Short courses as contribution to UN Millennium Development Goals
3 November 2006
The Government of Iceland has secured core funding for the UNU-GTP to expand its capacity building activities by annual short courses/workshops in geothermal
development in selected countries in Africa (started in 2005), Central America (will start in 2006), and later in Asia (probably starting in 2007). The announcement on this was made at the
International Conference for Renewable Energies held in Bonn (Germany) 1-4 June 2004. This is a contribution of the Government of Iceland towards the Millennium Development Goals of the UN.
The courses/workshops are set up in cooperation with the energy agencies/utilities and earth science institutions responsible for the exploration, development and
operation of geothermal energy power stations and utilities in the respective countries/regions. A part of the objective of the workshops/short courses is to increase the cooperation between
specialists in the respective countries in the field of sustainable use of geothermal resources. The courses may in the future develop into sustainable regional geothermal training centres.
The first was a workshop in Africa (entitled “Workshop for Decision Makers on Geothermal Projects and their Management”) held in Kenya in November 2005 with participants from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It was co-hosted by the UNU-GTP and the Kenyan Elelctricity Generating Authority (KenGen), and organized in co-operation with UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and ICEIDA (Icelandic International Development Agency). The proceedings were published on a CD (Fridleifsson and Simiyu, 2005). The second will be a short course held in Kenya 12-22 November 2006. It will be entitled “Surface exploration for geothermal resources”. The course will deal with geological, geophysical, and geochemical exploration methods. Partcipants will come from seven E-African countries. The lecturers will (as in 2005) mainly be former UNU Fellows from Kenya plus four lecturers from the UNU-GTP. The UNU-GTP has 93 graduates in 10 African countries.
The first workshop in Central America will be held in El Salvador 26 November – 2 December 2006. It is entitled “Workshop for Decision Makers on Geothermal Projects in Central America”, and will be co-hosted by the UNU-GTP and LaGeo S.A de C.V. in El Salvador. The participants will be decision makers and prime movers/specialists of geothermal project activities in the countries of Central America. Participation is by invitation only (30-40 participants). The aim of the workshop is to give high level decision makers from the respective energy and environmental ministries, leading geothermal agencies, and electric utilities in the region an overview of some of the key issues of geothermal development, with a special focus on environmental issues. Lecturers will include former UNU Fellows and other geothermal specialists from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua plus three regular lecturers of the UNU-GTP. Lecturers will also be invited from Kenya, Philippines, USA, and Mexico. The UNU-GTP has 49 graduates in six Latin American countries.
Participants in the first UNU-GTP Workshop in E-Africa were high-level decision makers
from five countries in E-Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda).
from five countries in E-Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda).
The first was a workshop in Africa (entitled “Workshop for Decision Makers on Geothermal Projects and their Management”) held in Kenya in November 2005 with participants from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It was co-hosted by the UNU-GTP and the Kenyan Elelctricity Generating Authority (KenGen), and organized in co-operation with UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and ICEIDA (Icelandic International Development Agency). The proceedings were published on a CD (Fridleifsson and Simiyu, 2005). The second will be a short course held in Kenya 12-22 November 2006. It will be entitled “Surface exploration for geothermal resources”. The course will deal with geological, geophysical, and geochemical exploration methods. Partcipants will come from seven E-African countries. The lecturers will (as in 2005) mainly be former UNU Fellows from Kenya plus four lecturers from the UNU-GTP. The UNU-GTP has 93 graduates in 10 African countries.
The first workshop in Central America will be held in El Salvador 26 November – 2 December 2006. It is entitled “Workshop for Decision Makers on Geothermal Projects in Central America”, and will be co-hosted by the UNU-GTP and LaGeo S.A de C.V. in El Salvador. The participants will be decision makers and prime movers/specialists of geothermal project activities in the countries of Central America. Participation is by invitation only (30-40 participants). The aim of the workshop is to give high level decision makers from the respective energy and environmental ministries, leading geothermal agencies, and electric utilities in the region an overview of some of the key issues of geothermal development, with a special focus on environmental issues. Lecturers will include former UNU Fellows and other geothermal specialists from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua plus three regular lecturers of the UNU-GTP. Lecturers will also be invited from Kenya, Philippines, USA, and Mexico. The UNU-GTP has 49 graduates in six Latin American countries.