EDITORIAL

ENPHO as a Knowledge Centre

Many people believe that the main bottleneck for scaling up water and sanitation will not be financing but rather lack of knowledge and capable human resources. In this context, building local knowledge and capacity becomes a critical task for water and sanitation professionals. We at ENPHO believe that we can play a significant role in managing knowledge and building capacity and have been trying to develop ourselves as a learning organization as well as a knowledge broker. Last month, we took several concrete steps in this direction and many partners have supported us in this process. SEI selected ENPHO to become the regional knowledge node for ecological sanitation. Similarly, ENPHO signed an agreement with CAWST for establishing a Water Education Training Centre at ENPHO. We have also taken on the responsibility for hosting the Resource Centre Network Nepal (RCNN), which is a network of NGOs promoting sharing and management of knowledge in the WATSAN Sector in Nepal, and IRC/PSO has agreed to support the strengthening of RCNN through a two year project. All of this means that in the days ahead we will be moving ahead full speed to establish ourselves as a knowledge centre on water and sanitation issues. We look forward to your full support in this process.
 

UNSPOKEN MELANCHOLY

:: ENPHO NEWS ::

ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION ACTIVITIES CONTINUES IN GUNDU

ENPHO under financial support from WaterAid Nepal (WAN) will continue Environmental Sanitation Improvement Project in Gundu VDC, Bhaktapur for next one year (2009/10). This year the project will be extended beyond Kibacho tole of Gundu VDC covering total areas of ward no. 7 and 6. The project aims to improve environmental sanitation, increase access to safe drinking water and improve environmental health of the area. During its first year (2008/09) of implementation, Ward No. 7 (Kibacho tole) and some area of Ward No. 6 had been covered by the project. The hardware components of first year included: 74 Ecosan with 2 bio-gas attached, 4 wet Ecosan, 2 solar Ecosan, 66 dry Ecosan, 24 Sulav toilets and 1 school toilet with urine diversion system. Similarly, 1 kuwa (traditional pond), and community water supply system was improved and grey water management system (soak pit) had been constructed in 40 households. Apart from this 150 households are using Colloidal Silver (CS) filter supported by Rotary Club. In addition, different awareness trainings on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; clean up programs; plastic collection campaign; Ecosan user’s training etc. were also conducted.

PROMOTION OF HOUSEHOLD WATER TREATMENT IN URBAN AREAS

With support from UN-HABITAT and Coca Cola Company, ENPHO is carrying out capacity building and promotional activities on household drinking water treatment (HWT) and hygiene improvement in five urban areas of Nepal. This month a total of 131 community people from different wards of Hetauda Municipality were trained on Household Water Treatment options and health & hygiene education. Similarly, a total of 239, 136 and 125 people were trained in Butwal, Bharatpur, and Lalitpur municipalities respectively. Likewise, in order to provide access to information on HWT options to locals, the project has initiated establishment of HWT promotion outlet at Bharatpur.

DISSEMINATION WORKSHOP ON WAPIC

A dissemination workshop on water pasteurization through improved cook stove (WAPIC) was conducted on 15 April at ENPHO. This is a research project that is investigating the possibility of integrating household water treatment and indoor air quality improvement by adding a simple water pasteurization device in a two pot hole mud Improved Cook Stove (ICS) promoted by AEPC/ESAP. The workshop of this WaterAid Nepal funded project was organized in order to disseminate the key findings of research to major stakeholders in drinking water, ICS and indoor air pollution sectors as well as to seek their constructive suggestions and direction.

WORKSHOP ON URINE APPLICATION

A dissemination meeting on effect of urine application as a fertilizer was organized on 26 March. Local farmers involved in the research shared their practical experiences on urine application. On the occasion, Hari K. Uprety, agronomist briefed the participants on implications of application of human urine on soil quality and Dr. Janardan Khadka, soil scientist discussed on potential of urine application in citrus fruits.

SODIS SUSTAINABILITY STUDY

A joint research program on Sustainability of Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) in Nepal was performed between EAWAG/SANDEC and ENPHO from February to April 2009 to assess the factors influencing the long term use of different water treatment options, particularly SODIS. This is part of a larger research that will be assessing sustainability of SODIS programmes in Indonesia and Latin America as well. The preliminary findings of the study were discussed at a workshop on 22 April 2009. Altogether 35 stakeholders participated in the program. The preliminary findings showed that the motivation to use SODIS is quite high among users.

