Akkharaphan Thaweesak, a master’s student in the Water Engineering and Management program at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (FCEE), AIT, shares his experience from an Erasmus+ traineeship at Ludovika University of Public Service, Hungary.
As part of my studies in Water Engineering and Management, I had the opportunity to undertake an Erasmus+ traineeship at the Faculty of Water Sciences, Ludovika University of Public Service, Hungary, during the Fall Semester of the 2025/2026 academic year.
The traineeship strengthened my understanding of climate-resilient water management and nature-based solutions (NbS) through academic events, specialized coursework, field exposure, and laboratory-based learning, offering a valuable European perspective on sustainable water governance.
A key highlight of my traineeship was participation in the ClimAct2Adapt Conference on 8 October 2025, held at the Szent Adalbert Conference Center in Esztergom, Hungary. Organized by the Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development in cooperation with Ludovika University of Public Service, the conference took place within the framework of the EU-funded LIFE LOGOS 4 WATERS project titled, “In Cooperation for Climate-Conscious River Basin Management”. This four-year initiative promotes nature-based solutions for adaptive water management, aiming to improve water retention capacity at municipal and catchment levels while strengthening resilience to extreme events such as floods and droughts.
The conference brought together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, municipal representatives, and civil society stakeholders to exchange knowledge on climate adaptation and sustainable river basin management. Discussions emphasized nature-based solutions, natural water retention measures (NWRM), stakeholder engagement, and the integration of climate adaptation into policy frameworks. The sessions helped clarify how interdisciplinary cooperation can connect scientific evidence with practical decision-making in water governance.
In addition, I joined the course “Nature-Based Solutions for Water Management,” which combined theoretical learning with site visits to NbS planning and implementation areas across Hungary under several LIFE projects in both urban and rural contexts. These visits provided first-hand exposure to interventions such as urban green infrastructure, river restoration measures, and landscape-based water retention solutions. Seeing these approaches in practice deepened my understanding of NbS design and evaluation, while also highlighting the technical, social, and institutional challenges that often influence implementation.
Another important component of my traineeship was a small-scale laboratory experiment exploring how local aquatic plants contribute to water quality improvement. Through simple experimental setups, I monitored changes in selected water quality parameters over time and compared planted and non-planted conditions. This hands-on work strengthened my skills in experimental design, water quality monitoring, and basic data interpretation. The results reinforced the potential of aquatic plants as cost-effective, sustainable NbS that support water purification and ecosystem functioning through processes such as nutrient uptake and biological filtration.
Outside the program activities, I also took time to explore Hungary and experience local culture, which helped me better understand the social and environmental context behind water management practices.
Overall, this Erasmus+ traineeship offered a well-rounded learning experience, linking policy dialogue, applied coursework, field observation, and laboratory practice. It strengthened my interest in water security and climate-resilient solutions and has further motivated me to pursue future research and professional work in sustainable water management.
This student mobility was coordinated by AIT’s Office of International Affairs in collaboration with the Water Engineering and Management program.
