June 2010

VDC with the Highest Density of EcoSan Toilet Declared ODF Area
Darechowk Village Development Committee (VDC) becomes the 18th Open Defecation Free (ODF) VDC in Chitwan District of Nepal. The VDC has altogether 1,665 households and population of 10,712. Among these households, 901 have sulav toilets, 733 have EcoSan toilets the rest have pit latrines. This makes Darechowk, the VDC with the highest density of EcoSan toilets in Nepal. To read more, click here.

New Database Details Over 60 Enabling Technologies for Handwashing
An enabling technology is an external or environmental factor that influences an individual's opportunity to perform a behavior, regardless of their ability and motivation to act. Often overlooked in the design of handwashing initiatives, enabling technologies have been shown to facilitate handwashing behavior in several studies.

For more information on enabling technologies, contact Jacqueline Devine at wsp@worldbank.org, or visit www.wsp.org/scalinguphandwashing.

Seventeen Journalists Selected for WASH Media Fellowship 2010
Seventeen journalists have been selected for WASH Media Fellowship 2010 announced jointly by Water, Sanitation and Hygiene-Resource Centre Network Nepal (WASH-RCNN), Nepal Node for Sustainable Sanitation/Environment and Public Health Organization (NNSS/ENPHO) and Voice/Action/Vision (VAV). WASH-RCNN Secretariat had received 39 applications for the fellowship. To view list of selected journalists, click here

WASH-RCNN Supported Participation of 10 Youth at NYCE-I
HIMCCA (Himalayan Alliance for Climate Change) organized the First National Youth Conference on Environment (NYCE-I) on the occasion of World Environment Day 2010. This conference aimed to bring young researchers into one platform to address the important issues of conservation, protection and management of the environment in a holistic manner. WASH-RCNN supported registration of 10 youth participants at NYCE-I organized by HIMCCA and partners. To read abstracts of the conference papers, click here

 International Engineer’s Training on Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS)
26 September - 1 October 2010, Kathmandu

Organizers: ENPHO, CDD Society and Central Human Resources Development Unit (CHRDU) of Department of Water Supply and Sewerage with support from BORDA and UN HABITAT. To download training brochure and application form, click here.

2010 World Water Week in Stockholm: The Water Quality Challenge
5-11 September 2010

The World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual meeting place for the planet’s most urgent water-related issues. Organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), it brings together experts, practitioners, decision makers and leaders from around the globe to exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions. To know more, click here

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"When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water." 
- Benjamin Franklin


“Beautifying the Beast” – DEWATS to Add Value to Wastewater

I bet, I say for everyone when I say that our town Kathmandu really stinks - offensive that it may sound however it’s the bitter truth. Every denizens of Kathmandu passing through Bagmati and Bishnumati River with the frown in their face and with hands blocking their nose as an attempt to get protected from that awful smell must have definitely at some moment of time wondered that - “ONLY IF OUR RIVERS ARE AS PURE AS OUR RELIGION MAKES THEM”. We desperately need some solutions for our unmanaged wastewater- could DEWATS (Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System) be an option? DEWATS, with its simple nature based technologies and design, seems promising in Nepalese context. It might not be feasible in treating huge municipal level sewer. However, it definitely is simple enough for every homeowner to have it established in their garden or backyard as some object of beauty with the real substance in it to treat the beast in our wastewater making it a “Beauty with a substance!” in true sense.

Article by: Luna K. Kansakar, Program Officer, Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO). To read full article, click here.



First ODF Area Declaration in Gulariya Municipality, Bardiya
Water and Sanitation Improvement Users Committee, Surajpur declares their settlement “Open Defecation Free (ODF)”. The ODF declaration is the first of such kind of declaration in Gulariya Municipality. To read more, click here.

Rebirth Leads to Toilet Use
"I had just squatted to release myself, when an enormous bear pounced upon me at lightning's speed. Before I could retaliate, it pulled out a chunk of flesh from my scalp. I blacked out, when I gained consciousness I found myself lying on a pool of blood. The bear had runoff; however my husband had come looking for me. He took off the lungi (cloth) he had wrapped around himself and dressed it around my wound and immediately rushed me to the hospital." To read full story, click here, click here.

FSC Nepal Published Training Guide Book
Friends Service Council Nepal (FSC-N) has published a training guide book on “Disaster Management, Water, Health and Sanitation” with the support from Simavi, The Netherlands and Cottonwood Foundation, USA which is supposed to be helpful to organizations, trainers, community mobilizers, and individuals who have been working and interested in disaster management and water, health and sanitation sector. To read more, click here.

 Sustainable Sanitation References Available
Sustainable Sanitation related reference materials (Articles, Reports, etc.) are available at Nepal Node for Sustainable Sanitation (NNSS) web portal: www.nepal.watsan.net/nnss. Nepal Node for Sustainable Sanitation (NNSS) is a knowledge centre for promoting various approaches to sustainable sanitation in Nepal and South Asia. 

 Zero Waste Community – a dream turning into reality
"Initiatives for Zero Waste Community" - a campaign for minimizing solid waste at source that follows the concept of 3R (reduce, recycle and reuse) has been launched at Ratopool area in Kathmandu by Clean Energy Nepal (CEN). Recently a biogas plant that feeds municipal waste has also been installed through the support provided by Manjeet Dhakal, International Climate Champion (2009-10) announced by the British Council in Nepal. To learn more, click here.

Exploring Youth Roles to Prevent Future Epidemics
The WASH FORUM – an interaction programme launched by the ‘Paschim Paaila’ group was useful in sharing experiences and sensitizing youth to get involved in water and sanitation related epidemics preparedness actions. To read more, click here.

Published by :
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene - Resource Centre Network Nepal (WASH-RCNN) Secretariat





WASH-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.

www.nepal.watsan.net



Editor : Rabin Bastola
Sub Editor : Shobha Kumari Yadhav
Designer : Babukaji Ale Magar




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