Presenting the findings, Andrea Tamas, the lead researcher said that at the household level, SODIS is regularly used by approximately 15 percent of the people where SODIS promotion had been previously done. She also mentioned that the effectiveness of promoters is one of the main factors for SODIS use and programmes involving mother/women groups seemed more successful. Similarly, SODIS promotion is found to be very encouraging at Institutional level but some sort of coordination especially between the governmental organizations seems essential.

ENPHO TO HOST KNOWLEDGE NODE FOR ECOLOGICAL SANITATION

EcoSanRes of Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI) has selected ENPHO the knowledge node for South Asia to promote ecological sanitation in Nepal and the region. This was announced at a validation workshop organized by SEI on 7 April 2009. ENPHO is now in the process of preparing the project document for a two year programme, which will enable ENPHO to become the main knowledge broker & networking agent for capacity building on sustainable sanitation in Nepal & South Asia.

ENPHO HOSTS RESOURCE CENTRE NETWORK NEPAL (RCNN)

A meeting of Resource Centre Network Nepal (RCNN) Board held on 21 April formally decided to have ENPHO as the host organization of RCNN. Established in 2003, RCNN is an informal network of NGOs and INGOs involved in water and sanitation sector, which intends to facilitate the sharing of information and promote the use thereof to improve the performance of the sector as a whole. ENPHO on behalf of RCNN has joined hands with IRC from the Netherlands to implement a two year project to enhance RCNN's capacities for facilitation of learning processes in the WASH sector in Nepal. The project has three objectives: Institutionalize RCNN in the WASH sector for credibility and visibility; enhance effective networking for sector learning; and strengthen information management system to address local demands for information and contribute towards sector learning.

SCHOOL LED TOTAL SANITATION CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED IN TWO VDCS OF CHITWAN

ENPHO joined hands with District Water Supply and Sanitation Office, Chitwan, to organize a three-day workshop on School Led Total Sanitation (SLTS) from 17 to 19 April to launch SLTS campaigns in two VDCs (Patihani and Shardanagar) of Chitwan District. Altogether 33 principles, school management committee chairpersons and representatives of parents-teachers associations from 10 schools participated in the workshop. Madan Malla and other local resource persons motivated the participants to launch SLTS campaigns in their schools. The programme was part of the SWASHTHA project that is being implemented by ENPHO, Practical Action Nepal and MuAN with support from UN-HABITAT and EU.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN NEW CONSTITUTION

On 20 April, Bhushan Tuladhar, Executive Director of ENPHO facilitated a workshop on incorporation of Environmental issues in new constitution of Nepal. The workshop, which was organized by the Centre for Constitutional Dialogue, UNDP, decided to form a task force to immediately prepare a paper with key environmental issues and points that need to be incorporated into the new constitution of Nepal so as to assist the members of the Constituent Assembly (CA). Several CA members also participated in the workshop and they all underlined the urgent need to put forth a unified voice from the environment sector.

INTERNATIONAL WATER SYMPOSIUM

Many young researchers got an opportunity to present their research findings at an international symposium titled “Environment, Energy, and Water in Nepal: Recent Researches and Direction for Future” was organized from 31 March to 01 April in Kathmandu. The symposium was organized by University of Yamanashi, Japan, Kurita Water and Environment Foundation, Centre of Research for Environment, Energy & Water and Institute of Global Environmental Strategies, Japan in partnership with ENPHO, UN-HABITAT Water for Asian Cities Programme, JICA and Society of Public Health Engineers Nepal (SOPHEN). Bhushan Tuladhar, Executive Director from ENPHO was one of the panelists in the final session of the symposium.

