“At this moment I am on a Delta Expedition a few peninsulas further away, sitting in a field full of thousands of wild orchids next to shallow water. There is no time for daydreaming; we must continue our work to finish our training for the expedition next September to Bitola (Macedonia). We have to determine the conditions in this area by monitoring physical parameters and biological aspects, as well as surveying the area. All this is necessary to improve the quality of water according to new EU rules. An EU candidate country, such as Macedonia, has to prepare very well for these strict ‘water-related rules’ if it wants to become a member. To improve the quality of nature, they have to change their attitudes towards it. They have to realise that their first priority is to take care of their precious nature, and not of money. There is a crystal-clear river, full of life when it comes from the mountains next to the city, but which is completely destroyed after passing the local industry; and this all happens in a poor country where the people are still busy surviving. So it is a very important and unpleasant job to tell them what they have to do to improve the quality of their nature. It is a great challenge to finish this job with a team of 20 students of ‘aquatic eco-technology’ and plenty of professionals: geologists, biologists and other experts.”

Suddenly, I wake up, the ferry has reached the harbour. Was it just a dream? No, it’s real: my name is Markus Conrads and I am a second-year Bachelor student of Water Management at the HZ University of Applied Sciences in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Here water is part of my everyday life in many ways: I drink it, I cross the river by ferry to go to the university and I even study it.