The TEMBO Africa Consortium Meeting in Delft, the Netherlands, came to a memorable close with a special visit to The Green Village at TU Delft, where consortium partners had the opportunity to meet H.E. Retno L.P. Marsudi, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water who was received by Marjan Kreijns, the Director of the Green Village.
Appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Ms. Marsudi took office on 1 November 2024 as the UN’s Special Envoy on Water, with a mandate focused on strengthening international cooperation and accelerating progress towards global water-related goals, including SDG 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation.
During the visit, Prof. Nick van de Giesen and Dr. Frank Annor shared insights into the work of TEMBO Africa, highlighting how the project is contributing to improved environmental monitoring and climate services in Africa, particularly in the water sector.
They also presented the innovative services and sensors developed by TEMBO Africa consortium partners, demonstrating how technology, data and locally relevant solutions can contribute to better understanding and management of Africa’s environmental and water resources.
The visit continued with a tour of The Green Village, TU Delft’s open-air living lab where researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and other partners develop and test solutions for a more sustainable and climate-resilient built environment.
The exchange was a powerful reminder that addressing the global water challenge requires collaboration across borders, disciplines and institution, bringing together science, technology, policy and practical solutions.
As TEMBO Africa moves into the final months of the project, the Delft meeting provided an important opportunity to reflect on what has been developed, what has been learnt, and how these innovations can continue contributing to a more climate-resilient and water-secure Africa.
From observations to data.
From data to knowledge.
From knowledge to climate action.
A fitting way to close the TEMBO Africa consortium meeting in Delft.
