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Background and Rationale of JRDC and �Services Provided

China Sri Lanka

Joint Research and Demonstration Center

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Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development

(In association with University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and

Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)

Joint research and Demonstration Centre

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Content

  • JRDC Background

Progress of JRDC Establishment

Administrative Structure

  • Progress of the JRDC Operation

Ongoing programme

Outcome of JRDC

  • Work plan

Proposal for Expanding Collaborations

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JRDC Background

01

  • Progress of JRDC Establishment
  • Administrative Structure

Joint research and Demonstration Centre

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Cooperation of Wat. Sci. Tech.: From idea to Success

Exchange of CKDu of Sri lanka on August 21, 2013

2013

Idea

MoU

JRDC

  • MOU between CAS and MUDWSD in March 2015
  • JRDC and CKDu causes study listed in Joint Statement of China-Sri Lanka in April 2016
  • MoU between CAS and MoH in October 2016
  • China grant project approved by both countries in December 2016
  • JRDC construction from 2017 to 2020.

2015-2016

2016-2020

Key issues: CKDu causes studies and safe drinking water supply

A successful international cooperation flagship project of Science & Technology between China and Sri Lanka

JRDC awarded as the best project in 2020

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Administrative Structure of the JRDC

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Deputy Director

(Academic Affairs with China)

Research and Academic Council

Interim Management Committee

CAS Employee

CAS office

China Side

Sri Lanka Side

Joint research and Demonstration Centre

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Administrative Structure of the JRDC

Interim Management Committee

Finance and administration

Chairman:

  • Secretary, Ministry of Water Supply
  • Vice-Chancellor, UoP

Member:

  • General Manager, NWSDB
  • Dean, Faculty of Engineering, UoP
  • Representative from the Ministry of Finance
  • Representative from the Ministry of Health
  • Marketing consultant from MoWS

Research & Academic Council

Research, technology, and academic-related activities

  • Co-Chairman - Vice-Chancellor, UoP
  • Co-Chairman – Vice President, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
  • Dean, Faculty of Engineering, UoP
  • Dean from another faculty nominated by VC, UoP
  • Three members appointed by the Secretary, MoWS
  • Two members appointed by the VC, UoP
  • A member appointed by the Ministry of Health
  • Director-General, Bureau of International Corporation, CAS
  • Director-General, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), CAS
  • Director – JRDC

2023.1.17 Attorney General approve the TPA…

…TPA signing will be ready after May, 2023

The working charter of the RAC needs to be developed and initiated for adoption at the first RAC meeting

Joint research and Demonstration Centre

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Work Progress of JRDC

02

  • JRDC Facility Construction
  • Research
  • Technology development and Application
  • Education and training
  • Knowledge Sharing

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Capacity Building: CSL JRDC

  • JRDC was handed over to the MWS in March 2021, and in operationalization in October 2021, respectively.

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Research Activity Building

JRDC

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  1. General laboratory
  2. Volatile organic laboratory
  3. Non-volatile organic laboratory
  4. Inorganic laboratory
  5. Particulate matter laboratory
  6. Molecular biology laboratory

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INTERNATIONAL PROFICIENCY TESTING - INTERLABORATORY COMPARISON ON IRON AND FLUORIDE

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Diagnosis

key technology

Demonstration

  • Safe drinking water
  • Water for all
  • Water Quality
  • Water Quantity
  • Water supply

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  • Cost-effective, custom-tailored technologies
  • EDR, NF
  • Centralized water supply: EDR
  • Decentralized drinking water treatment: NF

Research Purposes and Technical Roadmap

    • To characterize groundwater quality and create a groundwater quality atlas for the NCP, Sri Lanka.
    • To evaluate the performances and O & M of RO drinking water stations in the NCP.
    • To develop technologies of EDR and NF for safe drinking water supply in NCP.
    • To demonstrate EDR and NF for safe drinking water supply in NCP.

Master Plan

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Progress of the JRDC Operation

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Research Title

Collaborator

Funding (Rs. M)

  1. Investigation of treatment technologies for removal of Manganese in groundwater

MWS

6.0

  1. Optimization of Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) technology for groundwater treatment
  1. Optimization of rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharging technologies
  1. Investigation of TTHM and HAA formation potential and identification of mitigation options
  1. Investigation of impacts from inorganic fertilizer and other agro chemicals
  1. Characterization of organic matters in groundwater for CKDu causative factors

7. Seasonal variation of water quality assessment of Kelani river –Sri Lanka

CAS

Prof Yuansong Wei

8. Rubber wastewater treatment by MBR technology

9. RO drinking water treatment technolgy

10. Identification of pesticide and microbial contaminations in the watershed of Mahaweli river

URC

2.5

11. Testing of Covid virus in wastewater bodies during the pandemic time

MWS

3.9

12. Training and Facility Needs Assessment to Monitoring and Policy Development for Microplastic Related Pollution in Sri Lanka

IGES, Jap

2.0

13. Integrated assessment of existing practices and development of pathways for the effective integration of nature-based water treatment in urban areas in Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Vietnam

RMIT, Aus

2.5

14. Existence of ARB in Wastewater

Japan

3.0

Joint research and Demonstration Centre

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2023/5/22

A positive correlation between DOC and sulfate, calcium, total iron, PCP in the HR groundwater.

