Construction Review and Nick Nicholas of Genesis Water Technologies are to be commended for aspiring to aspiring to meet the dire needs for water in the African water market. This is a serious need considering that countries and regions that are economically challenged require very different approaches from their more northerly counterparts that tend to be wealthy. In general terms, the technologies for low income areas have entirely different needs as to what is sustainable and appropriate. It is unconscionable to insist that they utilize approaches that are more appropriate in countries and regions of wealth. Forgive what appears to be a criticism rather than optimism, but in talking about technologies of treating safe drinking water description of the Millennium Development Goals is outdated and inappropriate. We need to be aware that since 2015 these objectives have been designated as the Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs. There is however, some recognition in this posting that given truly sustainable water treatment social engagement will be essential. Communities need to be engaged in their water needs. Social engagement suggests that wherever an expensive technology can be replaced by human centered endeavor and employment, this will indeed be the more sustainable alternative. For example, where the problem with drinking water is pathogens, the particles of turbidity can often be settled out in advance of treatment, employing local people to do this manually, as it were. Low income countries do not need expensive technologies while the numbers of such projects are bound to be few and far between! Moreover these may tend to involve such corrupt practices as those of bribery and payola. A far better approach will be to reach greater numbers of beneficiaries while using truly sustainable, human centered technologies! Thanks for the posting and aspirations towards getting safe water into low income countries, however the word ‘sustainability’ should not be used when this is not appropriate. What may be sustainable where there is wealth is likely not to be at all appropriate where there is widespread poverty. The answers are there and we simply need to seek them out.
Published by Anthony Reid Harvey
Construction Review and Nick Nicholas of Genesis Water Technologies are to be commended for aspiring to aspiring to meet the dire needs for water in the African water market. This is a serious need considering that countries and regions that are economically challenged require very different approaches from their more northerly counterparts that tend to be wealthy.
In general terms, the technologies for low income areas have entirely different needs as to what is sustainable and appropriate. It is unconscionable to insist that they utilize approaches that are more appropriate in countries and regions of wealth.
Forgive what appears to be a criticism rather than optimism, but in talking about technologies of treating safe drinking water description of the Millennium Development Goals is outdated and inappropriate. We need to be aware that since 2015 these objectives have been designated as the Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs. There is however, some recognition in this posting that given truly sustainable water treatment social engagement will be essential. Communities need to be engaged in their water needs.
Social engagement suggests that wherever an expensive technology can be replaced by human centered endeavor and employment, this will indeed be the more sustainable alternative. For example, where the problem with drinking water is pathogens, the particles of turbidity can often be settled out in advance of treatment, employing local people to do this manually, as it were.
Low income countries do not need expensive technologies while the numbers of such projects are bound to be few and far between! Moreover these may tend to involve such corrupt practices as those of bribery and payola. A far better approach will be to reach greater numbers of beneficiaries while using truly sustainable, human centered technologies!
Thanks for the posting and aspirations towards getting safe water into low income countries, however the word ‘sustainability’ should not be used when this is not appropriate. What may be sustainable where there is wealth is likely not to be at all appropriate where there is widespread poverty. The answers are there and we simply need to seek them out.
1 Comment
This is true Anthony, that there is a different approach to dealing with more wealthier nations in North Africa versus the low to middle income countries of Sub-saharan Africa. Yes, agreed sustainability should be used where appropriately in context of the situation at hand and the countries at hand. Yes, we needed to evaluate the various approaches to sustainable water & wastewater treatment based on the regional economics broken down into wealthy countries, emerging countries, middle incomes countries and low income countries. Our typical solutions focus tends to be upon the middle income, emerging countries and wealthier countries, although we have worked with some NGO groups in lower income African countries with apparent poverty, keeping an eye on the bribery and payola.
Published by Nick Nicholas, App Eng/Technical Director at Genesis Water Technologies, Inc.