[Sponsored Report] K-water tackles global issues with education

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[Sponsored Report] K-water tackles global issues with education

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Left: K-water will repeat its water loss reduction course, successfully implemented last year, again this year. Above: In April, the Danish ambassador to Korea, front row center, and water company representatives held a workshop and visited the K-water management site to discuss advanced water management. [KOREA WATER RESOURCES CORPORATION]

As climate change becomes more apparent, serious problems, such as water shortages, are preventing people from accessing even the most basic needs.

Many countries are faced with water supply issues. More than 6.9 million Filipinos are fighting over water in Manila and people living in desert areas such as in Africa and the Middle East are suffering.

It is crucial to recognize water as an essential part of our daily lives and of economic development and to establish a comprehensive management plan at a national level in order to systemically build and improve water management infrastructures.

The Korea Water Resources Corporation, known as K-water, has been operating various education programs to create global experts and secure overseas human networks that lay the foundation for sustainable water circulation systems.

K-water established its Human Resources Development Institute in 1982 and has run the finest water education program for 40,000 people in Korea, including its employees and domestic and overseas water experts.

The corporation consists of more than 1,400 professionals in water management and has established and operated international courses for water management that closely tie with various international organizations such as the Korea International Cooperation Agency, Asian Development Bank, World Bank and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

In March of this year, K-water signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank to expand education and human resource exchanges and held business cooperation meetings with the Asian Development Bank and Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Dwasa) to support founding a Dwasa education and research center in Bangladesh.

The following month, the corporation held a workshop with the Danish ambassador to Korea and water companies to establish a cooperative base for advanced water management.

In 2016, K-water established an online education program to manage an overseas alumni network, expand the pool of potential overseas business partners and share information about water management.

Since then, K-water has developed core competency courses and promoted the world’s first open, practical-oriented course that focuses on various water management facilities based on 20 years of experience and advanced technology.

Following the water loss reduction course that was successfully implemented last year, the corporation is planning to carry out courses for 42 people from three countries to reduce the rate of leakage and develop and manage resources and water services.

K-water has also been training various domestic workers to strengthen their job competency and expand its coexistent partnership network since 1990. It has trained 1,000 public officials in 162 local governments in the water sector, and the training courses include cultivating awareness of water management changes, problem solving and capacity building.

This year, the corporation is planning to open 55 curriculums for 1,400 people to learn the newest technical water management skills and acquire a water management certificate.

K-water is running a capacity building course that consults on technical development projects for small and medium-sized enterprises to support innovative growth in the water industry. It has educated an annual average of 200 people and is planning to carry out 23 training courses for 400 people, including K-water employees and civic officials this year.

In addition, K-water will continuously expand the practical education infrastructure that can apply directly to real businesses. This includes water and wastewater systems, model plants, flow meter performance test centers and Asia’s highest-quality water management infrastructure.

By Shim Ji-yong [shim.jiyong@joongang.co.kr]
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