Eco-Sanitation and Tropical Food Production

Peter CoppenhallEco-Sanitation and Tropical Food Production

Present ScenarioOver 2.6 billion people live without access to improved sanitation.

Nearly 900 million people are not receiving theirdrinking-water from improved water sources.

Currently an esitmated 2.2 million children under five die yearly due to poor sanitationThis is greater than the combined impact of HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.representing 15% of child deaths in developing countires!

UN Millennium Development Goal 7Target 7.CHalve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

Development aid has dropped!

Diarrhoel Disease could bereduced by nearly 90%

Present Scenario1.5 million from diarrhoel disease

WHO/UNICEF 2008 Joint Monitoring Program

Fall from 8-5% lower than other commitments:

Health, education, transport, energy, and agriculture3Flush-and-forget concept.This wastes 20,000 litres of fresh drinking water per year. (per person)

Too costly and complex

Assumes waste is only suitable for disposal

Developing countries cannot afford use these approaches

Conventional SanitationFlush-and-forget, has the concept of; out of sight out of mind.

With growing populations, increasing water scarcity, rapid urbanisation, and growing income disparites, developing countries cant afford to waste this much water and fail to utilise the nutrients available!

Especially with the huger risks of infectious diseases and higher rates of infant mortality.

A small amount of faeces pollutes a lot of water and mixes with other waste streams

Western method is flush-and-forget concept

4

Pit LatrineAre affordable and quick to install sanitary solution.But they do not offer a suitable way to empty the pit. Further anaerobic conditions often cause bad smell and facilitate the breeding of flies.

Threat of pollution, long distances and smell, prefer open defecation!

Latrines it seems like the contamination has been controlled but over a period of time can leak in to the ground/surface water and with flush toilets, the waste is flushed away but if they havent been adequately treated they can also cause problems.

Flying toilets,

Water table etc etc5

Hanging LatrineHanging latrines, which deposit waste directly into open waterways, are a common feature of urban slums everywhere and are extremely unhygienic. They are a silent killer for the one billion people who live in urban slums worldwide without connections to any sort of public sewer systems.

High groundwater tables and collapsing sandy soils are notoriously difficult in which to build permanent traditional latrines and sewage works are incapable of effectively treating the waste as the volume entering the plant exceeds its design capacity (either because of population growth or another reason such as the high cost of electricity)

6Another Approach is needed!7An alternative and more holistic approach.

Uses human excreta as a resource and not just a waste!

Prevents the degradation of soil fertility

Improves food secutiry

Helps avoid pollution and health risksEco-sanitationPrevents pollutions of surface and ground waterPrevents the degradation of soil fertility and helps improve the soil.And optimises the management of the nutirents and water resources, can be used as a fertilizer.

Seperates the waste streams, which is more convenients and economical in reusing the waste, which also can help guarantee food safety.

8Eco-sanitation Cycleor theNutrient Loop

9Treatment and Utilisations for separated streams of waste

Other substances that can be used in Ecosan.10A set of barriers to prevent the spread of pathogens

Destruction of pathogens is important. Barriers to prevent the spread of pathogens!

Sanitation is the first and most effective point for blocking pathogens from faeces and if sanitised at the place of defacation almost no pathogens will enter the environment11Ecological toilets

Dehydration ToiletComposting ToiletUrine-diversion toilets

FaecesUrine

This helps separate urine and faeces, especially as faeces contain the majority of the pathogens and urine has up to 80% fertiliser. If they are separated problems can be avioded and cost reduced.

Urine is collected and the faeces drops into a pit, which after 12 months then can be used as a manure

Transmission of pathogens to the water table is eliminated

Ash + lime are added to the faeces, which increases the pH, lowers the moisutre content, and left over time to kill off any pathogens

13Dehydration (urine diversion) toilets

Urine-diversionsquatting pan from nepal

Urine-diversion flushtoilet from Germany 14Composting Toilet

Aborloo toilet from IndiaComposting toilet

Add a handful of ash and soil after use, then cover with soil

Dry aerobic process

After 12 months can be used as fertiliser

15HistoryUsed in early chinese and European history

Greek and roman societies

Henry Moules scientifc experiment (1840s)Proves that human faeces helps food production

Urine-diversion in Mexico (1980s)

Complement farm manure

Found urine contained high nutrients Urine Tax

Fertilise one half of a field with earth from his closet, and the other with an equal weight of superphosphate (artificial fertiliser) swedes grew 1/3 bigger!

Convinced the population who werent so keen and big step for the eco toilet16FutureEcoSanRes ProgrammeInternational environment and development programme on eco-sanitation

China and AfricaStories of successfully using human urine and dried faeces as fertilisers.

Stockholm Environment Institute17Case StudiesIndiaOver half the worlds open defecatorsEco-sanitation has been incorporated in to their Total Sanitation Campaign

GhanaSuffers to a great extent from soil nutrient depletion which results in low crop productivity.Re-use of human excreta and effluents for crop production purposes could combine the dual benefit of nutrient and water conservationTSC key efforts by the indian government to curb the sanitation problem

18ConclusionInsufficient access to sanitation to fulfil the millenium development goal 7 target 7.C.

Eco-sanitation has hepled sanitation pick up speed over the last few years!

Improving soil conditions and acting as an organic fertiliser, which is improving crop production and improving food security19ConclusionExcreta is a resource and not just a waste!

Closing the loop on sanitation, helping recover vital nutrients and save drinking-water.

In many Developing Countries poor soil fertility and theincreasing cost of artificial fertilizer is making it difficult for subsistence farmers to grow enough food to feed their families. Survival becomes more perilous as population growth means new land to cultivate is not available. The fertilizer producing qualities of ecological latrines can help the household economy of poor families

Rural areas have become more self-sustaining.20Any Questions?21