KOZHIKODE: A water research institute will be set up at Markaz Knowledge City in collaboration with the Finnish Research Forum, which is currently operating in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The world-renowned water research institute in Stockholm, Switzerland will also be a part of the project.
Dr Abdul Salam Mohammed, CEO of Markaz Knowledge City, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the representative of Finnish Research Forum, in Helsinki, Finland last week.
The institute aims at study and research related to water use and its quality. Sewage-ground water management and rainwater harvesting will be implemented under the leadership of the institute. With the implementation of the project, the Institute aims to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal's sixth goal of 'Clean Water and Sanitation for All'.
The institute will provide services like training, awareness and advisory wing related to water 'use and reuse' to the public. Also, services such as water resource mapping, water quality testing, testing of drinking water sources, irrigation systems and flood water management will also be available from here. Along with this, studies and research will be done under the institute on topics like the operation of motor vehicles using hydrogen fuel with the aim of establishing a Zero Carbon Emission City.
The meeting was prior to the 22nd Annual International Conference of the World Association for Sustainable Development (WASD) held at the UN Headquarters, Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. WASD is a global forum that brings together experts from across the world to discuss issues relating to sustainable development using science, technology, and management. Dr Salam presented a paper on Innovative Sustainable Development Strategies for Smart Cities taking Markaz Knowledge City as a case study.
Dr Salam said that Finland ranks high in any indicators related to environment, well-being and cleantech. The water research institute proposed at the Markaz Knowledge City will get best practices from many countries.
