WATER MANAGEMENT. Expertise and solutions from Berlin

WATER M ANAGEMENT Expertise and solutions from Berlin Content 1 Introduction Berlin – a modern capital with a long tradition in water management ...
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WATER M ANAGEMENT Expertise and solutions from Berlin

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Introduction Berlin – a modern capital with a long tradition in water management

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p. 1, 2 (oben) Marie Elisabeth Lüders Haus, Parlamentsbibliothek des Deutschen Bundestages im Spreebogen in Berlin p. 2 (unten) Historische Wasserpumpe in Berlin-Charlottenburg p. 3 Neuer Hauptbahnhof in Berlin-Tiergarten

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Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin gGmbH WaterPN Berlin-Brandenburg Berliner Wasserbetriebe Veolia Wasser Berlinwasser International AG TSB – Technology Foundation Berlin Centre for Water in Urban Areas at Technische Universität Berlin Freie Universität Berlin Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Senate Department for Urban Development Senate Department for Health, Environment and Consumer Protection Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Women’s Issues Berlin Partner GmbH IBB – Investitionsbank Berlin GTZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit InWEnt – Capacity Building International

p. 4 (oben) Lietzensee mit Blick auf Funkturm in Berlin-Charlottenburg p. 4 (unten, links) Badeschiff in der Spree in Berlin-Treptow mit Blick auf die Oberbaumbrücke p. 4 (unten, rechts) Drei 30 Meter hohe in der Spree verankerte Figuren ‚Molecularmen‘ des amerikanischen Künstlers Jonathan Borofsky , die die angrenzenden Bezirke Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain und Treptow in Berlin symbolisieren.

p. 5 (links) Bodemuseum auf der Museeumsinsel in Berlin-Mitte mit Blick auf den Fernsehturm p. 5 (rechts) Strandbar im Monbijoupark mit Blick auf das Bodemuseum p. 14 (unten) Bohrturm in Pullach ? p. 15 Pond system for water purification in China p. 16 Institut für Physik in Berlin-Adlershof p. 18 Oberbaumbrücke in Berlin-Kreuzberg mit Blick auf den Fernsehturm p. 19 Rotes Rathaus am Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Sitz des Berliner Senats und des Regierenden Bürgermeisters von Berlin

Berlin – a modern capital with a long tradition in water management

Berlin, the capital of Germany, is situated at the very heart of Europe’s largest area of interconnected rivers and lakes. And from the first settlements on an island in the river Spree, water has always played an important role in the life of the region. In nearly two decades since the reunification of Germany, the once divided city has been transformed, and the centre of political power is now established in a new quarter on the banks of the river Spree. Water is never very far away in Berlin, you may find it round the next corner or under your feet: hundreds of cast-iron pumps across the city are evidence that the groundwater is always in reach.

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The pumps are some of the last reminders of the time before the rapid expansion of Berlin in the 19th century. With the problems of providing clean water and discharging sewage representing an obstacle to further development, water management became a topic

of public concern. In 1856, the first waterworks on the river Spree offered a constant piped water supply and the opportunity for water toilets, and at this time work also began on the plans for Berlin’s sewerage system. Wastewater was purified by percolation in outlying sewage farms, a method which is no longer used. The first wastewater treatment plants were constructed in the early 20th century. Continuous modernisation since then has meant that the present six purification plants are always state-of-the-art. This is particularly important in Berlin because although it has many lakes and waterways, it paradoxically has little water. The capital is situated in a region with comparatively low precipitation rates, so that the rivers sometimes even stop flowing during the summer.

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The river Spree is no longer the direct source of drinking water, which is now completely supplied from groundwater. However, the extraction points are situated near the lakes surrounding the densely settled area, so they are still indirectly using the water of the rivers Spree and Havel through the process of bank filtration. This closed water cycle in a city is a unique feature, and considerable expertise has accumulated about water management. The City of Berlin ( p. 17 ) and the water utility Berliner Wasserbetriebe ( p. 9) have been cooperating for over a century to develop technical systems and to adapt them to the requirements of public supplies and environmental concerns. A research institute ( p. 15) was founded at lake Müggelsee as early as 1893 to investigate and survey the water quality of the lake,

which is important for the drinking water supply of the city. Special attention is still paid to the natural water resources. Recently, detailed studies have been carried out on the processes of bank filtration and artificial recharge of the aquifers as the main source of drinking water for Berlin’s 3.5 million inhabitants. Wastewater purification has been optimised to the limits of conventional biological treatment, so that only membrane technologies could provide further improvements. Rainwater drainage systems have been identified as an important source of pollution. The integrated management of the city’s complex sewerage system is one of the answers to this problem. It is always important to adopt an integrated approach to water and settlement and building structures, and the utilisation of

