treated wastewater in olive mills industrial processes and to recycle the residues obtained (heavy metals and phenols) in their appropriate industries. Compared with the original olive mill wastewater treatments, the new process can save the high cost of treatment and of buying clean water by mills, and it can generate extra funds by selling the residual products obtained along with providing higher treatment efficiency. This way, both economic benefit and environmental protection can be realized by this process.
WIL was not just a training program, it was comprised of learning on the ground through field visits and presentation of content from experts and peers, and facilitating skill development through fun activities, all the while feeling a sense of tranquility and peer affection and bonding.
It was an incredible feeling when my team won two prizes – USD $5000 AUB Seed Grant and the CEWAS mentorship award! You can watch my video speaking about my project here:
WIL Lebanon was an exceptional experience for the mediation of ideas and development process to cultivate competences by combining cross-disciplinary backgrounds and cultures. I am Lebanese and some of my team members are from Jordan, which resulted in a cross-country collaboration and knowledge transfer. In addition, the choice of activities and resource guests by the Waterlution team was spot-on to provide the inspiration among participants and to guarantee the accomplishment of the program’s aim. WIL was not just a training program, it was comprised of learning on the ground through field visits and presentation of content from experts and peers, and facilitating skill development through fun activities, all the while feeling a sense of tranquility and peer affection and bonding. I also learned that when you set your mind to to achieve a collective goal, and you get the right support, you can do it!
In short, it was an experience of a lifetime… the journey continues as we develop our project into a prototype and test pilot.
