FEACAL SLUDGE MANAMAGENET FOR AGRICULTURAL CIRCULAR ECONOMY: IMPLEMENTED BY CARITAS FORT PORTAL-HEWASA

BACKGROUND

Since 2019, Caritas Fort Portal-HEWASA has been implementing feacal sludge management circular economy activities, which falls under its FINISH Mondial programme. FINISH (Financial Inclusion Improves Sanitation and Health) Mondial (Global) activities, supported/funded by WASTE Netherlands; have been implemented in the Rwenzori region for over….years, focusing on safely managed sanitation facilities at both household and institutional levels. However, 

Gaps were realized at different stages of the sanitation value chain where:

  1. Feacal Sludge: Limited infrastructure and technology, (contain, empty, transport, treat, dispose & or re-use), limited appropriate latrine emptying technologies in the Rwenzori region, poor private sector participation in latrine emptying, poor sewer connectivity in the region, poor latrines technologies for sustainable FS handling. These are happening in the face of the increasing population growth rates and urbanization, improved standards of living, limited land for dig and bury, or non-reusable facilities.
  2. Solid Waste: There are challenges of unsegregated waste, with high contamination of non-biodegradable materials, medical wastes. The high generation rates 120tonnes/day compared to what the site is designed to handle (70-90tonnes).

Associated Challenges from above:

  1. Contamination of water bodies e.g. R. Mpanga from garbage and feacal sludge
  2. Contamination of water table due to poor handling of feacal sludge
  • Undignified latrine emptying practices,
  1. High disease prevalence related to poor hygiene (cholera, warms, etc.) with its associated effects like poor school attendance, poor health, poverty, among others.
  2. Environmental degradation from Green House Gases (GHGs)
  3. Missed opportunities of otherwise recycling/re-use
  • Our Intervention: Caritas Fort Portal-HEWASA has intervened through its “feacal Sludge Management for agricultural Circular Economy”. Its main goal is to link sanitation to agriculture for improved health. and livelihoods. This has been done through construction of the treatment plant for Fecal Sludge and Solid Waste plant, capacity building for different players e.g. emptiers, solid waste collectors, institutionalizing and collective working, multi-stakeholder involvement, research and monitoring, demonstration, and awareness raising.

Associated Social Environmental Benefits

  • Local job creation
  • Reduction of human exposure to untreated waste
  • Reduction of emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs)
  • Enhanced private sector participation
  • Management of MSW which results in a clean environment and reduce land, water and air pollution
  • Improved yield for farmers (through application of co-compost)
  • Government saving from reduced expenditure on waste management
  • Farmers community empowerment by creating farmers’ groups
  • Increase in income for the low-income population
  • Improved food security

           

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