by André
I have just updated our publication list, both the BSc and the MSc theses. As before, if you wish to receive a copy just send me an email (a.marquesarsenio@tudelft.nl).
Tag Archives: irrigation
One full month in Maputo!
by Jesper
After spending most of our last weekend inside or in close proximity of our residence we are receiving more and more comments from people urging us to explore more of Maputo and its surroundings. Of course we all agree, we are not visiting Mozambique to merely sit in a study room for two or three months. That is why this week we planned a visit to the agricultural zone of Maputo and the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Infulene. For the weekend we planned a travel to the nearby island of Inhaca, which is famous for its beautiful beaches and restaurants serving well-priced fresh lobster. Monday and Tuesday are regular days when we wake up around 7am after a rooster has been urging us to get up for some 2 hours. We visit the canteen for a bread to the side of either a cup of sweet tea or even sweeter milk. Followed by a cup of coffee sometimes accompanied with some shared pastry. Continue reading
Liliche!
by Iana
Good morning! Or “Lichile!” in Shangana, one of the local languages spoken in Mozambique. It has been three weeks in Maputo and, as time goes by, the taste of the unknown has become somehow familiar and enjoyable in our neighborhood. Simone, the Italian, early mornings, stops by the coffee place and updates us about the cultural activities in Maputo; José, the owner of the Café, Mozambican and son of Portuguese, talks about the most varied subjects, from pastry recipes to the Portuguese colonization. Fernando, who studies medicine and lives in the same building, is always around the residence, almost ubiquitously, unless at the end of the afternoon, when he goes to the mosque, because it is Ramadan. All the street vendors, who sell anything that you can imagine (expect for a laptop charger I really needed) are already part of our daily landscape. Greeting and recognizing people in public places are starting to be regular. Yes, we realize Maputo city is small and welcoming. Continue reading
Weeks 4 and 6: Field work and results
by Frank Huijgens
Boa tarde!
After the first guided tour around the campus in week 3 with Mr. Congolo, I started preparing drawings of the existing sewer network. But I quickly realized that this was a quite difficult job. Actually the only source available was the Master Plan for UEM campus made in 2004. During the first guided tour I saw a part of the network displayed in the Master Plan and after I went back on my own in week 4 with a pencil and paper I compared the sketches with the map – fortunately both were the same. But this network only covered around 50% of the buildings. I asked Mr. Congolo some questions during the guided tour around the campus and with his answers and assumptions I made a map of the sewer network of the other buildings. Continue reading
Laboratory equipment in Maputo
by André
After a long period we finally got some laboratory equipment in Maputo. Celma, Noor and all the BSc and MSc students involved in the project have now access to high-quality laboratory equipment for their work, including a spectrophotometer, several field probes and several other items. All the equipment was donated to Universidade Eduardo Mondlane and can be used for education and research purposes. If you wish more details about the equipment or wish to use it please don’t hesitate to contact us.
All the equipment in boxes last year in Delft.
The equipment in Maputo a coupled of weeks ago.
Weeks 1-3: Getting used and getting started in Maputo
by Frank
Three weeks ago, on the 31th of January, I arrived at Maputo International Airport. From then on I would be here alone for the next 11 weeks, working on solutions for water reclamation at the campus of Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM). Exciting! Continue reading
Last weeks in Maputo
By Jesse Salet and Hidde Schijfsma
In our last weeks in Maputo the focus of our work was on the developing and environmentally sustainable solution for the sewer produced within UEM Campus. Continue reading
The first week in Maputo
By Hidde Schijfsma and Jesse Salet
Last week (16th of November) we arrived at Maputo Airport where we were warmly welcomed by Noor. She drove us around and gave us a nice first impression of Mozambique. During the coming period we will be analyzing the issues of the municipal sewerage system of Maputo. At the moment there are some problems with non-operating pumps and because of that the sewage is discharged directly into the bay. Our goal is to find out the issue behind the non-operating pumps and investigate how the system can be restored or even improved to operate in a more sustainable way. Continue reading
Safe use of wastewater in agriculture
by André
I just came across with this very interesting and informative video produced by the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development that covers issues with reuse of untreated wastewater for irrigation. More information about this project can be found here. Unsurprisingly, the case-studies (Lima, Jakarta and Tehran) presented in the movie share many characteristics with the situation in Maputo, where farmers use the effluent of the wastewater treatment plant that was studied by Irene Caltran in 2014 – make sure to check her report. Continue reading
First group meeting
by André
We organized our first project meeting since the appointment of the four PhD candidates. The two-day meeting took place in Delft on the last week of September and everybody was presented, the PhD candidates and their supervisors and promotors; we were very happy to host Maria Rusca traveling from the UK and Nelson Matsinhe and Sandra Manuel from Mozambique. We would also like to thank Michel Riemersma for taking to time to be present during the first day and presenting the ideas that RoyalHaskoningDHV has for future developments in Maputo. Continue reading