WATERAID CEO IN SIDHIPUR

On 24 April, Barbara Frost, Chief Executive Officer of WaterAid, together with Tom Palakudiyil, Head of Asia Region and Margaret Batty, Director of PPED Unit, visited Siddhipur to learn about the community-based water and sanitation initiative that had been implemented there by the local community with support from ENPHO, UN-HABITAT, WaterAid Nepal and other partners. Krishna Maharjan, Chairperson of the Siddhipur WATSAN User Committee, welcomed the guests and explained the project and its impacts. The guests then visited various sites in Siddhipur and talked to local people. While the rest of Kathmandu is suffering from severe water crisis, the people of Siddhipur are enjoying the benefits of 24-hour treated water supply in their homes. The entire system is managed by a local user committee, which consists of one male and one female representative from each user household, and the fees raised from the users is sustaining the operation and maintenance of the system. Similarly, almost all the homes now have a toilet and about 100 homes in Siddhipur now have ecosan toilets.

R&D ACTIVITIES AT ENPHO

• ENPHO completed first phase Water Quality Monitoring for Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL). The monitoring included water quality measurement at 90 sources in Kathmandu Valley. Altogether, 35 parameters were measured. The report will be submitted soon.

• Ms. Shanti Lamichane, environmental engineering student of Pulchowk Engineering Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University recently completed her masters degree dissertation on ‘Comparison of Ceramic Candle Filters with and without Colloidal Silver Coating’. She conducted her laboratory research at ENPHO.

• Field monitoring and lab analysis of effectiveness of candle filters distributed by Solutions Benefitting Life (SBL) has been completed.

• Water Quality Monitoring of various drinking water sources in Patan was carried out for Urban Environment Management Society (UEMS).

• Water Quality Database Management software being developed for systematic compilation and storage of Laboratory Analysis Data.

WATER TRAINING EXPERTISE CENTRE (WET CENTRE) AT ENPHO

ENPHO has signed an agreement with CAWST (NGO based on Calgary, Canada) to establish Water Training Expertise Centre (WET Centre) at ENPHO. WET Centre will develop various training and education manuals & materials on Household Water Treatment (HWT) options, low cost sanitation, community health promotion and water quality testing. More than 30 trainings and 15 water literacy seminars will be organized during the project period. WET Centre will work as a training hub particularly on HWT options within Nepal and will explore & support active local organizations on HWT promotion at local level.

PARTICIPATION/PRESENTATIONS

• Lerica Gorkhaly, Project Officer and Kanchan Karki, Research Assistant participated in 2 days MIS/M&E (Management of Information System/Monitoring and Evaluation) workshop on 12-13 April, 2009 organized by AED/N-MARC, USAID and facilitated by Color Arrows Management System. The program was focused on project M&E processes and principles of MIS to produce quality data by systematic analysis to make informed decisions.

• Rabin Bastola, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Manager went on Gosainkunda Trek from 12-19 April as an Environmental Specialist of ‘Tourism Good Practices’ study team under the Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) and WWF Nepal initiative to assess different aspects of tourism Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) of Tourism Entrepreneurs of Gosainkunda Trek region. The study team will recommend Tourism Good Practices with special focus on environmental good practices.

• During the Inter Country Meeting (ICM) on Water Management organized by Rotary Clubs on 11 April, 2009 at United World Trade Center, Bipin Dangol, program manager delivered presentation on Safe Water including simple but effective Household Drinking Water Treatment (HWT) Options. He highlighted the need & importance of good quality of drinking water and shared that the promotion of simple HWT options such as boiling, filtration, chlorination & SODIS can reduce diarrheal diseases by 39%. Rajesh Adhikary, promotional manager also shared his experience on working with Rotary Clubs on distribution and promotion of HWT options at various poor communities of Kathmandu Valley. Other presenters were Padma Sundar Joshi, Executive Director CIUD and Dr. Chandra Lekha Tuladhar, Water Project Coordinator of Rotary District.

• On 8 April, Bhushan Tuladhar gave a presentation to students from Pitzer College on Urban Environmental Issues and potential for local action.

• On 9 April, Bhushan Tuladhar and Prajwal Shrestha met the managers of Tukucha Vegetable market to explore the possibilities of establishing a biogas system to manage waste from the market.

• ENPHO staff members delivered presentation on various topics during the ‘Training of Trainers on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education’ held from 19-26 April 2009. During the training sessions, Bipin Dangol gave presentations on ‘Water, Water Quality and Health’ and ‘Arsenic health Effects and Mitigation Options’ while Biju Dangol gave presentation on ‘Public Private Partnership for Promotion of Household Water Treatment System in Nepal’. Similarly, Prajwal Shrestha gave presentation on ‘Constructed Wetlands for Waste Water Management’ and Makhan Maharjan and Ani Maharjan made demonstrations on Bio-Sand Filter and Water Test Kit use. The participants represented various Government offices, Schools and NGOs in Pakistan. The training program was organized by Indus Resource Center, Pakistan and UN-HABITAT Water for Asian Cities programme in Nepal.

