AVK CSR 2023-24 web - Flipbook - Page 31
As a result, Dubai Municipality has taken
inspiration from AWCMC and now seeks to
establish a collaboration agreement to develop
a similar educational programme.
The purpose is to establish a Danish-Middle
Eastern education collaboration, initially with
a focus on Dubai. The new partnership is
named the Danish Middle East Water Academy
and will be developed in close collaboration
between Be Pro Training Institute LLC and
Ferskvandscentret in Denmark together with a
strong Danish setup of Danish companies and
organisations including AVK. WEMA (Water
Efficiency Middle East Alliance) is a supporting
collaborator as well, and the Danish Consulate
General in Dubai has played a decisive role in
facilitating the partnership.
AWCMC is a partnership between Grundfos,
Kamstrup, DHI, Niras, IGIS, Clean, Aarhus
University, WATEC Aarhus University Centre
for Water Technology, Aarhus Vand, Danida
Fellowship, Water Valley Denmark, and AVK.
Read more about the Advanced Water
Cycle Management Course and our effort
within education in the section “Our social
responsibility”.
The LEAKman project
LEAKman was initiated to demonstrate how
Danish solutions can reduce loss of drinking
water and pave the way for innovative
technology. The LEAKman project has been
developed by a confederation of nine Danish
partners representing consultants, water
supplies, the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU), and technology suppliers such as AVK.
The LEAKman initiative aims to showcase
Danish solutions for minimising losses in
drinking water systems while paving the way for
innovative technologies. Its goal is to create a
state-of-the-art leakage management solution.
Denmark’s Ministry of the Environment has
expressed interest in launching a LEAKman 2.0
project to showcase the latest advancements
in water technology. All LEAKman partners
unanimously agree that this initiative should be
carried out through Water Valley Denmark.
Danish Water Forum’s participation in the
largest conference in recent UN history
The Danish Water Forum (DWF) is dedicated
to advancing research, development, and
innovation in the water sector both in Denmark
and internationally. Its mission is to strengthen
Denmark’s position in the global water agenda
by sharing Danish expertise and insights with
international water organisations and initiatives
within the industry.
Since spring 2023, AVK has held a seat on
the board of DWF, enabling active involvement
in decision-making processes. In 2023, AVK
also participated as a representative of DWF
at the annual meeting of the Ukrainian Water
Association in Lviv to present Danish water
competencies and solutions.
This year at Lviv Eco Forum, DWF signed a
MoU with the Ukrainian Water Association
with the title “Roadmap to sustainable water
infrastructure”. The first two activities are
already in the planning: Ukrainian-Danish
Water Days in Ukraine, and a fact-finding trip
to Denmark for water utilities and wastewater
companies.
On World Water Day, March 22, 2023, a
global water conference was held at the UN
headquarters in New York. Approximately 6,500
delegates attended over the three days, and
around 200 side events were held. It was the
first dedicated water conference in 50 years.
AVK participated as part of the DWF delegation
and took part in the side events arranged by
DFW and the World Bank.
At this year’s International Water Association
(IWA), held in Toronto, August 2024, AVK in
collaboration with WWD and DWF instigated
a groundwater seminar with the themes
“Strengths and weaknesses of a groundwaterbased water supply”, “Hidden opportunities
of a groundwater-based water supply”, and
“Imminent threats of a groundwater-based
water supply”.
Green strategic partnership between India
and Denmark
DWF plays an active role in a green strategic
partnership between India and Denmark,
collaborating with DI Vand and the Danish
Embassy in India to strengthen connections
between water stakeholders in both countries.
DWF contributes by organising workshops
and conferences in India where Danish water
technology is in focus.
In September 2020, Narendra Modi, the Prime
Minister of India, and Mette Frederiksen,
the Prime Minister of Denmark, signed an
agreement through which Denmark and India
entered a strategic partnership.
an Indian multinational engineering and
construction company. The purpose of the
agreement is to strengthen the partnership for
projects and opportunities within water and
wastewater projects, thus creating a more
reliable water supply for the people of India.
Since then, the Danish embassy, Dansk
Industri, and Danish Water Forum have
arranged delegation meetings for both India
and Denmark. Likewise, the letter of intent has
resulted in a Non-Revenue Water (NRW) project
in the Indian city of Pune where AVK Valves
India Pvt. Ltd. joined forces with L&T and
several other stakeholders to reduce NRW from
30% to 15% using District Metering Areas.
The project has ended, but it has captured the
attention of other regions in India that are now
seeking funding to undertake similar initiatives.
India has approximately 1.4 billion
inhabitants and overtook China in 2023 as
the most populated country in the world.
Around 35 million people in India lack
access to safe water and 678 million people
lack access to a safe toilet.
Source: water.org.
Water Technology Alliance
The Water Technology Alliance (WTA) offers
knowledge sharing between the North American
and Danish water industry to promote the
exchange of views and experiences within the
water and wastewater field. It is a collaboration
between American utilities and authorities
and Danish players, utilities, and companies,
including AVK. The collaboration originates in
an agreement between the Californian state
government and the Danish government signed
in 2016.
Both AVK Holding A/S and American AVK
actively participate in this collaboration. In
Denmark, we host delegations on so-called
fact-finding trips where we share insights into
our role in Danish water supply and wastewater
treatment. These insights are then adapted
to the American context, with American AVK
taking a leading role. The collaboration has
significantly elevated the AVK brand in the U.S.
market.
On May 3, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
visited Denmark and met with representatives
from leading Danish companies driving the
green transition, including Niels Aage Kjær,
Chairman of the Board and owner of AVK. At
the meeting, Niels Aage Kjær exchanged a
letter of intent with Larsen & Toubro (L&T),
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