Training in humanitarian engineering with the ICRC at OiEau
In early February, a group of around ten International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff members came to Limoges to attend a training course on the management of drinking water treatment plants. Hailing from the Central African Republic, the Philippines, Mali, Syria, Thailand and Ukraine, they formed a panel representative of the variety of current ICRC operational areas.
The ICRC provides humanitarian assistance to people affected by armed conflict or natural disasters occurring in conflict zones. It employs some 17,300 people in over 100 countries.
In particular, the ICRC works to ensure access to water in these areas, in order to create or maintain sustainable living conditions and to limit the suffering caused by damage to homes or the water supply system.
With nearly 25 years of uninterrupted partnership, OiEau has in-depth knowledge of the ICRC’s operations and internal rules, as well as the specific nature of its missions.
In the following interview, reflecting on his missions for the ICRC, engineer Lassana DOSSO highlights the importance of training as a driver of professional and technical development in the field.
My name is Lassana DOSSO, I am originally from Côte d’Ivoire. I work for the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) as a Water and Habitat Coordinator, based in Bangui, in the Central African Republic.
- What is the context of your missions there?
I work mainly in emergency situations. The Central African Republic is experiencing instability with significant population displacement, particularly in rural areas. We need to act quickly to ensure access to water.
- You are currently undertaking training here on the management of drinking water treatment plants. What is your background and what exactly are you learning?
I am originally an agricultural hydraulics engineer, but my career has led me into urban hydraulics and emergency response. The training our group is undertaking at OiEau focuses on large-scale water treatment facilities and distribution stations. We are reviewing everything, from treatment processes to technical equipment such as pumps and network monitoring.
- What is the main benefit of this training for you and your colleagues at the ICRC?
It is an essential refresher course. In our ‘Water and Shelter’ teams, some are civil or electrical engineers with no background in hydraulics: for them, it’s a chance to build their skills. For professional hydraulic engineers like myself, it’s an excellent way to update our knowledge and an opportunity to share our field experiences.
- You mention sharing… is the international nature of the trainee group an asset?
Absolutely! It’s very enriching. We have colleagues from Ukraine and Syria with very complex infrastructure, others from Mozambique, the Philippines or Thailand. Our contexts are different, but our challenges are similar. These two weeks of training create a very valuable informal setting for exchange, both with the trainers and amongst ICRC colleagues.
What will you be able to put into practice as soon as you return to the Central African Republic?
We do a lot of work on emergency surface water treatment. The new knowledge we’ve gained here will enable us to better adapt our treatment processes, choose the right chemicals and optimise our large pumping stations.
Finally, what is your view of the Water Office’s facilities?
It’s been a wonderful experience. The training centre’s workshop is impressive, featuring modern equipment and tools that we don’t always get to see in emergency situations. This is my first training course here, and I very much hope to return to work on other topics!
Water and Habitat Coordinator - ICRC
Some examples of projects related to resilience to risks