• Dr. Suman K. Shakya, Deputy Executive Director participated in an ‘International Learning Exchange Workshop on Arsenic Mitigation’ held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 4-11 April, 2009. Discussions on arsenic mitigation response made by 11 South and East Asian countries were made in the workshop.

NEW FACES AT ENPHO

• Raju Shrestha has joined ENPHO and will be working as Project Coordinator within Water Quality Programme unit of ENPHO. Mr. Shrestha has Masters Degree in Geology with more than 7 years of progressive experience in groundwater issues.

• Udendra Singh Dangol and Omkar Pradhan joined as intern-volunteer at ENPHO Resource Center. Mr. Dangol has B.Sc. (Honors) in environmental science and Mr. Pradhan is a 10+2 level student.
  
  Congratulations and Best of Luck Mr. Shrestha, Mr. Dangol and Mr. Pradhan.

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:: LOCAL NEWS ::

PRIVATE SECTOR TO MANAGE VALLEY WASTE

The Ministry of Local Development has finalised the draft of Waste Management Bill 2066 BS, which suggests integrated approaches among waste management authorities, allowing the private sector to dispose of garbage. According to the ministry sources, the Cabinet has already approved the draft and it will be forwarded to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Constituent Assembly Affairs tomorrow. The Bill includes the concepts of public-private partnership, permission to the private sector for waste management and environmental perspective as the rights of people to live in a healthy way, said Dipendra Oli, legal officer at the Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilisation Centre, MoLD. “The bill has taken the issue of strikes and obstruction in waste management process in a serious way,” he added. Oli said a separate body would be formed to manage garbage in the Valley. “It will be mandatory for the valley denizens to separate degradable and non-degradable waste at their homes. They can be penalised if they do not separate waste,” he added. He said the Bill will be tabled in the ongoing House session for final approval. Minister for Local Development Ram Chandra Jha said the Bill must be endorsed from the parliament within a month. “Or else, we will be considered incapable to settle the garbage problem,” he said, adding, “If the local governments fail to settle the problem, the government should intervene.” The Waste Management Act was amended last year and it had given the authority to the municipalities to dispose the garbage. However, the unmanaged garbage has become a persisting problem for the valley denizens. According to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, about 300 tons of garbage is produced in the metropolis alone. Though 114 institutions are working to manage waste in the KMC, it is still a stinking city, an official at the MoLD said.
Source: The Himalayan Times, 19 April

BAGLUNG TOWN REELING UNDER WATER SHORTAGE

Municipal area in the hilly district of Baglung has been facing acute shortage of water, compelling denizens to buy water as their taps ran dry. Hoteliers and students in the district headquarters are among the hardest hit. "Water supply to our taps is momentary," hotelier Raju Sapkota said. In the lack of a timetable for water supply, the problem aggravates, he added. Consumers said no effort had yet been made to find a way out. City Drinking Water Consumers' Committee, responsible for managing drinking water in the town, however, blames the dry season. Locals were hopeful of smooth water supply since the job was handed over to the private sector but their hopes ended in despair. Committee president KB Rana said they were effortful to find an alternative. Baglung municipality requires two million litres of water per day while only 0.7 MLD is being supplied.
Source: www.nepalresearch.com/infrastructure/water, 26 April

