Lorena Viladomat
Lorena worked with the Palestinian Hydrology Group (PHG) in Ramallah during late 2008 while conducting research for her dissertation investigating access to water in the West Bank. During this time she had the opportunity to get to know both the environment and the situation in Palestine, and also to meet members of various other organisations active in the West Bank. After graduating from her degree in “3rd World Development Studies” at the University of Middlesex, London, she took a course in Water and Sanitation: Sewage Solutions at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales and subsequently decided that she would like to return to Palestine to work in the field of sustainable development of the water sector. She has now been living in the Middle East since 2010 and has taken her passion for sustainable development more into practice. She has also continiued her training in the WASH sector by recently attending a UNICEF training course in “Small scale sanitation and waste water re-use techniques”.
Philip Jones M.Sc MSB
Philip first visited Palestine and Israel while at university during 2003. After completing an M.Sc in “Marine Environmental Protection” with the University of Wales, Bangor, he returned to work with the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ), an NGO based in Bethlehem which focuses on environmental impacts of the occupation and innovative agricultural strategies. During the autumn of 2008 he went once again to Palestine, and during this trip conducted the groundwork to assess the feasibility of the aquaculture project which commenced in 2010.
Since starting work in the Middle East, Philip has been involved with designing and implementing sustainable aquaculture and aquaponic projects, funded both through grassroots networks and international NGOs. Additionally, Philip is providing consultancy services to the private sector for the development of commercial projects in Palestine and Jordan.
