Research plays a decisive role in poverty reduction, the transition to sustainable development and the exchange of knowledge. Technological progress is just as relevant as social and political innovations. By sharing their expertise in global networks, scientists at universities, universities for applied sciences and research institutes make a substantial contribution to solving global problems.
When tens of thousands of refugees arrived in Chad from Darfur in 2004, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was tasked with mapping the country’s water resources. The aim was to ensure that both refugees and the local population had access to water. This information was then used to set up refugee camps in locations with nearby water sources that were viable all year round.
The problem of water shortages in Chad long predates the refugee crisis. Water resources have always been unfairly distributed, difficult to reach and little studied. Yet, the sustainable use of water is key to development, particularly in light of climate change and its repercussions. When water is used sustainably, agricultural production, food security and public health reap the benefits. Improving knowledge about water resources and building water management capacities are also preconditions for an active, sustainable and competent use of this natural resource, and pave the way for Chad to achieve its development goals.
In view of Switzerland’s particular expertise in mapping and hydrogeology, the Chad Water Ministry asked the SDC and UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research), in 2009, to devise a plan to map the country’s water resources.
The project centres on cooperation between Switzerland (SDC, swisstopo, University of Neuchâtel), Chad (Ministry for Hydraulics, University of N’Djamena), UNOSAT/UNITAR (UN Geneva) and other partners. The overarching aim is to improve Chad’s resilience to climate fluctuations through its active management of water resources. During the first phase, the project team created a water resource information system and 27 hydrogeological maps, which collectively cover an area ten times larger than Switzerland. In addition, the University of Neuchâtel was involved in designing a Master’s programme in hydrology for Chad’s universities.
The second phase, which began in September 2015, focuses on mapping the water resources in three hitherto unstudied regions in the Lake Chad basin. Special emphasis is given to the practical application of this newly acquired knowledge.
War and conflict often affect entire populations. But perpetrators and victims, men and women, boys and girls are all impacted in different ways. This motivated an international team of researchers to study how different personal accounts of a conflict could help prevent future outbreaks of violence. To answer the question, they set up the Pluralistic Memories Project.
The project is hosted by the University of Lausanne and includes an international doctoral training and mentoring programme. Its research focuses on three fragile contexts: Sri Lanka, Burundi, and the Palestinian territories. These are regions that have all experienced repeated violence.
The project’s main goal is to promote peace by documenting the memories of those involved in such conflicts. The main idea is to encourage former belligerents to freely express and share their accounts of the conflict. In so doing, it seeks to foster political tolerance and make communities more resilient, should they face violent incidents or political provocations in the future.
In Sri Lanka, for example, the project supports the development of ‘living archives’. Researchers are working together with community-based organisations throughout the country to run workshops that invite participants to share their testimonies with a wider audience.
In 2015, the project researchers made progress in compiling a wide range of personal testimonies from different countries and contexts. These eye witness accounts go beyond official war accounts.They show how much personal narratives and interpretations of the same conflict diverge among those involved in or affected by the fighting.
The Pluralistic Memories project is part of the Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (r4d programme), which is conducted and financed by the SDC and the Swiss National Science Foundation. The r4d programme aims at enhancing research-based solutions to reduce poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America and to make public goods available for the benefit of societies in developing and emerging countries.