VALLEY SEES WATER LEVEL DEPLETING

Kathmandu's ground water level is sinking alarmingly —at an average of over four metres annually. Hydrologists and environmental experts say groundwater abstraction and haphazard construction are to blame. Abstraction causes depletion of Water Table while unplanned urbanisation has sealed up the recharegeable zones. With poor supply of water from the taps, Kathmandu valley residents have had no choice but to drill deeper and deeper for the limited amount of underground water. The current drinking water supply including from natural sources and groundwater inside valley is about 90 million litres per day while the demand is three times more —280 million litres per day due to increasing population. According to estimates, between 300 million and 450 million litres of water is pumped out in Kathmandu per day. At the rate the water level is declining, may be two decades from now, the valley residents would not get water even after digging 400 metre deep, warn environmental experts. Ideally, water extraction in Kathmandu should be limited to 15 million litres per day. The situation was not as bad, say, in the early 1990s. According to a study by Japan International Cooperation Agency in 1990, the groundwater level was sinking at an average rate of 2.5 metre per year, then. Kathmandu is a tectonic valley and the groundwater resource balance here is deficit compared to the rechargeable groundwater resources. Nir Shakya, senior divisional hydrologist at the Groundwater Resources Development Project, said the groundwater sources account for more than 50 per cent of the total water supply inside the valley by means of shallow and deep tubewells. Shakya also said that due to the absence of Groundwater Act, the private drilling companies are installing tubewells haphazardly and this in return is seriously affecting the groundwater source. Dr. Suresh Raj Shrestha, a hydro-geologist, said the groundwater abstarction is found six times higher than the water recharge rate in the valley. According to Shrestha, due to increasing urbanisation along with the human population, most of the rechargeable sources are sealed up. The northern parts of the valley — Sundarijal, Shivapuri and Balaju — are the main recharge zones with high transmissivity and good water quality, but these are listed as among the top five densely populated areas in 2000, according to a study. The fast sinking water table will not only affect the valley's future water needs, but also create a vacuum in the aquifer and thus will result in land subsidence in future. "This will also increase the risk factor during earthquakes and could lead to subsidence of the clay soil plate," Shrestha said. According to environmentalists, it is high time the denizens preserved the rechargeable zones and maintained artificial rechargeable underground water to control the excessive groundwater abstraction. "Rainwater harvesting, maintaining rechargeable zones like Sundarijal and Shivapuri and preventing them from being sealed up due to increasing urbanisation could help," said Bhushan Tuladhar. "The government should also come up with definite legal framework to control the unmanaged groundwater extraction by different private and drilling bodies," he added.
Source: www.kantipuronline.com, 19 April

WATER BODIES IN EVEREST REGION CONTAMINATED: SURVEY

Contamination in water bodies in the Sagarmatha National Park and its Buffer Zone (SNPBZ) has accelerated in recent years, thanks to the influx of visitors and the increase in human waste, stated a recent survey carried out in the Everest region. The survey sponsored by the Hindukush Karakoram Himalaya Partnership Project — EvK2 National Research Council of Italy in coordination with the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology was carried out in 2007-08. The survey on ‘Impacts of Tourism in the SNPBZ’ was carried out by Prof Dr PK Jha, in cooperation with researchers NP Ghimire and BB Shrestha of the Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University. According to the research, bacterial contamination was recorded in 13 percent water samples and one sample of mineral water. “E coli and Streptococcus faecolies were found in the waters of Khumbu Valley,” Dr Jha told this daily today. Dudhkoshi, Bhotekoshi, Imja Khola and Gokyo lake are the major water bodies in the region. Besides the local visitors, the total population of the area is 5,869. Unsafe toilet and use of manures are the major cause of water contamination, the report stated. “Litter toilet is common among farming population and the waste is later used as fertilizer in potato fields,” the report stated, adding, “There are three types of toilet tanks—simple pit , stone-wall septic tack and cement-wall septic tanks. Only 4.66 per cent of the population has cement-wall septic tank.” A total of 2,197 tons of manure is produced in the region annually and eight tons of manure is used in a hectare of arable land. The excessive use of manure contaminates the water bodies badly, Jha added. Six water samples collected in the area had iron content of 1.2 mg/litre in Dudhkoshi at Jorsalle and 0.64 mg/litre in Bhotekoshi near Thame. The iron content in drinking water should be less than 0.3 mg/litre, according to the World Health Organisation. “Water pollution prevention programme should be implemented to control this hazard,” Jha added. The samples collected in the region were tested under standard methods at Environmental Assessment Material Testing Division, Kathmandu.
Source: The Himalayan Times, 20 April