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rainwater in modern buildings is the focus of several projects. The city administration pays special attention to this topic ( p. 16). The quality of the services provided to residents and businesses in Berlin benefits from the high concentration of universities, R &D -institutions and companies:

Research and development of techniques needed in modern water management is the objective of the Technische Universität Berlin with its interdisciplinary Centre for «Water in Urban Areas» ( p. 13). A department of the Freie Univesität Berlin is concerned with hydrogeology and its implications for the technical processes ( p. 14). As a network agency, the Berlin Centre of Competence for Water ( p. 7 ) dedicates its efforts to water research and knowledge transfer both nationally and internationally. The centre acts as a bridge between

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scientists and practitioners, and in 2006 it founded the Water Partners Network WaterPN ( p. 8) together with companies in the water sector. In a more general way, the process of innovation transfer is promoted by the TSB Technology Foundation Berlin ( p. 12), acting as a link between politics, research and economy. To meet the constant demand for technical solutions, numerous companies in Berlin and its surrounding region provide skills for every stage of water management. Two of them, Berlinwasser International (p. 11) and Veolia Wasser ( p. 10) are companies with international reputations, the latter being the German branch of the French company Veolia Water. But smaller companies, represented partly by the WaterPN network, also provide outstanding techni-

cal skills and in spite of their size they are active in the international markets. In their commercial activities – national and international – they find support by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Women’s Issues (p. 18 – 19), the Investitionsbank Berlin (p. 21) and the organisation BerlinPartner (p. 20). In addition, the German capital offers direct contact to the federal ministries, to the embassies of the world’s nations and to numerous national and international organisations and institutions. Of particular importance for water management are the GTZ (p. 22) and InWEnt (p. 23) as organisations for international economic cooperation. This concentration of technical, scientific, commercial and political expertise coupled with a special appreciation of water in an urban context makes Berlin a unique source of solutions in water management.

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Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin gGmbH

For the flow of knowledge – The Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (K WB ) is a non-profit international network organisation dedicating its efforts to water research and science transfer. It was founded in the course of the partial privatisation of the Berlin water utilities Berliner Wasserbetriebe (p. 9) in December 2001. The shareholders are Veolia Wasser (p. 10) – 50.1 percent – as well as the Berlinwasser Group and TSB Technology Foundation Berlin (p. 12) – both with a 24.95 percent holding. As a network node, KWB’s remit is to strengthen the position of Berlin as an international centre in the field of water management and technology.

Besides the development of advanced schemes for water supply and wastewater disposal in residential areas, the main emphasis is placed on projects aimed at yielding knowledge and procedures to protect surface and groundwater resources.

In cooperation with other representatives of water research in the region, including various university departments, research institutions, and small and medium- sized enterprises, K WB prepares and carries out major research projects with the financial support of the shareholders and funding from the European Union. Having organised more than 30 research projects with a total funding volume of more than EUR 15 million, KWB has made an appreciable contribution to the state of knowledge in water management over the six years since its foundation. These projects put into practice both the precautionary and sustainability principles in the water industry.

Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin gGmbH Cicerostrasse 24

10709 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30 536 53-800

Fax: +49 (0)30 536 53-888 E - mail: [email protected] www .kompetenz -wasser.de

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WaterPN Berlin-Brandenburg

These companies offer their services to the regional market as well as to customers worldwide. Some of them belong to the leading experts in their field. WaterPN acts as a platform for information, communication and exchange of experience. It arranges both internal networking and external contacts and supports the entry to new markets. It initiates and encourages research and development projects and supports their financing and implementation. In this way, WaterPN develops the potential of the water sector and contributes to the success of the companies.

