Since April 2014, Biome has been working on a multidisciplinary research initiative funded by the Swiss
Development Corporation (SDC) lead by an international partnership of
organizations that includes the International Water Management Institute
(IWMI), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Swiss Tropical and Public
Health Institute (STPHI) and Sandec (Department of Water and Sanitation in
Developing Countries) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and
Technology (Eawag).
Development Corporation (SDC) lead by an international partnership of
organizations that includes the International Water Management Institute
(IWMI), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Swiss Tropical and Public
Health Institute (STPHI) and Sandec (Department of Water and Sanitation in
Developing Countries) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and
Technology (Eawag).
The ‘Resource
Recovery and Reuse: From Research to Implementation Project’ aims to find
enterprises and business models that have demonstrated their capacity for the
safe reuse of waste, and to find ways in which these business models can be
adopted or scaled up within their own setting or in other regions. The funding
partner, SDC, has indicated that it would be inclined towards funding some of
the scaling up activities after the research is completed. The project currently
runs in four cities, Kampala, Lima, Hanoi and Bangalore with the aim that
lessons can be shared across different contexts. Biome leads the institutional
component of the research in Bangalore (the other components are lead by other
partners that include the Community Health Department at St. Johns Hospital,
IISc and Waste Wise Trust). This involves understanding both the larger
environment around which activities and businesses that work with waste have
arisen as well as the more localised conditions that influence the way institutions
operate and function. Together with partners[1], our
work has involved selecting a small number of interesting cases that
demonstrate safe reuse and in order to understand how they function. Research
was conducted primarily through interviews with the most important government
agencies that deal with waste and wastewater, businesses that are at the centre
of this work, and desk based study on the larger context of solid waste and
wastewater management in the city.
Recovery and Reuse: From Research to Implementation Project’ aims to find
enterprises and business models that have demonstrated their capacity for the
safe reuse of waste, and to find ways in which these business models can be
adopted or scaled up within their own setting or in other regions. The funding
partner, SDC, has indicated that it would be inclined towards funding some of
the scaling up activities after the research is completed. The project currently
runs in four cities, Kampala, Lima, Hanoi and Bangalore with the aim that
lessons can be shared across different contexts. Biome leads the institutional
component of the research in Bangalore (the other components are lead by other
partners that include the Community Health Department at St. Johns Hospital,
IISc and Waste Wise Trust). This involves understanding both the larger
environment around which activities and businesses that work with waste have
arisen as well as the more localised conditions that influence the way institutions
operate and function. Together with partners[1], our
work has involved selecting a small number of interesting cases that
demonstrate safe reuse and in order to understand how they function. Research
was conducted primarily through interviews with the most important government
agencies that deal with waste and wastewater, businesses that are at the centre
of this work, and desk based study on the larger context of solid waste and
wastewater management in the city.
short paper based on the research conducted for the project was presented at the 37th WEDC
International Conference held in Hanoi, Vietnam. The conference has a long history with a strong focus
on presenting the work of practitioners from the WASH sector working in
developing countries and this year’s theme was ‘Sustainable Water and
Sanitation Services for all in a Changing World’.
The paper, titled ‘Formal Approaches to Wastewater reuse
in Bangalore’ was presented at the session on Sanitation Institutions and looked
at the different approaches taken by the BWSSB and the KSPCB with regards to
wastewater. It presents the contrasting perspectives of the utility and the
regulator – the former’s concern with managing wastewater infrastructure and its
approach of taking delicate steps towards expanding public treatment and reuse,
while the latter’s challenge in regulating pollution and monitoring the city’s
large number of private treatment plants.
in Bangalore’ was presented at the session on Sanitation Institutions and looked
at the different approaches taken by the BWSSB and the KSPCB with regards to
wastewater. It presents the contrasting perspectives of the utility and the
regulator – the former’s concern with managing wastewater infrastructure and its
approach of taking delicate steps towards expanding public treatment and reuse,
while the latter’s challenge in regulating pollution and monitoring the city’s
large number of private treatment plants.
This is the first of three posts that will discuss the research and findings of the institutional component of the RRR project, whose first phase ends in December this year.
[1] Acknowledgments to Alexandra Evans (Loughborough
University) and our research partners at IWMI with whom we have worked closely
on this project.
University) and our research partners at IWMI with whom we have worked closely
on this project.
Great post! This international conference shared great recommendations and good for the research teams of IWMI and WHO. Can you please send the next meetings or conferences with full information? Also send the venue or meeting rooms address.