WATER SCARCITY IN PARSA WILDLIFE RESERVE

The effect of global warming is being felt everywhere and the wildlife at the Parsa Wildlife Reserve are the latest to be hit. With natural sources of water drying in the reserve, the wild beasts have started moving towards nearby human settlements to quench their thirst. In a bid to stop wild animals from going to human settlement, the Parsa Wildlife Reserve has started supplying water in the jungle from tankers. "We started supplying water from the tankers after the animals started going to nearby villages to quench their thirst," Tulsiram Sharma, chief conservation officer at the reserve said. He also said they had been refilling ponds inside the reserve three times a week through tankers. According to officials at the reserve, the chances of attack against the animals are high when they come out of the reserve. "They might be targeted by villagers and might also fall into accidents while crossing roads," they added.
The reserve has constructed an artificial pond near a grassland, which stretches across 40 bighas of land, so that the animals do not have to go to human settlements in search of water. Different species of deer, boar and blue bull graze in the grassland, the reserve officials said. The reserve is home to over 300 species of wildlife and birds.The reserve occupies parts of Chitwan, Makwanpur, Parsa and Bara districts in central Nepal.
Source: www.habitat.org.uk, 18 April

DARECHOWK VILLAGE UPSCALES ECOLOGICAL SANITATION

With over 120 ecosan toilets now operational, Darechowk village in Chitwan district is on its way to upscaling the practice of eco sanitation. Made of mud masonry or using split-bamboo walls, many toilets are in good use already, fertilizing the fields and yet maintaining a sanitary environment. [...] Encouraged by a sanitation training course he attended in Bharatpur in 2007, Shreerendra Pokharel, the headmaster of the Majhgaun Lower Secondary School, convinced the community to embark on a sanitation programme stewarded by the school. This triggered considerable interest in the community on adopting ecosan latrines since the accumulated urine could be diverted for use in farms. Darechowk is doing well from the sale of tasty oranges and sanitation is progressing in all the clusters in the Village Development Committee (VDC) area, with ecological sanitation fast becoming the preferred choice. As building materials are expensive, people use local materials primarily for the toilet superstructure. This accessibility enables people to have safe sanitation, and the urine diverted is used in agriculture. The community now has plans to convert the village into an ecological tourism area, with trekking routes and “bed-and-breakfast” facilities.
Source: www.sanitationupdates.wordpress.com, 29 April
 

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:: GLOBAL NEWS ::

POPULATION GROWTH: GLOBAL WATER CRISIS ‘TO STRIKE BY 2030′

Growing world population will cause a “perfect storm” of food, energy and water shortages by 2030, the UK government chief scientist has warned. By 2030 the demand for resources will create a crisis with dire consequences, Prof John Beddington said. Demand for food and energy will jump 50% by 2030 and for fresh water by 30%, as the population tops 8.3 billion, he told [the Sustainable Development UK 09] conference in London. Climate change will exacerbate matters in unpredictable ways, he added. “It’s a perfect storm,” Prof Beddington told the conference. Prof Beddington said the looming crisis would match the current one in the banking sector. “My main concern is what will happen internationally, there will be food and water shortages,” he said. The United Nations Environment Programme predicts widespread water shortages across Africa, Europe and Asia by 2025. The amount of fresh water available per head of the population is expected to decline sharply in that time. Better water storage and cleaner energy supplies are also essential, he added.
Source: www.irc.nl, 2 April

WORLD’S LARGEST RIVERS ARE LOSING WATER, NEW STUDY SAYS

While the world’s population is booming, much of the water that nurtures it is depleting. The world’s major rivers are “losing water,” according to a comprehensive study of global stream flow led by scientists at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Reuters reported Tuesday. One-third of the 925 rivers analyzed from 1948 to 2004 have showed “significant changes” in water levels; rivers with decreased flow outnumbered those with increased flow by 2.5 to 1, NCAR said in a press release. The study links the reduced river flows to the effects of climate change – a trend that could potentially threaten worldwide supplies of food and water in the future and might have wider ecological and climate consequences. Affected water bodies include the Amazon in South America, the Yellow River and the Mekong in China, the Ganges in India, the Colorado and the Columbia rivers in the United States, and the Niger in West Africa – all of which serve large populations. In contrast, researchers reported increased water flow in less populated areas near the Arctic Ocean, where snow and ice are melting, the statement said.
Source: www.circleofblue.org/waternews, 21 April