The gateway to water expertise – WaterPN BerlinBrandenburg is a network of small and medium-sized enterprises in the water sector of the German capital region. It started as a project of the Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (p.7) in June 2006. Meanwhile, more than 20 companies have joined together in WaterPN. They cover a wide range of expertise in water management:

WaterPN arranges contacts to its member companies and takes an active part in the dialogue with administrative agencies, political representatives, and research institutions. It offers direct access to the water sector in Berlin and Brandenburg. The City of Berlin, through the Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Women‘s Issues, promotes the start -up phase of WaterPN.

I Planning, modelling and engineering, I Products and solutions in the field of water and wastewater technology, I Specialised measurement systems, I Support in all stages of a project.

WaterPN Berlin-Brandenburg c/o KWB gGmbH Markus Müller

Cicerostrasse 24

10709 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30 53 653-809

Fax: +49 (0)30 53 653 - 888 E - mail: [email protected] www.waterpn.de

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Berliner Wasserbetriebe

Water is our task – Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB) provides drinking water and wastewater management for the German capital. Furthermore, the company also manages the drainage and treatment of storm water from roads and public spaces on behalf of the city government. In addition, the sewage of almost half a million residents from surrounding parts of Brandenburg flows to Berlin wastewater treatment plants, and some 100 000 Brandenburg residents drink water from Berliner Wasserbetriebe. Berliner Wasserbetriebe provides about 200 million m 3 of drinking water every year, and with an annual turnover of more than EUR 1.1 billion it is the largest company in Germany’s water management sector. Sustainable operations and strict quality management guarantee best-quality drinking water which fully complies with legal standards, and which lies well below the specified limit values for many parameters. Drinking water is prepared in nine waterworks exclusively from groundwater without chemicals, using near-natural methods.

the comparable level specified in national standards. Without the work of Berliner Wasserbetriebe many innovations that have now set new standards would have been inconceivable – from purification technology and trenchless pipe and sewer laying through to research on riverbank filtration. In the 1990s, a Group was established around Berliner Wasserbetriebe which is active nationally and internationally in various water-related fields. Berliner Wasserbetriebe as a statutory company forms the core of the Berlinwasser Group, which was partially privatised in 1999. Land Berlin has a 50.1 percent holding in both the Group and Berliner Wasserbetriebe, and RWE and Veolia each hold 24.95 percent.

The six wastewater treatment plants are equipped with the latest process technology for the biological removal of nutrients. As a result, all treatment plants

observe the limit values for treated wastewater in Berlin and Brandenburg which are much stricter than

Berliner Wasserbetriebe Neue Jüdenstrasse 1

10179 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30 8644-0

Fax: +49 (0)30 8644-28 10 E - mail: [email protected] www.bwb.de

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Veolia Wasser

Versatile partner for water and energy – Veolia Wasser Deutschland GmbH, with its head office in Berlin, provides services for local authorities and the industrial sector relating to water supplies and wastewater management as well as for municipal utilities (electricity and gas supply, district heating, local public transport and city lighting). The company’s most important holding is in the Berlin water utility Berliner Wasserbetriebe (24.95 percent). Veolia Wasser also has 74.9 percent holdings in BVAG in Braunschweig with its brand BS | ENERGY, Stadtwerke Görlitz AG (SWG) and the Stadtwerke

Weißwasser GmbH (SWW), respectively. A one hundred percent subsidiary is OEWA in Leipzig, which in turn holds a 25.1 percent share in MIDEWA, a water utility company based in Merseburg which serves central Germany. Both OEWA and MIDEWA hold a 50 percent share of Ostthüringer Wasser und Abwasser GmbH (OTWA, Gera). The Veolia Wasser Group also includes the MHWA water utility based in Darmstadt. The companies in the group provide drinking water for a total of about five million people. In addition, Veolia Wasser is active together with other companies in the Veolia Environnement group in the energy management of the automotive supplier Visteon in Düren, and the wastewater treatment for the paper manufacturer MD-Papier in Plattling. In 2006, Veolia Wasser in Germany employed some 7 650 personnel and generated revenues of more than EUR 1.2 billion. In Berlin, Veolia Wasser plays a leading role in the research institution Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (p. 7). The Veolia Foundation regularly awards grants to projects which create employment in the social and environmental fields. Veolia Wasser is also main sponsor of the television museum in Berlin.

