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Low-cost unconventional sewerage
01.07.1990
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Why pit latrines fail: some environmental factors
01.10.1994
Although pit latrines are cheap, simple to operate, and easy to manage, in certain circumstances they can be inappropriate. What planners need is a suitable, objective mechanism for choosing the right sanitation system at the outset. -
Sunshine and fresh air: A practical approach to combating water-borne disease
01.04.1997
Sunlight will destroy much of the faecal bacteria present in contaminated drinking-water — but only as long as the water contains sufficient oxygen. What opportunities are there to improve the quality of drinking-water in consistently sunny climates? -
Water and sanitation in camps on the Andaman Islands
01.07.2006
When the Asian tsunami struck the Andaman Islands, nearly 7000 people were relocated in six camps. In spite of the large number of bathing and sanitation facilities built, water and sanitation conditions remained unsatisfactory in four of the camps. The facilities had been constructed without consulting their users. -
Implementing impact assessment and monitoring systems in Zambia
01.12.2001
This article describes the process by which an impact monitoring system was designed and built into a fairly recently launched Zambian microfinance organization, CETZAM. Developed with funding from DFID and initial technical assistance from consultants, a system was designed to monitor impact through a means test for all new clients, an annual impact survey and an exit survey for dropout clients. The first results from the system have fed into CETZAM's decision-making on loan size, repayment frequency and new products. This article describes the lessons learned, and assesses whether this system matches up to the principles of an 'impact audit'. -
Making microfinance safe for commercial funding
01.12.2009
Will commercial funding in microfinance lead to better services for more poor clients? Or will it be a rerun of the subprime crisis? The answer depends on what we do now to set up a web of regulations and practices that expand the market while protecting clients. -
Domestic water supply options in Gezira irrigation scheme
01.04.2010
The Gezira irrigation scheme in Sudan is one of the largest in Africa and contains over 1,200 unregistered and illegal villages that are home to immigrant agricultural workers. The majority have no source of clean domestic water supply, frequently relying on nearby irrigation water for all their needs. Over 50 per cent of the population are infected with schistosomiasis and other water-borne diseases. This paper examines the problems in one such village, Taweel, and suggests options for improving the supply. After discussing the physical and institutional environment governing water supply, the paper reviews the status of other water supply schemes in the area. It shows that many are in a poor condition because of lack of funding, insufficient staff and poor consideration of operation and maintenance. A review of possible water supply options suggests three possible solutions: a pipeline from a borehole in a nearby village; simple treatment of the irrigation water flowing through the village; and the construction of an infiltration gallery in a nearby main irrigation canal. The paper concludes that there is insufficient information available to make a final decision on the best option but the proposals can form the foundation for further data collection and stakeholder consultation. -
Manual welding of water pipes
01.01.2012
Polyethylene pipe is a low-cost, reliable, and durable material widely used in the water industry around the world. In low-income countries one of the problems with its use is the high cost of fittings. This is a particular problem for small communities who are responsible for the maintenance of their own water supplies. It can be a serious barrier to sustainability. One solution is to replace fittings with hand butt fusion: a simple technique for welding pipes together. The technique was widely used in Nepal but has latterly fallen out of favour. This is a pity since it could still have wide application around the world. This paper describes in detail the manual butt welding technique and demonstrates that the joint is at least as strong as that produced by mechanical joints. -
Emergency sanitation: developing criteria for pit latrine lining
01.04.2016
Pit latrine linings for emergency sanitation facilities require different performance criteria from those for pits used in longer-term development work. Various international initiatives are currently under way to develop new methods of supporting the pits used for latrines in emergencies, but before a solution can be found, the problem needs to be defined. Current field guidance lacks the level of detail required by humanitarian workers to construct durable pits in a timely manner. Consultations with international humanitarian field staff and UK-based geotechnical engineers were used in this research project to identify design, construction, and operational requirements of emergency pit-lining systems. However, rather than closely defined performance requirements, the study identified a wide range of criteria that need to be considered and clear distinctions between emergency and longer-term solutions. Latrines constructed in the initial stages of emergencies are likely to be communal, with long rectangular pits that require frequent emptying. Current knowledge of suitable pit support methods is sufficient to provide a limited range of standard designs that could be selected to meet local requirements. -
Surface water in temporary humanitarian settlements
01.01.2017
In the Humanitarian Innovation Fund Gap Analysis for water, sanitation, and hygiene issues, field staff identified environmental management of surface water as an area of concern, although this was not reflected at a head office level. This difference of perspectives could be an under-reporting of this aspect of environmental sanitation to the global humanitarian community or a failure of experts to communicate the required response to surface water management in camps for displaced people. Reviewing core humanitarian engineering texts and global standards, this paper sets out the current state of the art and shows that there is a lack of clarity on the ‘ownership’ of the problem and the established responses are disjointed and poorly articulated, especially at field staff level. Since the core texts have been written, there has been a change in the way surface water is being managed in urban areas. Sustainable urban drainage practices may have potential in resource-poor but densely populated situations such as some refugee camps. The paper highlights the lack of adequate advice in both content and delivery mechanisms. More gaps and challenges were identified than solutions, but this research narrowed down the gaps identified in 2013 to more specific issues, which is a step further towards solving the problem.