It is 2014 and approximately 40% of the world population still has no access to adequate sanitary toilets. For these 2.6 billion people the problem is not only finding a safe and dignified place to defecate, but also trying to combat deadly diseases associated with the exposure to pathogens in feces left on the ground or near waterways. Improving sanitation is not only favorable to health, but also promotes dignity, economic benefits and environmental conservation. Although there have been numerous efforts to improve sanitation systems in the developing world, adoption rates and long term use are relatively low due to poor understanding of the multiple requirements for sustaining such systems such as environmental conditions and cultural habits. Quantifying and comparing the costs and benefits of these systems to the environment is one step in better informing decision makers in large-scale development projects, and thus facilitating the selection of sustainable sanitation systems. The research conducted puts forth a method to assess and hierarchically classify large-scale systems based on their environmental performance and context. The proposed method provides structured steps of environmental assessment and multiple-criteria decision analysis to compare and contextually evaluate the environmental implications of large-scale systems. A case study on specific sanitation systems in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti was reviewed to demonstrate and evaluate the framework. The study compared the use of urine-diversion toilets coupled with a collection system that diverts waste to a compost facility versus flush toilets connected to sewer systems with either endpoint to waste stabilization ponds or discharged into the environment without treatment. Overall, the results from this study show that the alternative involving diverting waste to a compost facility was preferred to the other alternatives for large-scale sanitation systems for Cap-Haïtien, Haiti; although there are specific conditions where it might not be. Various scenarios and analysis were developed to help provide some perspective into the results and conclusions of the methodology and the modeled case study.
Open Source Archives
We strive to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and the implementation of progressive and participatory research methods, with the goal of generating tangible, durable changes in the way research about Haiti is conceptualized, implemented and applied.
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Research Hub & Open Source Archives
EKO HAITI Research Hub is a research and knowledge mobilization platform focused on creative, collaborative and interdisciplinary research and associated research-based learning. We aim to become the intellectual “home” for research about Haiti by creating and providing open access to the largest crowdsourced research archive dedicated to Haiti, by fostering cross-disciplinary research and innovation, and by providing support for progressive research in the form of contextual expertise and training.
“The trees fall from time to time, but the voice of the forest never loses its power. Life begins.”
Jacques Alexis, Les Arbres Musiciens (Paris, 1957)
ORAL HISTORIES
Oral histories are a powerful tool in developing historical understanding
Oral history offers an alternative to conventional history, filling gaps in traditional research with personal accounts of historically significant events or simply life in a specific place and time. Oral histories do more than provide charming details to dry historical accounts. In fact, oral histories help others recapture lived experiences that are not written down in traditional sources.
> Transcripts archive
" Bwa pi wo di li wè lwen, men grenn pwomennen di li wè pi lwen pase l "
The tallest tree says that it sees far, but the seed that travels says that it sees even further.
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As an independent institute, we rely on crowdsourcing and donations to continue expanding the depth and scope of our archives. Your contribution enable us to provide open access to a vast collection of ethnographic and research material which in turn aims at fostering further research and contribute to a better understanding of the country.