Veolia Wasser Deutschland GmbH Lindencorso

Unter den Linden 21

10117 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30 206 29 56 -0

Fax: + 49 (0)30 206 29 56 -31 E - mail: [email protected] www.veoliawasser.de

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Berlinwasser International AG

Discover the world of water – Despite the fact that water is the world’s most abundant natural substance, drinking water is not always readily available. That is why the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals identified insufficient access to clean drinking water as an obstacle to development for one third of the earth’s population and resolved that this figure is to be reduced by half by 2015. In this context, Berlinwasser International AG delivers clearly defined products and services, essential for sustainable water resources management.

International AG draws on the expertise of the whole Berlinwasser Group, particularly the knowhow gained from decades of experience by Berliner Wasserbetriebe (p. 9).

Berlinwasser International AG is a public limited company active in international water markets as one of Germany’s leading service providers, focussing on the management and operation of drinking water systems and wastewater management systems. The company’s services include the development and implementation of operations, management and contracts, consultancy activities, and collaboration with investors. The portfolio includes concessions as well as BOT and TOT projects, the management of which is the responsibility of the company’s headquarters in Berlin. Berlinwasser International AG is responsible for the management and for the planning and development

of the international activities of the Berlinwasser Group. For its international projects, Berlinwasser

Berlinwasser International AG Stralauer Strasse 32

10179 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30 814 68-587

Fax: +49 (0)30 814 68-539 E - mail: [email protected] www.berlinwasser.net

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TSB – Technology Foundation Berlin

Water research as a field of innovation of TSB – TSB is a hub for promoting applied research. Berlin has considerable potential in all specialist disciplines relating to water management, and the dynamic water sector is currently characterised by innovations with a high level of practical relevance. TSB was therefore involved from the early stages in the development of the Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB) into an internationally significant centre for water research. The networking activities of the KWB head office are supported by TSB through financial and personnel contribution. TSB is also represented on the supervisory board of KWB and on its project commission. The support provided for KWB augments the various activities of T SB in the other fields of competence in Berlin, namely biotechnology, information and communications technology, medical technology, optics, and traffic and transport technology. The initiatives TSB FAV, TSB Medici and BioTOP are working to achieve further progress in these fields through their networking and joint projects. TSB has pushed the concentration on the fields of competence in Berlin and with support from all relevant quarters has promoted a coherent innovation strategy. It has established itself as the first stop for all questions relating to innovation policies in Berlin.

TSB Technologiestiftung Berlin Dr. Dieter Müller

Fasanenstrasse 85

10623 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30 46302-555

Fax: +49 (0)30 46302-444 E - mail: [email protected] www.technologiestiftung-berlin .de

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Centre for Water in Urban Areas at Technische Universität Berlin

Water related research and knowledge at TU Berlin – The «Centre for Water in Urban Areas» (FSP-WIB) is an initiative at Technische Universität Berlin (TUB) involving twenty-two departments from five faculties. The various scientific disciplines are merging their knowledge and activities in water research. At the interfaces, innovation and advanced technological approaches are being jointly developed for a futureoriented urban water management. Currently, the Centre has more than 50 ongoing projects in numerous fields, e.g. on the water reuse concept for the Olympic Park 2008 in Beijing. Several research

projects on innovative wastewater treatment are in progress, such as membrane bioreactor applications. Moreover the Centre is involved in providing consultancy services for large infrastructure projects in Berlin. Core fields of activity are water recycling by membrane technologies, environmental analysis of persistent organic compounds, and the economic assessment of technological measures in urban water management. The work is structured in four sectors: I Water and material cycles; innovative water technology development; I Hazardous substances, chemical analysis, fate of pollutants in water and soil; I Planning, assessment and water management; I International cooperation and knowledge transfer. The «Centre for Water in Urban Areas» is the ideal contact point at TU Berlin for all your questions relating to water.