Divalent cations (Ca2+, Mg2+) abundant in the HR groundwater interact with phenolate and carboxylate functional groups in DOC at alkaline pH.

The essential building blocks of non-labile C were concentrated into molecular weight (MW) fraction II (900 – 1800 Da). The DOC source in all groundwater was identified as autochthonous (fluorescence index>1.8).

Water quality analysis: DOM in Groundwater

Makehelwala M., Y.S.Wei*, S. K. Weragoda, R. Weerasooriya, L.B. Zheng, 2019. Science of the Total Environment, 660: 865-875. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.435

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Development of the New Hypothesis on CKDu Studies

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Feasibility of EDR Technology in Sri Lanka

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Outcome of Joint Research

2020-2022：

  • Paper published 68，SCI 48。
  • Patent 10
  • New product 2
  • Book 2

Paper collection

EDR equipment

2020-2022：

  • Paper published 23， SCI 11。
  • Patent 2
  • New product 1
  • Book 1

China side

Sri lanka side

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Technology Development

Selective membrane

Selective membrane stack: high flow rate

High voltage and high flow rate

Long retention time

Membrane stack

Monitoring

Acid backwash

Three Pump

Membrane stack development

System Build

EDR

NF

RO

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Technology Application – NF/ RO Treatment�

  • 05 Water treatment facilities are placed in CKDu area of 1700 families
  • 12 Water treatment facilities are being designed for 3650 families

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�Further Services�

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Orientation Program

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Trainees’ Evaluation / Improving Presentation Skills

Good Laboratory Practices

Field Visits

Awareness Program

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34 Sri Lankan Master and Ph.D candidates studying in the CAS related to Water and Environment from 2015 to 2022. 6 PIFI Fellowships

  • 2015: 4, 2 Ph. D (UoP) and 2 Master students
  • 2017: 1 Ph. D student (UoP)
  • 2018: 4, 1 Ph. D and 3 Master students (UoP)
  • 2019: 8, 4 Ph. D and 4 Master students (UoP)
  • 2020: 10, 2 Ph.D and 7 Master Students (UoP); 2 PIFI Fellowships
  • 2021: 6, 4 Ph.D and 2 Master Students (UoP); 2 PIFI Fellowships
  • 2022: 2, 1 Ph.D and 1 Master Student (UoP); 2 PIFI Fellowships

Till September 2022, 20 UoP students awarded with Ph.D and Master scholarship, 6 UoP Professors awarded with PIFI Fellowship.

  • 2015-2022: 32, 15 Ph.D students and 17 Master students. 4 PIFI Fellowships,
  • 2018-2022: 10 students graduated including 6 Ph D students.

Capacity Building: Education (Wat. and Environ.)

20

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No of TRAINEES

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In Attendance

Completed

Trainees

17

16

Volunteers

04

04

Research Students

11

05

Total 32

INVOLVEMENT IN ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS

Research Topic

No. of students

1. Adaptation & optimization of Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) technology for ground water treatment in dry zone Sri Lanka

04

2. Introduction of appropriate treatment technologies for removal of Manganese in groundwater

03

3. Optimization of rainwater harvesting technologies to face climate change impacts

04

4. Characterization of organic matters in ground water to identify CKDu causative factors

01

5. Investigation of disinfection by products from chlorination in conventional WTP

04

6. Development of base-line data base for impacts from inorganic farming and other agrochemicals

02

Capacity Building: Training (Wat. and Environ.)

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Knowledge Sharing

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Media

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UN Human Rights Council, 2022.9

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Highlights of this JRDC cooperation

  1. Flagship of science & technology cooperation project between China and Sri Lanka, aiming at providing safe drinking water and tackling CKDu.
  2. A novel successful cooperation model, and long-term and comprehensive cooperation. All partners of both China and Sri Lanka make great contribution to this successful cooperation.
  3. Capacity of water treatment and research in Sri Lanka is greatly improved, i.e., water quality analysis, water supply technology, through cooperation.

2019.12.13, CAS Vice President Prof. Yaping Zhang and Secretary of MWS, Dr Priyath Bandu Wickrama had a work meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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Workplan

03

Strategy to attain susutainblity

Proposal for Expanding Collaborations

Joint research and Demonstration Centre

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重点工作

  • Signing of the Tri-Party Agreement among MWS, UoP and CAS
  • Developing a new MoU on Water Resourcee Study between China Sri Lanka focusing on JRDC
  • Work agreement between JRDC and NWSDB
  • Official declaration from both countries regarding the functions and services of JRDC
  • Arranging a Chemical Purchasing Mechanism
  • Joint-Venture for establishing EDR facility
  • Regional consultancy via JRDC in consultation with CAS and UoP
  • Collaboration with the Industries under BOI
  • Collaboration with Chinese companies in Sri Lanka for delivering JRDC services
  • Build EDR demonstration Projects
  • Conducting annual regional conference of SDGs
  • Conduct joint post-graduate programs for students from both countries.
  • Conduct short courses/ summer programs. (High school & Undergraduate students)
  • Training program for water professionals

2023 Action Plan

Admin and Finance

Research, Technology Development and Consultancy

Education, Training and Awareness

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Thank You

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Joint research and Demonstration Centre