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Approximately half of
humanity lacks any kind of sanitation. The situation is unlikely to change
soon if conventional approaches are continually promoted. With rapid
urbanisation, population growth, growing income disparities and increasing
water scarcity, conventional approaches are becoming increasingly too
costly, too complex, or just plain technically inappropriate. In addition
to a changing world affecting sanitation solutions, conventional sanitary
approaches are leading to other problems. Underlying the conventional
approach to sanitation is an assumption that excreta are a waste suitable
only for disposal, and the conventional technologies are designed to
dispose of excreta. These linear approaches fail to recycle nutrients, to
prevent pollution or to protect health. Thus, surface and ground water
become contaminated and the resulting soil infertility leads to costly
measures and pollution. Because conventional approaches are not available
to half of humanity, high rates of infectious disease and infant mortality
rates continue to exist.
The
overall goal of EcoSanRes is to create a global confidence in ecological
sanitation as a trustworthy, affordable and sustainable alternative for
design of sanitation systems. This requires a new understanding of
sanitation, a holistic system based on healthy ecosystems. Residual
material is recycled and reused as part of an ecocycle process. External
inputs into the system and "wastes" that exit the system are reduced
to a minimum or eliminated. Very little water or no water is used. Excreta
are processed and rendered safe, close to the point of excretion,
pollution is minimized, protecting ground and surface water, and nutrients
and carbon are returned to land and made productive, which implies closing
the loop. The holistic and ecological approach becomes safe and
non-polluting. It can be gender and culturally acceptable; economically
feasible; environmentally sustainable; and protecting and preserving the
local ecosystem.
Healthy and better-nourished individuals may be an immediate benefit of
such systems. It can also provide and generate employment through the
provision of services to implement and sustain the systems. These factors
contribute toward viable communities, whether urban or rural, and
contribute towards the alleviation of poverty. Attaining the vision
requires a change in how people think about sanitation and how it is
integrated into the rest of society. |
