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1157 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socio-Economic Survey as a Support Tool during the Scaling Up of Improved Stoves in the Logone Valley (Chad/Cameroon)

by Francesco Vitali and Mentore Vaccari

Sustainability 2014, 6(3), 1427-1447; https://doi.org/10.3390/su6031427 - 19 Mar 2014

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7283

Abstract

Field assessment plays a key role in the evaluation of the energy access modalities and of the socio-economic features that may influence the beneficiaries’ choices and preferences in the adoption and use of an energy technology. This work presents the findings of a [...] Read more.

Field assessment plays a key role in the evaluation of the energy access modalities and of the socio-economic features that may influence the beneficiaries’ choices and preferences in the adoption and use of an energy technology. This work presents the findings of a survey conducted during the implementation of a cooperation project in the Logone Valley (Chad/Cameroon). After an initial period of promotion of an improved cookstove (ICS), a survey was conducted that was aimed at identifying different beneficiary groups, matching their preferences and cooking habits to the technology proposed, in order to best tailor the scaling-up strategy. In-depth analysis of the data gathered identified two household-user behaviors and the relative influencing features: in the urban area, the increased adoption rates confirmed the appropriateness of the technology proposed and its sustainability, whereas in the rural area, ICS use was not perceived by the final users as advantageous and lower adoption rates were observed. Thus, due to the outcome of the survey, the project action was re-oriented in order to achieve a higher impact on the territory and on the population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment Methods Applied to Environmental Projects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries)

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1199 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Two Environmental Best Management Practices on Pond Water and Effluent Quality and Growth of Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

by Emmanuel A. Frimpong, Yaw B. Ansah, Stephen Amisah, Daniel Adjei-Boateng, Nelson W. Agbo and Hillary Egna

Sustainability 2014, 6(2), 652-675; https://doi.org/10.3390/su6020652 - 4 Feb 2014

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 8661

Abstract

The trajectory of aquaculture growth in sub-Saharan Africa has necessitated closer attention to the use of environmental best management practices (BMPs). Two BMPs in particular, water reuse and floating feeds, are being promoted for adoption by pond fish farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. In [...] Read more.

The trajectory of aquaculture growth in sub-Saharan Africa has necessitated closer attention to the use of environmental best management practices (BMPs). Two BMPs in particular, water reuse and floating feeds, are being promoted for adoption by pond fish farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we investigated: (1) the effect of water source and feed type on water quality; (2) the effect of water source and feed type on tilapia growth; and (3) the quality of potential effluents from ponds using different water source and feed types. The study was conducted in Ghana using on-farm experiments involving monitoring of water quality and growth of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus for 160 days. Although considered low-intensity production systems, nutrients and solids in the study ponds exceeded levels expected in intensive culture ponds by wide margins, whereas BOD₅ was within the range for semi-intensive ponds. Floating feed was associated with higher water quality, especially dissolved oxygen, and higher growth, but water source did not significantly affect growth. Water reuse appears to be a viable BMP for sustainable aquaculture in the region, but the use of floating feed as BMP will depend on the economic profitability of floating feed use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment Methods Applied to Environmental Projects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries)

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552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Collecting Critical Data to Assess the Sustainability of Rural Infrastructure in Low-Income Countries

by Sharon A. Jones, Kristen L. Sanford Bernhardt, Mark Kennedy, Kelsey Lantz and Trent Holden

Sustainability 2013, 5(11), 4870-4888; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5114870 - 12 Nov 2013

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 7288

Abstract

Rural water systems in low-income countries often fail to deliver potable water sustainably. Reasons include socio-economic, financial, and technical challenges that are specific to the community. Improved assessment methods are critical if decision makers want to provide sustainable solutions; however, to be useful, [...] Read more.

