About the Partner
Live & Learn Environmental Education
Aim:
Live and Learn is a non-government organisation that aims to reduce poverty and advance sustainable development through innovative environmental education and environmental management.
Background:Live & Learn began in 1992 as teachers, primarily from northern Queensland, Australia, provided environmental education programs regarding rainforest and reef conservation to local school children. In 1997, Live & Learn redesigned its efforts to promote environmental, action-focused education in the South Pacific. The first country office was opened in the Solomon Islands in 1995 and spread to six countries by 2006. As locally registered NGOs, Live & Learn operates offices in Fiji and Vanuatu (1998), Papua New Guinea (2000), Cambodia (2004), and the Maldives (2006). Local Program Managers help Live & Learn strengthen the efficacy of their work and promote long-term relationships with governments and civil society. Due to their valuable insights and skills, Live & Learn ensures that innovative projects are culturally appropriate and relevant.
www.livelearn.org
Achievements and Focus
The Tonle Sap Floating Latrine Project
Why is this necessary?
- The communities in the Tonle Sap region are stilted or floating because water levels expand up to 10 km during monsoon season. Because of the communities are not static, sanitation is difficult. Testing has shown that the water used for drinking and washing contains levels of E. coli that are well above recommended WHO levels.
What are the goals of the project?
The main aim is to create a human waste cycle that:
- Removes fecal matter from the water source
- Improves livelihoods of floating communities
- Is self-sustaining and reliable
- Provides opportunities to develop a solution for other communities facing similar problems
- Is culturally appropriate, affordable, and environmentally viable
What has been accomplished thus far?
- Thirteen floating latrines have been developed for community members to use. Currently testing is being conducted so that each new model can be improved until the most effective solution is reached. Community members have been educated as to how to use and maintain the latrines.
- The construction and trial of a Community Floating Waste Treatment Barge has begun. This will demonstrate technologies and practices for human waste treatment.
- A human waste management cycle has been developed that will employ the floating toilet, the Floating Waste Management Station and floating garden beds. The goal is to manage human waste in a manner that will provide an incentive for the community to take up improved sanitation by generating social, economic and environmental dividends for the floating communities.
Where to next?
- Research will be continued so that the floating latrines, Floating Waste Management Station and floating garden beds may be improved and generalized for use in many different communities.
- In early 2011, a 18-24 month project will be started in order to develop the sanitation marketplace to better serve the needs of floating and flood affected communities.
Click here to learn more about the Tonle Sap Floating Latrine Project.
EWB Field Volunteer and Project Team
Project Manager - Michael Brown
What got you involved with EWB?
I originally got in involved with EWB in early 2009. I travelled through Cambodia in late 2008 and visited some of the floating communities on the Tonle Sap. I discussed with some locals how they used simple ceramic water filters to clean their drinking water. Upon returning to Australia I did some research into the water filters and found an organisation called RDIC making them. They had a partnership with an organisation I had never heard of called EWB, which in turned I researched and liked, so decided to join.
How do you view the progress of the project?
The project is progressing very well. The focus of work this year has been to work with our Partner organisation Live & Learn, the Phat Sanday floating community and our EWB teams to develop an innovative waste management cycle that:
1) Removes fecal matter from the water source
2) Improves livelihoods of floating communities
3) Is self-sustaining and reliable
4) Provides opportunities to develop a market based solution.
5) Is culturally appropriate, and environmentally viable
We are hoping to have this cycle demonstrated to the Phat Sanday floating community by the end of the year.
What benefits will your project bring to the community?
Improved Sanitation will bring a better livelihood to the community through better health and productivity.
Have you enjoyed working on the project?
Yes, I have enjoyed working with EWB, Live & Learn in Cambodia very much. It has enabled me to grow as an engineer. By far the most enjoyable experience has been working directly with the local community and being able to see their enthusiasm and passion to help their own community. It was been very exciting for me to see the growth in the capacity of local staff members over the past year. I hope soon there will be enough young Cambodian engineers and scientists with the skills and passion to improve their own county.
What will you take away from this experience?
The smiles from the local community members when I visit to follow up on their floating toilets. It always drives you a little harder when you see such direct feedback from the users of your work.
Tonle Sap Project Team – comprises of approximately 30 engineers or engineering students in Perth, WA, who provide technical support to Michael. Each fortnight, the team meets at Engineers Australia offices and Skype Michael to obtain a project update and determine what tasks he requires assistance with.
Funders
Planet Wheeler Foundation
The Planet Wheeler Foundation’s purpose is to support practical and effective projects that make a difference in the alleviation of poverty. They have generously supported this project in 2009 and 2010.
“I’ve always admired Medecins Sans Frontieres – aka Doctors without Borders – that fine organisation that sends volunteer doctors out to the world’s most troubled spots and isn’t afraid of dishing out some sharp tongued criticism when hapless governments deserve it.
So I was immediately taken by the idea of Engineers without Borders. After all, the world needs engineering solutions just as much as medical ones, engineers have valuable skills which are just as portable as medical expertise and no, my admiration for engineers has absolutely no connection with the fact that I still, sometimes, put ‘engineer’ down in the occupation line. It’s often a much more politically acceptable profession than guidebook publisher and it’s quite true, I was an engineer.
Seriously, it’s a wonderful organisation and I’m confident in the years to come they’ll find lots more demand for those important engineering abilities.”
Tony Wheeler
Founder, The Planet Wheeler Foundation and Lonely Planet Publications
EWB and Live and Learn thank the Planet Wheeler for their ongoing support of this important initiative.
iBoP Asia
The Floating Community Waste Management Station that is currently being commissioned is also supported by iBoP Asia – Science and Technology Innovations for the Base of the Pyramid in South East Asia.