The potential of integrated projects involving water

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     Life without water is difficult, but could greatly change the course of it when aquatic resources are available. On other continents, people have succeeded to diversify many activities around this precious asset. They have combined associated productions to make them more efficient or better integrated to the local context.

     In Americas, geothermal waters for instance allow at the same time house heating, vegetable growing, fishculture, electricity generation, manure recycling for agricultural fertilizers and some other applications. Beside ingenuity, biological processes and engineering knowledge are always present and national institutions collaborate generally to such initiative.

     In Asia, farmers rear fish together with other animals like pigs, ducks (or other poultry) and silkworms. The resulting green waters irrigate vegetable and other minor crops. Around ponds, you find specific trees, such as mulberry that feeds silkworms and fishes (leaves). I remember very much instructing visits in the north of Thailand where amazing pigs and chickens big barns on piles were built on top of one-hectare ponds ! The waste passed through a bamboo floor, so it could fertilize water for micro-algal development. Finally, this bloom could feed fishes without any external expense. And despite living together, no major sanitary problems were noted, nor human diseases related to this association were observed. However, they were using exclusively natural local resources. And on remote areas, this was their way of living ...for centuries !

     In Africa, water can be found in many places and the author noted lots of opportunities to reach the above goal too. However, it was noticed that local tribal knowledge (traditional "savoir-faire" ...based on more natural, logical, extensive and ancestral approach) was fundamental for better project formulation to succeed. Indeed, there is a large responsibility for identifying unexploited potential and this should be carried up by appropriate experienced folks, including indigenous people. Moreover, it should be proposed with moderate interest towards hard currencies (exports for governments) or exaggerated benefits (mono-cultures for private investments), as priority should always target communities welfare.

     In Europe, there are excellent professionals having brilliant ideas to be developed. But if there is a lack of general interest and you are young, you do not have frequently the funds to do on your own. Unfortunately, there are also too many institutional restrictions that kill private initiatives. Sometimes, we do not know really the reason of it. Is it excessive prevention with fear of the unknown or unusual water field ? Is it fear of doing differently as regional practice or knowledge, approach or methodology ? Is it yet for poor speculation around basic concept and development ? Or is it because monopole interests (lobbies), industrial groups influence or national protectionism ?

     Take the case of alternative energy, such as the "wind": it is very difficult, not to say impossible, to be allowed by regional authorities to build (very) “modest” wind power plants. However, this can help small-scale production, such as family oyster-shrimp businesses, to reduce their heavy "electricity" expenses ...and this applies even more to coastal areas !

     On the other hand, try to diversify your own production ! Today, you have to face plenty of obsolete legal rules, incomprehensible obligations and yet get approvals from institutions which do not have always the adequate curriculum and experience in the concerned water field (i.e. aquaculture and related activities). This is a real obstacle for private initiatives. Beside it and from the first beginning, this inventiveness will be subject to prehension, such as legal taxes, social charges, professional contributions ...beside investment and operative costs ...without being sure of any success ! What can be expected for the future if you do not give more liberty” to such innovatory action !?

     Here, the environment offers some opportunities for integrated aquaculture ...based on what can be seen on other continents. Openness needs to be part of untraditional approach, lack of regional experience, fear of limited return, political criteria and even prophylactic obligation. Keep in mind that foreign investment might well jump on such opportunities ...starting abroad a related business that can have a real impact later on other regions of the globe !

     Integrated water activities can give some development to our regions. They might open new opportunities and employment. So, it is important to engage into the following process: set up a list of resources that can be used without affecting existent businesses and basic apprehensiveness; propose alternatives based on such resources; engage into an economic feasibility that includes related expenses for investment, operational costs, return on investment (turn-over, output) and sensitivity analysis (i.e. both financial and economic rate of return1); do an environmental impact analysis too; then, define funding looking at personal finances, loan banking and institutional aids; finally, follow legal procedure after project acceptation.

     With so many living problems in Europe, suggestions and technical information have to be put on the table for integrating all types of water projects ...involving other fields that deal with regional economy. This requires local and external expertise. This might well benefit to people experimenting some difficulties in getting basic commodities. So, nearby access may conduct to a better quality of life by increasing consume of local food which offers good proteins, healthier fat and high energy to carry up daily tasks !

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1 Table of forecasted returns due to unexpected events (cost and benefit variation between, for instance, -20% and +20% ...like the front table).

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