Perspectives are different frameworks from which to explore the knowledge around sustainable sanitation and water management. Perspectives are like filters: they compile and structure the information that relate to a given focus theme, region or context. This allows you to quickly navigate to the content of your particular interest while promoting the holistic understanding of sustainable sanitation and water management.
This guidance note points out the strengths and limitations of a number of low cost pumps. It provides an overview of the application, technical details, materials used, installation and maintenance, manufacturing requirements and costs of several low cost pumps, including information on the numbers installed and locations.
BAUMANN, E. (2011): Low-cost Hand Pumps. St. Gallen: Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN) URL [Accessed: 08.03.2019] PDF
This guide is intended for local NGO’s and the remote communities they represent, striving to improve the reliability and quality of the community’s drinking water. There are many ways to help a community to improve their drinking water supply. The information in this guide is meant to assist in examining whether or not a solar pumping solution is viable for your particular community.
RATTERMAN, W. COHEN, J. GARWOOD, A. (2007): Solar Pumping Systems (SPS). Introductory and Feasibility Guide. Portland: Green Empowerment URL [Accessed: 08.03.2019] PDF
This highly recommended publication comprises everything regarding the establishment of a water supply system based on (shallow) hand-dug wells for communities in the South. It elaborates on the underlying hydrogeological principles, preparatory investigations, design, construction, operation and maintenance, and it discusses the most common mistakes made in design and construction.
COLLINS, S. (2000): Hand-dug Shallow Wells. (= Series of Manuals on Drinking Water Supply , 5 ). St. Gallen: Swiss Centre for Development Cooperation in Technology and Management (SKAT) URL [Accessed: 08.03.2019] PDF
This thesis evaluated various well chlorination systems and assessed the need for chlorination training and awareness raising in peri-urban Monrovia communities.
GARANDEAU, R. (2004): Chlorination for Hand Dug Wells in Peri-urban Monrovia, Liberia. Cranfield: Cranfield University at Silsoe URL [Accessed: 08.03.2019] PDF
This document provided by Helvetas Cameroon describes an approach for the organisational and technical implementation of water catchment protection. This approach consists of 8 steps including sensitisation, feasibility studies, protection plans, land ownership, implementation, O&M, monitoring, and evaluation. This step-wise approach can be used as a guideline for implementing water catchment activities in village water supply systems.
WAARDE, J. van der MUSA, T.M. ISCHER, M. (n.y): Water Catchment Protection Handbook. (= Learning and Experience Sharing Series , 1 ). Bamenda: Helvetas Cameroon, Swiss Association for International Co-operation URL [Accessed: 08.03.2019] PDF
This case study analyses the impact of the treadle pump on smallholder poverty and food security in Malawi.
MANGISONI, J.H. (2006): Impact of Treadle Pump Irrigation Technology on Smallholder Poverty and Food Security in Malawi. A Case Study of Blantyre and Mchinji Districts. Lilongwe: University of Malawi URL [Accessed: 08.03.2019] PDF
Self-supply, where households invest to develop their own easily-accessible water supplies, is identified as an alternative service delivery model that is potentially complementary to more highly subsidised community-level provision. The approach is widespread in Ethiopia with family wells bringing additional benefits that are in line with wider government objectives, such as supporting small-scale irrigation. However, two recent studies show the current performance of traditional or family wells to be far below potential with most sources providing unsafe water in the absence of adequate protection.
BUTTERWORTH, J. ; SUTTON, S. ; MEKONTA, L. (2013): Self-Supply as a Complementary Water Services Delivery Model in Ethiopia. In: Water Alternatives: Volume 6 , 405-423. URL [Accessed: 08.03.2019] PDF
This report by UNEP provides an overview of current major water quality contaminants and the human activities that affect water quality. It details the impacts that poor water quality has on the environment, human health, and vulnerable communities, and quantifies the economic costs of poor water quality. Il also offers insights into specific solutions available to address water quality problems.
UNEP (2010): Clearing the Waters. A Focus on Water Quality Solutions. Oakland: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) URL [Accessed: 08.03.2019] PDF
This technical note discusses the construction of spring boxes and collection systems, and outlines further construction steps.
WFTW (n.y): Constructing Structures for Springs. Technical Note No. RWS. 1.C.1.. Washington, D.C.: Water for the World (WFTW), U.S. Agency for International Development URL [Accessed: 08.03.2019] PDF
Hand dug wells may need repairing, cleaning and disinfecting after inundation by flood- or seawater or after long periods of insufficient maintenance. This Technical Brief elaborates on the process of repairing; cleaning and disinfecting hand dug wells and also discusses the OXFAM kits, which can be used for this purpose.
OXFAM (n.y): Repairing, Cleaning and Disinfection Hand Dug Wells. OXFAM Technical Briefs. Washington D.C.: Oxfam International Advocacy URL [Accessed: 08.03.2019] PDF
Desalination has become one of the main sources of water in most of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. All MENA countries lie in the Sunbelt region and have the space needed by solar technologies. Success in implementing solar technologies in desalination depends on the progress made or to be made to economically convert solar energy into electrical and thermal energies.
QUTEISHAT, K. ABU-ARABI, M. (2004): Promotion of Solar Desalination in the MENA Region. Muscat: Middle East Desalination Research Center URL [Accessed: 07.03.2019] PDF
This article presents the state-of-the-art technologies in theworld desalination market. Modern techniques are described in detail and a critical comparison between different techniques is presented, taking into account economical and geographic criteria.
TATA-DUCRU, F. (2009): Dessalement de l’Eau de Mer: Bilan des Dernieres Avancés Technologiques; Bilan Economique; Analyse Critique en Fonction des Contextes. Paris: Agence Francaise de Developpement URL [Accessed: 07.03.2019] PDFLanguage: Spanish
In this paper, a mathematical model is presented to calculate the impact of desalination plants on salinity within a semi-enclosed sea of simple geometry.
PURNAMA, A. ; AL-BARWANI, H.H. ; SMITH, R. (2005): Calculating the Environmental Cost of Seawater Desalination in the Arabian Marginal Seas. In: Elsevier Desalination 185: Volume 185 , 79-86. URL [Accessed: 07.03.2019] PDF
This paper describes the use of solar thermally driven stand-alone desalination systems adapted to remote areas based on membrane distillation. The aim is to develop systems for a capacity ranging from 0.2 to 20 m3/day. Technical simplicity, long maintenance-free operation periods and high quality output are the important parameters that will enable successful application of the systems.
KOSCHIKOWSKI, J. ; WIEGHAUS, M. ; ROMMEL, M. (2003): Solar thermal-driven desalination plants based on membrane distillation. In: Elsevier Desalination : Volume 156 , 298-304. URL [Accessed: 07.03.2019] PDF
