The Pivot Project: Post-COVID 19 Futures. We are seeking your insights from the Water Sector

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The Pivot Project: Post-COVID 19 Futures. We are seeking your insights from the Water Sector

Mairi Macintyre, Ian Abbott-Donnelly and Peter Williams

 

COVID-19 is a catastrophe in Picture1.jpgmany areas of society, in many parts of the world.  Yet it may be possible to learn lessons from the pandemic that will help us manage our impact on the environment (and on each other) once the pandemic is under control.  This is true for water resources, and water or waste-water systems, just as for other vital areas of life.  We have been struck, for example, by stories of how aquatic life has responded favorably to the lack of human activity - what does that tell us?  We have also seen discussions in the water press, for example about how waste-water treatment operators may need additional protection from infection.    Is this permanent?  Will treatment plants need to be re-designed?  With many people working from home, daily demand patterns for water have changed - how long-lived is this likely to be?  And what do these issues teach us about how we manage our environmental impact?

 

We are part of a team identifying the impacts and lessons, both good and bad, across all areas of society.   With this blog post we would like to tap the enormous power and wisdom of The Water Network to help influence how we can all re-start the planet!   

 

We ask you to respond to the questions below from your personal perspective

 

Maybe you are a water professional: a resources manager, a lab Picture2.jpgtechnician, or a water or waste-water systems operator;  or you are an environmentalist; or you work in a water-dependent industry; or you are a water business analyst; or a smallholder with your own well; or maybe you are a member of the public.  All of these perspectives, and any others, are valuable to us.  

 

When you reply, please state your role with respect to water, and the area or country you are writing about.  Feel free to write as little or as much as you would like.  Also, feel free to comment on other posts that people make, comparing and contrasting (politely, please!) with your own experience.  Thank you in advance for your help!

 

1) Water Resources & Water Systems
Thinking about water resources and water systems in your geographic area or your organization, what changes have there already been as a result of Covid-19?  (For example, access to water resources for leisure or consumption, water quality testing, water system operations, well management, water distribution practices, water conservation,  pricing strategies, or payment management )

 

2) Waste Water & Sanitation
Thinking about waste water and sanitation management in your geographic area or organization, what changes have there already been as a result of Covid-19?   (For example, community engagement in waste-water management, disease sensing, water treatment operations, discharge management).

 

3) Future Changes
What future changes to water resources, or water systems or waste-water/sanitation systems in your geographic area or organization do you anticipate as a result of COVID-19?

 

Picture3.jpg4) Positive benefits
Among the changes that you see, are there any that could improve the management of water resources, or water and waste-water systems?  (For example, reduced energy usage or reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved sustainability or improved customer service).  

 

5) Adverse Effects
Among the changes that you see, are there any that will have an adverse effect?   (For example, increased greenhouse gas levels or energy usage, reduced sustainability or reduced customer service, or issues in other areas such as food production or energy generation).

 

6) Future of water Post Covid-19
In your geographic area or organization, what changes from COVID-19 in the management of water resources, or water and waste-water systems really keep you awake at night?  What severe problems are emerging that you will need to pay attention to?

 

 

Here is a link to content about Covid-19 posted on The Water Network in the past few weeks

Thank you for your experiences, views and comments!

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Image sources: https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/22/access-water-vital-covid-19-response-0, https://www.defenceweb.co.za/security/human-security/no-water-no-fear-as-community-leaders-in-kenya-step-up-to-coronavirus-challenge/, https://theconversation.com/flushing-is-our-next-weapon-against-covid-19-if-youre-happy-to-have-your-sewage-scrutinised-136844

Taxonomy

3 Comments

  1. ​I am Reid Harvey a ceramic industrial designer and licensor to TAM Ceramics of water filter media of granulated ceramics, silver coated.  As a ceramist my focus is on environmental health and development for the developing world.  E.g., sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, etc.  Past projects have been in Nepal and Kenya, with prospects in the same and others.

    About the posts ​of others with respect to technologies of water treatment, though I hasten to say that much of their work has been wonderful, the technologies are not sustainable for the poor.  For sustainability these must not only be effective but also, very low cost and user-friendly with easy maintenance.  For these reasons, production and implementation must be by the poor, for the poor.

    There should be no place for implementation in poor communities of expensive technologies such as those resembling the municipal water treatment of the more prosperous countries.  Contractors implementing these tend to leave little provision for long term maintenance.