IRON OUT ARSENIC

The millions of arsenic victims living in Bangladesh and India have another option for obtaining clean drinking water. Finely divided iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) can remove arsenic from contaminated water. Iron-containing compounds have been used in purifying groundwater. By the property of adsorption, arsenic can bind to the solid surface of iron. Small iron oxide or hydroxide particles are released into groundwater. The arsenic-adsorbed iron compounds are then filtered out, thus purifying the water. This led the researchers to explore the potential of IONPs in arsenic removal because use of nanoparticles could help increase the surface area. The researchers produced IONPs as finely divided loose nanopowder. Sodium arsenite solution was added to the IONPs in a test bottle and the bottle was shaken. The study found that adsorption of arsenic reached maximum level (96 per cent removal) with 2gm per litre of IONPs. “Large bare surfaces of IONPs have been found to be an effective adsorbent for the trace removal of arsenic from arsenic-contaminated water,” said lead researcher Sanat K Roy from the department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. IONPs are easy-to-produce and economically viable for mass use, said the study published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Environmental Science and Health. A different study showed that iron oxide nanoparticles could induce harmful effects on humans. Roy said that there is no such possibility with their method. IONPs have magnetic properties and arsenic-adsorped IONPs were filtered out completely from the aqueous solution using magnetic separation.
Source: downtoearth.org.in, 15 April

REPORT LISTS WORST, BEST CITIES FOR AIR QUALITY

Sixty percent of Americans live in areas with unhealthy air pollution levels, despite a growing green movement and more stringent laws aimed at improving air quality, the American Lung Association said in a report released Wednesday that also listed the healthiest and unhealthiest cities across the U.S. in terms of air quality. The public-health group ranked the pollution levels of U.S. cities and counties based on air quality measurements that state and local agencies reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency between 2005 and 2007. Overall, the report found that air pollution at times reaches unhealthy levels in almost every major city and that 186.1 million people live in those areas. The number is much higher than last year's figure of about 125 million people because recent changes to the federal ozone standard mean more counties recognize unhealthy levels of pollution.
Source: http://www.enn.com, 29 April

NEPAL: 3000 PEOPLE JOIN THE CALL AT HOLY TEMPLE

Members of the End Water Poverty campaign brought together high-profile celebrities, top politicians and over 3000 people to a candlelight memorial at holy 'Monkey Temple' in Kathmandu.
Whilst Kollywood actress Jharana Thapa called on the Nepalese Government to honour its commitments in ensuring access to sanitation and water for all, Constituent Assembly Chairman Subas Nembang called on political parties to unite to tackle this issue urgently. He further supported the call that access to sanitation and water should become a constitutional right. A 1 minute silence was observed as 10,500 candles were lit to commemorate each child in Nepal who had died from sanitation and water-related illnesses in the last year.
Source: www.endwaterpoverty.org/news__events, 20 April

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:: MOBILE TOILET IN KATHMANDU ::

Source: www.unhabitat.org

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:: UPCOMING EVENTS ::

FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADVANCES IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND REUSE
Tehran, Iran, 30 June - 02 July 2009
Organised by: School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran in collaboration with European Union.

Main topics: industrial and municipal wastewater treatment; water recycling and reuse; sustainable management, policies and laws; new technologies (nanotech., biotech., green tech., phytoremediation, AOP); membrane & separation technologies (membrane bioreactors, adsorption); reactions and transport phenomena in wastewater treatment; process modeling and simulation; special pollutants (heavy metals, hazardous substances); and education and case studies.
Source: www.irc.nl

THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL DRY TOILET CONFERENCE
One year after the International Year of Sanitation –
Are the Millennium Development Goals realistic?

The 3rd International Dry Toilet Conference will be held in Tampere, Finland, on 12-15 August 2009. The purpose of the DT2009 is to continue the progress achieved by the previous conferences, DT2003 and DT2006, organized in 2003 and 2006 respectively. The objective of the conference is to offer a discussion platform for professionals and other interested parties and to distribute the latest information about various aspects of dry toilets. The Conference is organised by The Global Dry Toilet Association of Finland, in cooperation with Tampere University of Technology, TAMK University of Applied Sciences and University of Tampere.
For details: http://drytoilet.org/dt2009 

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Edited by: Bhushan Tuladhar & Rabin Bastola

Designed by: Babukaji Magar

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