socio-technical systems analysis – Page 3

Policyinformation publicerad på Makerereuniversitetets webb

Published 10 November, 2020
By Lovisa Lindberg

SPANS-projektet om sanitetsplanering för alternativa näringsämnesåtervinningssystem har publicerat sin första policyinformation. Kortfattat presenteras resultat från en studie om kapital- och driftskostnader för sanitet i Kampala, Uganda. Det konstaterades att kostnaderna för avloppssystem årligen är 13 gånger högre än för system som hanterar avföringsslam. Avloppssystem får en större andel av den offentliga finansieringen än avföringsslamsystem, samtidigt som de endast betjänar 1% av storstadsregionen. Strategier som syftar till rättvis och inkluderande sanitet måste överväga alternativa sanitetssystem och tjänster där användare åtnjuter lika stora offentliga medel.

HUR MYCKET BÖR SÄKERHETSHANTERADE SANITATIONSSYSTEM KOSTA? Klicka här, för att veta mer.

Policy brief published on the Makerere University Website

Published 10 November, 2020
By Lovisa Lindberg

The SPANS project on Sanitation Planning for Alternative Nutrient-recovery Systems has published its first policy brief. The brief presents results of a study on capital and operational costs for sanitation in Kampala, Uganda. It was found that annualized costs for sewerage systems are 13 time greater than for faecal sludge systems. Sewerage systems receive a greater share of public funding than faecal sludge systems, at the same time that they serve only 1% of the greater metropolitan area. Strategies aiming at equitable and inclusive sanitation need to consider alternative sanitation systems and services in which users enjoy equal shares of public funding.

HOW MUCH SHOULD SAFELY MANAGED SANITATION COST? Click here, to get more knowledge.

Webinar on serious gaming – RECLAIM

Published 12 October, 2020
By Lovisa Lindberg

We are pleased to announce a webinar on the serious-game that we have made on resource recovery in sanitation – RECLAIM. We will present it on the 11^th November, 2020 between 13:00-14:00 CEST.

Launching the Guide to Sanitation Resource-Recovery Products & Technologies

Published 29 September, 2020
By Prithvi Simha

We are pleased to announce the we will soon be publishing a Guide to Sanitation Resource-Recovery Products & Technologies! To launch this publication we are hosting a webinar on the SuSanA forum.

When? 22^nd of October, 2020 between 14:00-15:00 CEST. Details and registration can be found on this link: https://www.susana.org/en/news-and-events/sanitation-events/upcoming-events?details=170

This Webinar is organized by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Makerere University and the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) in collaboration with SuSanA working group 5 as part of the SPANS research project. It will present a new publication related to resource recovery from sanitation systems – the Guide to Sanitation Resource-Recovery Products & Technologies. The publication is designed as a supplement to the Eawag Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies. It provides an overview of the possibilities for resource recovery from sanitation and provide guidance on treatment processes to achieve safe products for reuse. The webinar will introduce the guide, including an overview of the technologies and products that are covered in the document, and discuss how the information sheets can be used a reference book for sanitation planning and decision-making.

The “new urban water paradigm” – what is it about?

Published 2 September, 2020
By Lovisa Lindberg

Over the past decades, the idea of a new urban water paradigm has emerged in the context of a broader societal change that promotes a more organic worldview over a mechanistic and technocratic understanding of reality. But what is this new paradigm about?

New Post Doc in the group will work on wastewater sustainability assessment

Published 19 August, 2020
By Prithvi Simha

My name is Priscila Lima and I have just started a postdoc within the Environmental Engineering group. I am originally from Brazil and I have lived in the US and in Denmark for some time. I am an Environmental Engineer that has been working with solid waste management systems ever since my bachelor’s thesis. Most recently, my PhD thesis was on Environmental Assessment of solid waste systems for Brazil and a case study in my Municipality in the west central region of the country, and I used Life Cycle Assessment for this. Before coming to Sweden I was performing research in my hometown, with a main focus on Life Cycle Assessment of different types of waste. Now, I have joined Jennifer at Kretsloppsteknik in a project to assess the sustainability aspects of waste systems, with main focus on nutrient recovery from these systems.

EVAS – a practical tool to assess the sustainability of small wastewater treatment systems in low and lower-middle-income countries

Published 14 August, 2020
By Prithvi Simha

Claudia Cossio, a former PhD student affiliated with the group, has published an article regarding the development and application of an Excel-based tool to holistically evaluate the sustainability of existing wastewater treatment plants in low and middle income countries. Many small wastewater treatment systems (WWTSs) in low and lower-middle income countries face challenges to achieve optimal performance and acceptable levels of sustainability. In order to provide guidance for operation of these systems, Claudia and her colleagues developed a practical tool to diagnose the actual status of WWTSs and identify weak areas for further improvement.

The article is available Open Access – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140938

The Excel tool is available on the Chalmers website – https://research.chalmers.se/en/publication/516714

Online public PhD defence of Claudia Cossio on June 4

Published 12 May, 2020
By Prithvi Simha

Claudia Cossio, who has been co-supervised by Jennifer McConville from our research group will present her PhD thesis on the 4^th of June. The thesis is titled “A Journey towards Sustainable Small Wastewater Treatment Systems in Low and Lower–Middle Income Countries” and her focus has been on Bolivia.

Where: https://chalmers.zoom.us/j/68990184473

Link to thesis: https://research.chalmers.se/publication/516714/file/516714_Fulltext.pdf

Opponent: Associate Professor Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero, School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, UK

Ida Helgegren – PhD Defense on 19th May

Published 12 May, 2020
By Prithvi Simha

Ida Helgegren, a PhD student at Chalmers who has been co-supervised by Jennifer McConville from our research group will present her thesis on 19th May. Her thesis title is “Understanding the Roles of Stakeholders in the Water and Sanitation Sector- Implementation and Operation of Water Supply and Sanitation Systems in the Kanata metropolitan region, Bolivia“.

When? 2020-05-19 at 10:00

Where? Zoom link to on-line defense: https://chalmers.zoom.us/j/65601700581

Link to thesis: https://research.chalmers.se/publication/516557

Opponent: Klaas Schwartz, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, The Netherlands

Comparing treatment options for nutrient-recovery from fecal sludge

Published 27 April, 2020
By Prithvi Simha

The latest publication from our project in Uganda is on-line. We present a multi-criteria assessment method for planning and decision-making related to options for recovering nutrients from fecal sludge. We apply the method to the case of Kampala, Uganda. However, we start with a broad list of potential technologies and there are quite a few references for more information on these technologies – so the method and data should be interesting for other people interested in options for nutrient-recovery.

Read the full paper here: McConville, J. R., Kvarnström, E., Nordin, A. C., Jönsson, H., & Niwagaba, C. B. (2020). Structured Approach for Comparison of Treatment Options for Nutrient-recovery from Fecal Sludge. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 8, 36.