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ANNOUNCEMENT Short Course II on Surface Exploration for Geothermal Resources United Nations University Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP) in Iceland and Kenya Electricity Generating Company, Ltd. (KenGen) will be hosting “Short Course II on Surface Exploration for Geothermal Resources”, to be held at Lake Bogoria Hotel and Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge, 2-17 November, 2007.

The 29th annual session of the UNU-GTP opened on 25th April 2007. Twenty one UNU Fellows from 14 countries participate in the six month specialized courses. They come from Albania 1, China 1, Costa Rica 1, El Salvador 3, Eritrea 1, Ethiopia 2, Indonesia 2, Iran 3, Jordan 1, Kenya 2, Nicaragua 1, Russia 1, Tanzania 1, and Uganda 1. They will be trained in: Geological Exploration 3, Borehole Geology 1, Geophysical Exploration 3, Chemistry of Thermal Fluids 3, Environmental Studies 4, and Geothermal Utilization.

Ms. Dorthe Hegnet Holm, MSc in geology, joined the staff at UNU-GTP on May 1.

Professor Konrad Oswalder was appointed new Rector of United Nations University and will assume his position at the Tokyo Headquarter on September 1. More

The “Workshop for Decision Makers on Geothermal Projects in Central America” was held in San Salvador 26 November to 2 December 2006. It was co-hosted by UNU-GTP and LaGeo S.A de C.V. in El Salvador. The fifty participants came mainly from the four countries of Central America active in geothermal development, i.e. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Geothermal power stations provide about 12% of the total electricity generation of the four countries. Only a small portion of the geothermal resources in the region has been harnessed.

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, Central-America and Asia. This is a contribution of the Government of Iceland towards the Millennium Development Goals of the UN.