Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
(2) dry toilets with one receiving pit, (3) dry toilets with two pits, and (4) pour-
flush toilets with two receiving pits, and shows that the pour-flush systems
should be utilized whenever feasible. The pour-flush/two-pit systems not only
permits washing before leaving the toilet, but also the water content in the
receiving pit greatly speeds up sludge stabilization, so that the sludge removed
(usually taken for use as fertilizer for crops), is very much safer for handling
than dry pit sludge.
Village Environmental Officers (VEOs) The overall environmental
program already noted for Xiaolandgi resettlement towns included atten-
tion not only to the water/sanitation facilities but also attention to all
other significant village environmental issues including adequacy of roads,
electricity service, clinics, and even the need for planting of trees to
furnish aesthetically attractive green areas. To ensure continuing adequate
attention to all of these the local governments for all of the resettle-
ment towns, at the World Bank's recommendation, appointed a village
environmental officer (VEO) for continuing monitoring of all the various
environmental protection activities, with monthly reporting following a
standardized format including recommendations to the resettlement pro-
gram's director on needed improvements 81 . These officers are included
in the upper echelon of the village governmental hierarchy and are paid
for their services. An interesting finding is that all of the village chiefs
expressed real enthusiasm for using the VEO, and at time of completion of
the
resettlement
construction
program,
the
VEO
program
was
going
very
well.
Farm Animal Manures
The World Bank - sponsored Water Agenda study for north China's coastal
provinces 163 found the bulk of river pollution caused by animal farms was due
to drainage of unmanaged animal manures, and that this problem could readily
be solved by requiring the farmers to utilize simple stabilization ponds with
retention periods of 20 or more days. These ponds remove about 90 percent of
the BOD.
Handwashing
The importance of handwashing can scarcely be overemphasized. Studies by the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine reported in 2002 28 indicate
that diarrhea alone kills more children than malaria, and the most effective pre-
ventive measure is to persuading people to wash their hands with soap after
going to the toilet, cleaning a dirty baby, and so on, which will reduce disease
incidence in their children by some 43 percent. The problem is to get DC govern-
ments together with private-sector soap companies to develop programs suited
to particular countries. The World Bank has initiated a program in Ghana with
planstoextendittomanyotherDCs.
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