Technische Universität Berlin

Forschungsschwerpunkt »Wasser in Ballungsräumen« Sekr. KF4

Strasse des 17. Juni 135

10623 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30 314 -254 93

Fax: +49 (0)30 314- 233 13 E - mail: [email protected] www.FSP-WIB.tu-berlin.de

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Freie Universität Berlin

Experts in groundwater exploration – The Hydrogeology Group at the Geological Sciences Institute of the Freie Universität Berlin has experience in the investigation of hydrogeological, hydraulic, hydrogeochemical, isotopic and environmental issues with special emphasis on porous soft rocks. We have expertise in both research and practical applications. Main research fields are hydrogeology of catchment areas, water budget analysis, water rock interaction, flow/transport as well as geochemical modelling and groundwater management.

anoxic environments, as well as a lab to apply radioactive tracers (beta and gamma emitters). Our academic staff is made up of 3 professors, 7 senior scientists and 20 doctoral students. Projects are funded by German Research Foundation (DFG), government authorities, international water suppliers, the European Commission, other research institutions, and private enterprises.

Recent research topics include the investigation of bank filtration processes in Berlin, as well as in Brazil, India and Egypt, deep aquifer systems, hydro-geothermal energy of shallow and deep aquifers, and heat transport modelling. Work is also going on in the field of environmental geology, e.g. the investigation, evaluation and remediation of contaminated sites as well as investigation of sub aquatic sediments and suspended matter e.g. for the German Environmental Specimen Bank (UPB). Geochemical modelling and gas diffusion calculations also form part of the environmental research. The Hydrogeology Group is equipped with analytical

laboratories to investigate and simulate groundwater flow and hazardous element transport under oxic and

Freie Universität Berlin, Inst . f. Geologische Wissenschaften FR Geochemie, Hydrogeologie und Mineralogie AB Hydrogeologie, Dr. Andreas Winkler Haus B, Raum B.026

Malteserstrasse 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)30 838 70-614

Fax: +49 (0)30 838 70-742 E - mail: [email protected] www.geo.fu-berlin.de

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Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries

Useful macrophytes for water purification – A system for managing water resources and freshwater ecosystems should be based on a comprehensive combination of disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary strategies, and accordingly the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) is engaged in applied and theoretical research on freshwater ecosystems involving limnology, hydrology, ecology, ecotoxicology, physiology, chemistry, sedimentology and fish ecology. Field investigations of aquatic ecosystems and the impact of catchment areas on water quality are combined with laboratory experiments, data management, modelling and theoretical studies. The research focuses on processes, functions, and the accompanying structures in the aquatic ecosystem, with international projects and also surveys of the lakes and rivers in Berlin and Brandenburg.

native macrophytes, the toxin load of the untreated water from the lake will be reduced to levels acceptable for drinking water.

Scientists of the IGB are currently working on a project concerned with the purification of water extracted from the lake ChaoHu in the Anhui province in China. Lake ChaoHu is the fifth largest Chinese lake, but because of the high levels of pollution and nutrients in its waters it is affected every year by the mass development of cyanobacteria. The toxins produced by the cyanobacteria, which are also heptatotoxic to humans, reach levels way above the WHO limits for drinking water. Using a relatively simple pond system including

Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei Müggelseedamm 310

12587 Berlin, Germany Tel.: + 49 (0)30 641 81-602

Fax: + 49 (0)30 641 81-600 E - mail: [email protected] www.igb-berlin.de

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Senate Department for Urban Development

Rain water management and model projects – The demands on buildings are becoming increasingly complex. Planning now not only involves complying with relevant building regulations. It is also necessary to achieve the best possible compromise between a number of sometimes competing goals. The aim is to harmonise planning, construction, and management of a project so that the environment impact is kept as low as possible, natural resources are protected, while results are socially acceptable and

ensure sustainable living and working conditions. The development of standard specifications also has the goal of reducing costs for planning and construction as well as minimising running costs. Projects within the framework of the experimental housing and urban development and the Berlin Urban Ecology Programme focus on topics such as rainwater management and the greening of buildings. A special feature of the model projects is that this «constructional research» is scientifically monitored, evaluated, optimised, and documented. Planning in terms of overall environmental strategies with interconnected individual modules – Energy, Water, Green, Building materials, Waste – has proved to be an important and useful approach for many urban construction projects. In addition to many other questions, the projects also considered the hygienic aspects of the use of rainwater and greywater for non-drinking purposes in buildings. Follow-up scientific evaluations have provided information about the transferability of the results. Recently, the knowledge gained from the model projects could also be used for the development of new process technologies and systems, which have been included in current standards and regulations.

Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung

Abt. VI – Ministerielle Angelegenheiten des Bauwesens Bereich Ökologisches Bauen Brigitte Reichmann

Württembergische Strasse 6 10707 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: + 49 (0)30 90 12 - 8620 Fax : + 49 (0)30 90 12 -8560

E - mail: brigitte.reichmann@senstadt .verwalt-berlin.de www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de

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Senate Department for Health, Environment and Consumer Protection

Water management and resource protection – The division of integrative environmental protection of the Berlin Senate Department for Health, Environment and Consumer Protection is responsible, among other things, for representing public interests in water management, water regulation, and geology. Berlin relies on its own water resources to a much greater extent than most other cities of the same size. The entire water supply is extracted within the city limits, and because Berlin’s many lakes and rivers are also used for a variety of other purposes, including goods transport and recreation, it is important to have effective protection and a sustainable water management system.

Besides the specialist responsibilities and tasks, the Water Authority, which is also part of the division of integrative environmental protection, is responsible for issuing permits and formulating related regulations.

At present, the main topics of interest are the implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive, the challenges to economic viability raised by decreasing water consumption, urban water management, the impact of climate change on water management issues, and the utilisation of geothermal energy. The special demands on the quality of the wastewater treatment plants considerably influence the surface water quality, which is also supervised by the Senate Department. A wide range of measurements are taken relating to geology (more than 800 drillings), hydrology, surface water and groundwater, and the data is analysed and made available to the public.

Senatsverwaltung für Gesundheit, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz Abt. Integrativer Umweltschutz Wolfgang Bergfelder Brückenstrasse 6

10179 Berlin, Germany Tel.: + 49 (0)30 90 25 - 2200

Fax: +49 (0)30 90 25 -2947 E - mail: [email protected] www.berlin.de/sen/guv

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Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Women’s Issues

Foreign trade and international cooperation – Berlin is raising its profile as a future-oriented business location. The Berlin Senate has established a set of priorities which are reflected in fields of competence such as I Media and communications technology, I Health management, and in particular medical and biotechnology, I Optical technologies, and I Transport and mobility engineering.

In these and other fields of innovation, Berlin aims to establish a prominent position in Europe. The dynamism and modernity of the German capital make it a first choice address for companies in forward-looking sectors. Within the framework of these activities the policy goal is to support the export initiatives of Berlin companies and to promote access to new markets in other countries. A further significant factor for the internationalisation of Berlin is its 17 partnerships with other cities worldwide. The city networks offer an ideal opportunity for mutually beneficial conferences on a variety of relevant urban development topics, such as those that have been organised in recent years by the Berlin Office for Development Cooperation at the Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Women’s Issues (SenWTF). Since 2002, participants from numerous countries have met to discuss topics such as water and wastewater management, waste services, urban planning, environmental protection, and education. A milestone was the International Water Conference Berlin 2004 Urban Waters – Problems and Solutions

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with regard to Sustainability, attended by more than 80 experts from business, science and research, politics and administration from more than 30 major cities worldwide. In 2005 and 2006, leading water experts from Berlin and Brandenburg met in a series of discussions in order to consider skills and synergies, potentials and future prospects, with a view to strengthening the international involvement of the region. As a result, actors involved in the Berlin water sector have created the Water Plenum as a platform for stimulating future activities. In order to provide coordination, a permanent water plenum working group was set up on the initiative of SenWTF. The next major event is the II. International Water Conference Berlin 2007 Water Problems in Urban Areas and Approaches to Solutions considering the Aspect of Sustainability with leading experts from the AsiaPacific region and from selected Central and Eastern European countries, which will be held within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Weeks from 12 to 14 September 2007. This conference offers Berlin companies an opportunity to establish direct contacts with international water actors in order to coordinate busi-

ness cooperation, establish networks, and access new markets.

Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Technologie und Frauen Internationale Kooperation –

Landesstelle für Entwicklungszusammenarbeit Stefani Reich

Martin-Luther-Strasse 105 10825 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)30 9013-7409

Fax: +49 (0)30 9013-7490 E - mail: [email protected]

www.berlin.de/sen/wirtschaft/lez/staedte.html

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Berlin Partner GmbH

Berlin Partner publicizes the city‘s strengths and future prospects, develops advertising campaigns, initiates and organizes events, and maintains strong Berlin networks. The company also offers comprehensive settlement services to investors free of charge. The Business Location Centre Berlin-Brandenburg provides investors with the most important, up-to-date economic information on Berlin and Brandenburg. It also offers special services and products designed to support settlement and/or expansion in the capital city, including a real estate portal and the Berlin Business Welcome, Business Recruiting, Business Financing and Business Locating Packages.

The first stop for business – Berlin Partner is a central point of contact in Berlin, helping investors to settle in the city, assisting local companies in all matters relating to foreign trade, and promoting the capital as a business location. The agency receives financial support from the private sector, and is commissioned by the Berlin Senate to develop and implement location marketing strategies and to promote the capital city. More than 155 prominent German and international private «partner» companies support Berlin Partner

Local companies are provided with comprehensive information regarding all matters relating to foreign trade. This includes the search for cooperation partners, the organization of joint trade fair appearances, as well as shared business trips abroad. ER IC BER L IN (EuRo Info Centre), the Innovation Relay Centre and the Berlin-Brandenburg Business Representation in Brussels are also available to answer any questions regarding the European Union.

and share a common interest in advertising the capital at regional, national, and international levels.

Berlin Partner GmbH

Ludwig-Erhard-Haus Fasanenstrasse 85

10623 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30 399 80-0

Fax: +49 (0)30 399 80-239 E - mail: [email protected] www.berlin-partner.de

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IBB – Investitionsbank Berlin

Performance for Berlin – Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) is the central funding bank in Berlin, offering subsidy programmes for commercial and real estate development. It is an incorporated institution under public law owned by the city, with public-sector responsibility and with a refinancing guarantee from Land Berlin.

In the real property sector, IBB is a partner for all subsidy and financing issues related to real property. Investitionsbank Berlin supports Land Berlin in housing matters.

The business promotion schemes offered by IBB are designed to support new enterprises and businesses with temporary liquidity problems by means of grants, low-interest loans, and equity. IBB focuses on innovative and technology-oriented companies, in particular those operating in the fields of information and communications technology, media, biotechnology, medical technology, optics, transport, traffic and mobility. In distributing its products and in financing projects, IBB co-operates with commercial banks in Berlin and offers comprehensive financing consultancy services. In order to encourage Berlin entrepreneurs to expand their business activities, Investitionsbank Berlin is planning to introduce a new programme «Entering New Markets» in autumn 2007. Financial support will be given for general marketing activities and trade-fair participation as well as for necessary qualification measures.

Investitionsbank Berlin Bundesallee 210

10719 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 30 2125-0

Fax: +49 (0) 30 2125-2020 E - mail: [email protected] www.ibb.de

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GTZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit

Water – a key to sustainable development – As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) supports the German Government in achieving its development-policy objectives. It provides viable, forward-looking solutions for political, economic, environmental and social development in a globalised world. GTZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis. GTZ implements advisory and service projects in more than 130 countries, with services relating to economy and employment; government, democracy and poverty reduction; education, health and social security; agriculture, fisheries and food; and environment and infrastructure.

I Sustainable water supply and sanitation secure, affordable and high-quality water supply and wastewater disposal systems; capacity building in water sector enterprises I Ecological sanitation – ecosan development of sustainable wastewater and sanitation strategies I Water for food improved water use in agriculture; innovative approaches for irrigation I Transboundary water management regional cooperation and integration; support for river basin organisations I Watershed management support for measures at water catchment level for sustainable water management

GTZ’s activities in the water sector follow the guiding principle of integrated water resources management. We offer advisory services in the following fields: I Water sector reform effective sector policy, suitable statutory framework; institutional capacity building I Regulation and supervision in the water sector regulatory systems and regulatory authorities; establishment of arbitration tribunals

