The Humanitarian Water Engineering Intensive Course offers participants an opportunity to gain essential knowledge and skills on safe water supply in humanitarian emergencies. The course covers the theoretical fundamentals of, and practical considerations for, the design and operation of water supply systems in humanitarian response including source water selection, water quality, water treatment, distribution and the safe water chain, and outbreak preparedness and response.

Over the course of twelve weeks in Fall 2023, participants will engage in a rich, multifaceted online learning experience consisting of curated readings, knowledge-testing quizzes, lectures from experienced humanitarian practitioners and engineering faculty, and small group problem-based learning (PBL) activities guided by talented facilitators. A certificate will be offered to participants upon successful completion of the course.

Learning Objectives

Participants will gain an understanding of how to get safe water from sources to populations in precarious situations. The course provides a comprehensive overview of five core technical elements of safe water supply in emergencies:

1. Water quality characterization and risk assessment
2. Water source development (groundwater and surface waters)
3. Water treatment methods, process selection, and design
4. Safe water supply chain (distribution and delivery)
5. Waterborne disease outbreak preparedness and response

Participants will gain an understanding of the operational context of humanitarian response by engaging with the following cross-cutting themes throughout the course:

• Humanitarian principles, structures, and standards
• Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and public health
• Needs assessments, monitoring, evaluation & learning (MEL), and project management
• Human factors and community engagement
• Operational research and emerging questions

In this time of intersecting crises, Interbeing Wellness emphasizes practices that acknowledges Healing Ourselves is intertwined with Healing Others and Healing our World. 

The Wellness Impact Lab (WIL) will be running their signature initiative, the Interbeing Wellness series (formally known as Stress Busting), in an online format over the course of 8 weeks. The series will start Monday, October 23 and end Thursday, December 14. On Mondays and Thursdays, Harvey Skinner will lead Qi Gong practices from noon - 12:30 p.m. On Mondays, Susan Harris will lead a guided Mindfulness Meditation from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.

This series is free and open to all. No prior experience is necessary.

Dr. Reginald Quansah's research group conducts work on producing biomass briquettes from invasive aquatic weeds for use as cooking fuel. In this seminar, he will discuss health and livelihood implications as well as his preliminary findings from this project.

Invasive aquatic weeds (IQW), particularly water hyacinth, are a significant problem in Ghana, causing water quality issues and disrupting ecosystems by affecting fish health, abundance, and aquatic biodiversity, as well as the phytoplankton population (Kusemiju, 2002). They release methane into the environment through a process called methanogenesis. The growth of weeds also causes algal blooms, causing fish mortality. The dense and massive growth of weeds is responsible for floods and diseases such as malaria, typhoid, and schistosomiasis in riparian communities. Fishermen, and particularly women fish traders, have experienced a significant reduction in their trade.

Riparian populations have turned to manual removal of weeds, which has grown to be a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Aquatic weeds, especially water hyacinth, have a number of beneficial uses. These include the production of biogas, paper, organic fertilizers, fiber, human food, and animal feed, as well as the treatment of wastewater (e.g., Sawyerr et al., 2019; Sürmen & Kara, 2021). With the advancement of technology, biomass briquettes for commercial, industrial, and residential usage have been produced from a variety of biomass materials, including agricultural leftovers, sawdust, wood, coconut husk, industrial and municipal waste, and wheat straw. Aquatic weeds have a high energy efficiency because of their high proteins and fat composition. The vast availability and fast rate of reproduction of aquatic weeds make them a great substitute for conventional fossil fuels.

High-quality biomass fuel briquettes made from invasive aquatic weeds can offer a low-cost alternative domestic fuel and help low-income riparian families prepare safe and nutritious meals. Converting invasive aquatic weeds into briquettes would also offer employment opportunities and income to youth and women. Register for this seminar to learn more about this valuable opportunity to address the menace of invasive aquatic weeds and domestic dirty fuel challenges in poor resource settings in LMICs.

Speaker Profile

Reginald Quansah is an environmental epidemiologist. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. education from the Lulea University of Technology and the University of Birmingham, respectively, and postdoctoral training at the Centre for Environment and Respiratory Health Research (CERH), Oulu University of Technology (Finland). His research generally focuses on children and women's environmental health, assessing exposures in vulnerable populations like mothers, children, low-income communities, and occupational workers. Specifically, he is interested in assessing the impact of environmental exposures in homes and at schools and the health impacts of pesticides, air pollution, and climate change on vulnerable populations. He also seeks to take his research a step further by designing and implementing interventions that mitigates environmental exposures, particularly household air pollution, and minimizes the risk of potential adverse health outcomes.

Reginald worked closely with the WHO in the development of a training manual on air pollution and health for clinicians and as a resource person for WHO training on building health workforce capacity on air pollution and health (both online and in person in Ghana). He served as a member of the WHO External Review Group (ERG) for the update of the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines. He led the development of a curriculum for a M.Sc. program in Environment and Public Health at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology—African Institute of Sanitation and Waste Management (K-AISWAM).

He has participated in several national and international forum talks on climate change and clean cooking technology. He is a member of Ghana's National Technical Committee for Environmental Management. He serves on the editorial boards of Frontiers in Environmental Health and PLoS Global Public Health.

Before joining the School of Public Health, Reginald was leading systematic review and meta-analysis projects at CERH. He has led several international systematic reviews and meta-analyses projects, published in high-impact factor journals. Reginald was part of a team that conducted systematic reviews and meta-analyses to support the WHO's new recommendation for the management and eradication of human schistosomiasis.

Register below and join us virtually on Wednesday, November 29, at 1 p.m.

RSVP

Join us for the 4th Annual Global Health Graduate Scholars Symposium to learn more about some of the groundbreaking research being conducted at the Dahdaleh Institute. This year, four accomplished Dahdaleh graduate scholars will share the progress of their funded research projects in line with the Institute's three themes (planetary health, global health and humanitarianism, and global health foresighting). The exciting presentation lineup include:

• Alexandra Scott – The Myth of “Good Enough”: Law, Engineering, and Autonomous Weapons Systems
• Caroline Duncan – An Insight Into Water Quality Data in Cambridge Bay, Gaps and Future Steps
• Eyram Agbe – Digital Deprivation: COVID-19, Education, and Teacher Health in Ghana
• Nawang Yanga – TB in Tibetan Refugee Settlements in India: What We Know and What Is Missing

RSVP

Register below and join us on Wednesday, December 13, at 11 a.m.

Join us for the 2024 World Health Assembly Simulation beginning virtually on May 1, 2024 and in-person from May 2 to May 3 in Toronto, Ontario. This immersive experience replicates the highest level of governance at the World Health Organization. Students will engage in captivating discussions on urgent global health matters, connect with an array of diverse experts, and gain valuable insights into potential global health career paths and more. The theme for the WHA SIM 2024 is "One Health", which emphasizes the interconnected nature that binds together human, animal, and environmental health. This event is brought to you by the School of Global Health.

Seats are limited, so don't delay and secure your place today to be a part of this transformative event!