Flinders University organised a highly successful DFAT-funded Australian Award Fellowship program on “Unlocking Mekong Region’s Hidden Groundwater Potential through Collaboration and Capacity Building”. Strategic Professor Okke Batelaan and PhD student Mathieu Viossanges coordinated the program that invitesd 15 groundwater experts from four Mekong countries to Adelaide for advanced training.
The participants were from:
- National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation (NAWAPI), Vietnam
- Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC), Cambodia
- Department of Water Resources – Groundwater Management Division (DWR-GMD), Laos
- Department of Groundwater Resources (DGR), Thailand
- Khon Kaen University (KKU), Thailand
The busy 19 days started with Petiola Wilson Welcoming guests to Kaurna Country, before Director, Flinders International Partnerships Bill Damachis and Manager, International Engagement Odile Ruijs provided an overview and welcome. Presentations, an introduction on the global importance of groundwater and the need for collaboration on groundwater in the Mekong Region were also discussed.
Next, the group went on a four-day regional SA field trip, led by Steve Barnett of the SA Department for Environment and Water (DEW), visiting many interesting sites where groundwater was of imminent importance for agriculture, nature and communities, as well as connecting with Goyder Institute for Water Research’s Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre and the One Basin CRC Loxton research hub and its brackish groundwater desalination project to which Flinders is contributing.
The second week started under the inspirational guidance of Cara Ellickson of the Gender Consortium of Flinders with a very special day on water and GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion). The remainder of this week went to the heart of the training with a focus on groundwater monitoring, hydrogeological mapping, groundwater management, and managed aquifer recharge in the Mekong region, the last led by Dr Paul Pavelic of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
The participants of the different countries presented the status of these topics in their countries, generating valuable insights and opportunities for transboundary collaboration. A day on geophysics training in Willunga, led by Associate Professor Eddie Banks, and a visit to and exchanges with the DEW completed the second week.
In the final week, after a great coastal walk in Hallet Cove and a BBQ, a deep dive was taken into groundwater modelling with contributions from Dr Saskia Noorduijn, Dr Pascal Castellazzi (CSIRO), this was complemented with an excursion to the South Australia Drill Core Library, Flinders Engineering at Tonsley and the Oaklands wetlands.
The training program will continue next year with visits from Okke Batelaan and Mathieu Viossanges to the departments and organisations of the participants from four countries.
By blending training, field experiences, and collaboration, the program strengthened regional partnerships and prepared participants to address critical groundwater challenges in the Mekong region.