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH Kompetenzfeld Wasser

Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1-5 65760 Eschborn, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)61 96 79-1318

Fax: +49 (0)61 96 79-1115 E - mail: [email protected] www.gtz.de

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InWEnt – Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gGmbH Capacity Building International, Germany

Strategic HRD for improved water management – InWEnt stands for the development of human resources and organisations within the framework of international cooperation. InWEnt provides services for skilled and managerial staff as well as to decision makers from business, politics, administration and civil society worldwide. InWEnt cooperates equally with partners from developing, transition and industrialised countries. Water supply and sanitation (urban and rural) are crucial for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and water sectors worldwide are under strong pressure, which is caused and intensified by changing natural conditions, tendencies towards liberalisation and decentralisation, population growth and migration issues. Generally speaking, the water supply and sanitation sub-sector has to follow an integrated approach increasing access on a massive scale, overcoming problems relating to water quality, droughts and pollution and at the same time improving the capacity of staff to cope with the complex situation.

appropriate technological solutions to guarantee efficient water use. Emphasising regional cooperation and networking, we provide platforms for the exchange of experience so as to promote the development of joint and internally-driven strategies and identify suitable approaches to problem-solving and implementation, and thus the development of synergies. Strengthening capacity building entities in situ is of particular interest. By exchanging experience, we establish partnerships of learning organisations which are ready to listen and meet the priority needs of our partners.

The tight individual-organisation-system linkage also has to be considered. InWEnt’s activities follow a systemic approach, linking professional and methodological skills. We contribute to the development and implementation of modern management strategies and of

InWEnt gGmbH

Abt. 5.03 – Umwelt, Energie und Wasser Alexandra Pres

Lützowufer 6-9

10785 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30 25482-107

Fax: +49 (0)30 25482-103 E - mail: [email protected] www.inwent.org

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Captions

p. 1, 2 (top) Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Building, Parliamentary Library of the German Bundestag p. 2 (bottom) Historic water pump

p. 3 (bottom) The new Hauptbahnhof in the center of Berlin p. 4 (top) Lake Lietzensee in the West of the city

p. 4 (bottom, left) Bathing ship in the river Spree

p. 4 (bottom, right) Molecule Man by Jonathan Borofsky in the river Spree p. 5 (left) The Bode-Museum on the Museum Island p. 5 (right) Beach bar in the Monbijou Park

p. 14 Drill rig for the exploration of deep geothermal energy in Pullach, Germany p. 15 Pond system for water purification in China p. 16 Institute of Physics in Berlin-Adlershof

p. 18 Oberbaum Bridge in the East of the city

p. 19 The Berlin Town Hall, seat of the Governing Mayor and the Senate Chancellery

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Published by: Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin gGmbH, Cicerostrasse 24, 10709 Berlin, Germany,

Tel.: +49 (0)30 53653-800, Fax: +49 (0)30 53653-888, E-mail: [email protected], www. kompetenz-wasser.de Managing Director: Ludwig Pawlowski | Editors: Markus Müller, Dagmar Stryjak | Language editor: Richard Holmes | Design and production: Sonja Frank Grafikdesign, Berlin | Reproduction: bildpunkt, Berlin | Printed by: KönigsDruck GmbH, Berlin | Photos: Sonja Frank Cover, p. 1--6, 10 (top), 13 (top), 14 (top), 17, 18, 22, 24 | Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin p. 7 | Veolia Wasser p. 8, p. 9 (top), p. 10, p.21 (top) | Berliner Wasserbetriebe p. 9, p. 11 | TSB Technologiestiftung Berlin p. 12 |

www.photocase.com, lio p. 13 (bottom) | Freie Universität Berlin, Dr. Michael Schneider p. 14 (bottom) | Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei, Dr. Stephan Pflugmacher p. 15 | Dipl.-Ing. Marco Schmidt p. 16 | Presse- und Informationsamt des Landes Berlin p. 19 | Berlin Partner GmbH, Michael Kappeler p. 20 | Investitionsbank Berlin p. 21 (bottom) | InWEnt, Alexandra Pres p. 23

This brochure is financially supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Women’s Issues. © August 2007