Helvetas

Qualifications: Master’s degree in rural development, sustainable agriculture, environmental science or related fields; at least 8 years in development cooperation (5 years in project management); expertise in project cycle management, team leadership, and working in fragile contexts.

Organizers: Prof. Oliver Kesslet (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts), Prof. asoc. Dr Endri Xhina (University of Tirana) and practitioners from the Strong Municipality Project (Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation)

Since water flows across administrative and national boundaries, managing water resources is most effective when it aligns with river basin boundaries. Integrated Water Resources Management can provide a backbone not only to manage water across sectors, but also to underpin climate action, reduce disasters and build communities’ resilience.

To maintain the credibility and quality of organic products, the European Union (EU) tightened its organic regulations at the beginning of 2025. This brings far-reaching changes, particularly for producer groups in the Global South, making it increasingly difficult for small farmers to maintain access to the premium organic market.

As part of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)-funded project, Helvetas collaborated with local partners to support war-affected Ukrainian farmers through training, internships, and business grants to help them rebuild their lives.