By Louisa Chinyavu Mwenda (Kenya)
When I first saw the brochure for the short courses offered at CIPSEM in Dresden, Germany at the UNEA in Nairobi, Kenya in May 2016, I was very excited, picked the brochure and also managed to have a chat and exchange contacts with course director Dr. Anna Görner (I am not sure if she remembers this! Editor’s note: She does 😉). I only had a few days before the deadline, so I immediately worked on the application and submitted it… and waited for any response. Just to summarize, as I write this, I am in Dresden… so yes, I got a fellowship award for the 68th UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB International Short Course on Integrated Water Resources Management and Health!
Dresden is a beautiful place with so much to see, I am afraid I will go back home having not yet explored the city fully.
On arrival, the first thing to capture my attention was the Elbe River, which flows through Dresden offering scenic breath taking views. My attention was also drawn to sculptures and huge monuments in forms of mainly museums, churches and castles with a lot of historical background spread in the main city center. The Semper Oper is another amazing building hosted by Dresden, which reminded me so much of a board game I owned some years ago called the Notre Dame.
Currently, Dresden – and I think most parts of Germany – are full of blossoming flowers which I bet during this time of the year, is common. Florals add a burst of color into the streets and homes, parading the city beautifully. And I cannot even quantify the number of apple trees I have seen, not to mention several apples ready to eat just within our reach!
Also, it is very frequent to spot alternative energy sources such as wind farms and solar panels which the country can boast about. I observed that wind farms are very common within several parts of Germany. I am yet to learn more about Dresden in the remaining days but in short, it is an amazing location for both academic and recreational purposes!
UNEP/UNESCO/BMUV course program 