    1) and 2) Water ​Resources & ​Water ​Systems + Waste Water & Sanitation

    I am not qualified with specifics about the current situation, e.g., in Africa and Southern Asia, since I’ve been in the U.S.  But it seems apparent that Covid-19 has only worsened the dire situation of drinking word for the poor, exacerbating the problems they already had.

    3) Future Changes

    What future ​changes to ​water resources, or water ​systems or ​waste-water/​sanitation ​systems in your ​geographic area ​or organization ​do you ​anticipate as a ​result of COVID-​19?

    More to be hoped-for than anticipated will be ceramic water filters by the poor and for the poor.  How else can there be real sustainability while there are those in the middle who would provide their water for a lot of profit?  How else if best practices are not sought?

    4) Positive benefits

    Among the ​changes that ​you see, are ​there any that ​could improve ​the management ​of water ​resources, or ​water and waste-​water systems?​  ​ (For example, ​reduced energy ​usage or ​reduced ​greenhouse gas ​emissions, ​improved ​sustainability ​or improved ​customer ​service). ​  ​

    This question is music to our ears.  It needs to be realized that ceramics is ideally suited to providing safe drinking water, especially because *the resources and ceramic traditions are nearly everywhere.*  What is first needed is capacity building of those who work with clay, producing such products as water storage containers, cook stoves and construction brick.

    *It needs to be realized* that ceramic water treatment projects will be most viable where these are implemented along with insulating ceramic rocket stoves.  In production and implementation of these there is remarkable synergy in all aspects, which will cut costs to donors nearly in half.  Because of this more and more projects will be possible, leaving no one behind. 

    An outcome will be not only the environmental health of those in the community but also an unlimited number of livelihoods starting with the ceramics.  Innumerable additional ceramic products will be made possible, at the very origin of micro-industry.  Please have a look at the presentation of the following link, as has been so often posted:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/14wd8_9CoVRBRaV7V0ktUQfBAjqPQasK1/view?usp=sharing

    5) Adverse Effects

    Among the ​changes that ​you see, are ​there any that ​will have an ​adverse effect?​   ​ (For example, ​increased ​greenhouse gas ​levels or ​energy usage, ​reduced ​sustainability ​or reduced ​customer ​service, or ​issues in other ​areas such as ​food production ​or energy ​generation). ​

    Adverse effects prevented by implementation of these environmental health interventions are several:

    a) The water filters are gravity fed, with no need of electricity, chemicals or gadgetry.  Implementation will be human centered using natural flocculants or simple devices for reducing turbidity, prior to introducing the water in the filter systems.

    b) The natural flocculants will go on to second use as briquetted fuel, either biomass or more specifically, agri-waste, for the insulating ceramic rocket stove.  Because this stove does not give smoke, the use of the briquetted biomass will curtail or eliminate the need for carbonized fuel.  The environmentally destructive production of charcoal can be curtailed or eliminated.

    c) Phase 2 projects of the presentation of the link will make possible production of sanitary stoneware squat toilets for ecological public toilets having no external piping.  What will be prevented is the adverse environmental effects associated with lack of sanitation.  Do checkout the other oft-proffered, voice presentation, Toilet Talk of this link:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tzXCAsFdqOg2V4lFm37CfcReIzTOsZSf/view?usp=sharing

    6) Future of ​water Post ​Covid-​19

    In your ​geographic area ​or organization,​ what changes ​from COVID-19 ​in the ​management of ​water resources,​ or water and ​waste-water ​systems really ​keep you awake ​at night?  ​What severe ​problems are ​emerging that ​you will need ​to pay ​attention to?

    Covid-19 has exacerbated a bad situation for the poor.  There is an urgent need to get WASH developers talking to academic ceramists, whether in the art or the science and engineering.  Neither seems to be so aware of the wonderful developments that will be made possible in their working together.  Following is yet another link, this to a newsletter for ceramics in environmental health and development.  The availability of three book is cited, the primary of which is entitled, Environmental Health and Development for All. 

    The aim of the author has been to make possible the education and training of developing world ceramists, those producing simple clay products, by academically qualified ceramists from the more prosperous countries.  Nearly all of the 2030 goals will be addressed squarely once these developments are embraced.  Do have a look at the newsletter, the link following:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WMr-J_jf3OAgusPHVHgBd6kxm9nQLYFp/view?usp=sharing