Water and The Environment

Water-related challenges are raising major concerns worldwide. These challenges are found at both ends of the pipe: the need to supply usable water of adequate quality for a rapidly growing human population, and the need to prevent pollution and diseases from wastewater discharge.

In this comprehensive interdisciplinary course, top researchers from Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev partner with experts from Yale University and Northwestern University (USA) to discuss pressing water issues and present innovative solutions and technologies for treating wastewater and ensuring safe reuse, mitigating water shortage globally, and reversing pollution of surface and subsurface water.

The course features Israel, a global leader in water management and technology. Discover the newest technologies being developed at the forefront of research: Recovering nutrients from wastewater for use as fertilizers in agriculture, desalination of brackish groundwater, soil aquifer treatment (SAT), recirculated vertical flow constructed wetland (RVFCW), and more.

We will learn about these technologies from an engineering perspective as well as the physical, chemical and biological processes involved. We will also see these technologies in use in several systems in Israel.

This course will provide a deep understanding of the complicated processes water undergoes from the source to our tap and from domestic use to becoming wastewater. We will answer these questions and many others:

● How much water do we consume, and where does it come from? (lakes, aquifers, desalination, etc.)

● How do we know the quality of the water we drink, and how does it compare to other countries?

● What ways are there to treat wastewater, and how is it treated in my country? What are the dangers of mistreating wastewater?

● What are the unique challenges in the developing world, and what are the suitable technological solutions?

● How can we develop sustainable water management so future generations have enough?

What you'll learn

• ● Gain advanced knowledge and insights from foremost world water-research leaders.
• ● Develop deep understanding of global water challenges facing human society.
• ● Become familiar with local water issues around the world: peer-to-peer learning.
• ● Explore technological solutions for ensuring water and sanitation for all.
• ● Design a wastewater treatment system: membrane permeability & performance analysis.
• ● Develop a multidisciplinary approach: physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, management & policy.