Rural water systems in low-income countries often fail to deliver potable water sustainably. Reasons include socio-economic, financial, and technical challenges that are specific to the community. Improved assessment methods are critical if decision makers want to provide sustainable solutions; however, to be useful, such methods require substantial data about the complex interaction between people, water, and infrastructure. Such interaction is affected by, and in turn, affects the behavior of community members regarding water usage, resources for infrastructure maintenance, and choice of assets. Unfortunately, much of these data are not readily available, in a large part because of the site-specific context associated with each rural community. Because of the difficulty and expense in obtaining site-specific data, it is important to identify the most critical needs for field studies versus the data that can be obtained from sources such as non-governmental organizations and the general literature. We examine this issue by first using an extensive data set from Malawi to identify the critical data needs. We then present several examples of field studies in Honduras and Uganda where we collected some of that critical data. Throughout, we discuss best practices for conducting and using focused field studies versus the general literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment Methods Applied to Environmental Projects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries)

980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Assessment of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Situation in Haitian Schools in the Time of Emergency

by Daniela Giardina, Fausta Prandini and Sabrina Sorlini

Sustainability 2013, 5(9), 3702-3721; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5093702 - 29 Aug 2013

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 9197

Abstract

This study examines the water, sanitation and hygiene situation in 42 schools in Haiti after the earthquake of January 12, 2010, by using a comprehensive approach, which includes participatory assessment tools and formal surveys. By conducting a detailed assessment of school water and [...] Read more.

This study examines the water, sanitation and hygiene situation in 42 schools in Haiti after the earthquake of January 12, 2010, by using a comprehensive approach, which includes participatory assessment tools and formal surveys. By conducting a detailed assessment of school water and sanitation infrastructure conditions and of the perceptions of students and professors, a series of recommendations are provided to support further project implementation towards more sustainable results. Direct observations showed that schools lack safe drinking water, appropriate sanitation and hand washing facilities. The main constraints to improve the water, sanitation and hygiene services were found to be related to lack of funding and infrastructure losses after the earthquake. Moreover, hygiene education is commonly not part of the school curriculum. Providing schools with adequate access to water and sanitation facilities and supporting the implementation of hygiene promotion programs, including a disaster risk preparedness plan, can play significant roles for a sustainable recovery phase. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment Methods Applied to Environmental Projects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries)

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1092 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Analysis of the Capability Assessment Tool for Sustainable Manufacturing

by Aleksandar Subic, Bahman Shabani, Mehdi Hedayati and Enda Crossin

Sustainability 2013, 5(8), 3543-3561; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5083543 - 19 Aug 2013

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 14220

Abstract

This paper explores the performance of a novel capability assessment tool, developed to identify capability gaps and associated training and development requirements across the supply chain for environmentally-sustainable manufacturing. The tool was developed to assess 170 capabilities that have been clustered with respect [...] Read more.

This paper explores the performance of a novel capability assessment tool, developed to identify capability gaps and associated training and development requirements across the supply chain for environmentally-sustainable manufacturing. The tool was developed to assess 170 capabilities that have been clustered with respect to key areas of concern such as managing energy, water, material resources, carbon emissions and waste as well as environmental management practices for sustainability. Two independent expert teams used the tool to assess a sample group of five first and second tier sports apparel and footwear suppliers within the supply chain of a global sporting goods manufacturer in Asia. The paper addresses the reliability and robustness of the developed assessment method by formulating the expected links between the assessment results. The management practices of the participating suppliers were shown to be closely connected to their performance in managing their resources and emissions. The companies’ initiatives in implementing energy efficiency measures were found to be generally related to their performance in carbon emissions management. The suppliers were also asked to undertake a self-assessment by using a short questionnaire. The large gap between the comprehensive assessment and these in-house self-assessments revealed the suppliers’ misconceptions about their capabilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment Methods Applied to Environmental Projects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries)

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814 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Remotely Accessible Instrumented Monitoring of Global Development Programs: Technology Development and Validation

by Evan A. Thomas, Zdenek Zumr, Jodi Graf, Carson A. Wick, James H. McCellan, Zachary Imam, Christina Barstow, Kelly Spiller and Michael Fleming

Sustainability 2013, 5(8), 3288-3301; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5083288 - 2 Aug 2013

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 9341

Abstract

Many global development agencies self-report their project outcomes, often relying on subjective data that is collected sporadically and communicated months later. These reports often highlight successes and downplay challenges. Instrumented monitoring via distributed data collection platforms may provide crucial evidence to help inform [...] Read more.

Many global development agencies self-report their project outcomes, often relying on subjective data that is collected sporadically and communicated months later. These reports often highlight successes and downplay challenges. Instrumented monitoring via distributed data collection platforms may provide crucial evidence to help inform the sector and public on the effectiveness of aid, and the on-going challenges. This paper presents the process of designing and validating an integrated sensor platform with cellular-to-internet reporting purposely targeted at global development programs. The integrated hardware platform has been applied to water, sanitation, energy and infrastructure interventions and validated through laboratory calibration and field observations. Presented here are two examples: a water pump and a household water filter, wherein field observations agreed with the data algorithm with a linear fit slope of between 0.91 and 1, and an r-squared of between 0.36 and 0.39, indicating a wide confidence interval but with low overall error (i.e., less than 0.5% in the case of structured field observations of water volume added to a household water filter) and few false negatives or false positives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment Methods Applied to Environmental Projects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries)

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1324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Physical-Chemical Drinking Water Quality in the Logone Valley (Chad-Cameroon)

by Sabrina Sorlini, Daniela Palazzini, Joseph M. Sieliechi and Martin B. Ngassoum

Sustainability 2013, 5(7), 3060-3076; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5073060 - 15 Jul 2013

Cited by 50 | Viewed by 11725

Abstract

Unsafe drinking water is one of the main concerns in developing countries. In order to deal with this problem, a cooperation project was set up by the ACRA Foundation in the Logone valley (Chad-Cameroon). Water supplies were sampled throughout the villages of this [...] Read more.

Unsafe drinking water is one of the main concerns in developing countries. In order to deal with this problem, a cooperation project was set up by the ACRA Foundation in the Logone valley (Chad-Cameroon). Water supplies were sampled throughout the villages of this area mostly from boreholes, open wells, rivers and lakes as well as some piped waters. The samples were analysed for their physical-chemical and microbiological quality in order to identify the contamination problems and suggest appropriate solutions. Results of the assessment confirmed that in the studied area there are several parameters of health and aesthetic concern. Elevated lead levels were detected both in aquifers and in surface waters, confirming that further investigations of the occurrence of lead contamination in the Logone valley are warranted. In addition, many groundwater sources are negatively impacted by parameters of aesthetic concern, such as turbidity, iron and manganese. Even though they do not affect human health, elevated levels of these parameters cause consumers to abandon improved water supplies, often in favour of surface water sources that are microbiologically contaminated. The use of alternative sources, improvement of water supply structures and water treatment are possible solutions to improve the quality of drinking water in the Logone valley. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment Methods Applied to Environmental Projects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries)

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Review

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764 KiB

Open AccessReview

How Assessment Methods Can Support Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries—A Critical Review

by Christian Zurbrügg, Marco Caniato and Mentore Vaccari

Sustainability 2014, 6(2), 545-570; https://doi.org/10.3390/su6020545 - 27 Jan 2014

Cited by 77 | Viewed by 28861

Abstract

Selecting actions for improvement of solid waste management in low and middle income countries and understanding how a specific decision choice will fit and impact on a local context is key to identifying sustainable solutions. Assessment of the choice (be it technical or [...] Read more.

Selecting actions for improvement of solid waste management in low and middle income countries and understanding how a specific decision choice will fit and impact on a local context is key to identifying sustainable solutions. Assessment of the choice (be it technical or managerial) and assessment of the local enabling or disabling conditions are both important steps in the decision making process. Various assessment tools and methods are currently available to support decision-making in solid waste management. Assessment can be used to identify weaknesses or strengths of existing systems in a structured way and hereby highlight factors of success and failure. Assessment methods can also evaluate and compare different possible choices as in project scenarios. This overview describes established and innovative assessment methods serving both these purposes. A range of assessment tools are often designed to assess a specific sustainability domain (technical, environmental and health, economic and financial, social and institutional, organizational aspects), others attempt to provide a more holistic picture by integrating different sustainability domains into the same tool. This paper reviews a number of methods describing and discussing each of them, and referring to their use in low and middle-income countries if published in scientific literature. The overview concludes that in low- and middle-income countries the use of comprehensive assessment methods is yet very limited. We hypothesize that most formal methods of assessment are still too complex and generally overburden the weak local capacities intended for their usage. The few applications identified, were conducted by academia for scientific purposes. Lack of resources to collect the vast data required for some assessment methods is a further restriction to their practical application. Future development is suggested to improve user friendliness of existing tools or to simplify certain approaches and develop more appropriate methods. A user-oriented focus in the development of assessment tools would enhance their application, provide sound data for informed decision making and foster a dialogue between technicians and policy makers in low- and middle-income countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment Methods Applied to Environmental Projects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries)

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