Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) intervention in Response, Reconstruction and Recovery

In responding to disaster affected people accountability to affected people demands respect of core humanitarian standards. WASH standards clearly outline the guidance for assessing the needs of disaster affected people. “WASH needs of the affected population are met and users are involved in the design, management and maintenance of the facilities where appropriate.” Core Standard 3 on WASH elucidates; “The priority needs of the disaster-affected population are identified through a systematic assessment of the context, risks to life with dignity and the capacity of the affected people and relevant authorities to respond.”

For full story follow the link below,
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wash-intervention-response-reconstruction-recovery-bikram-rana/

Reaching the Vulnerable in Post Disaster Reconstruction

From our Project Rehabilitation of facilities to earthquake affected people (REAP), we realized vulnerable population the elderly people, single men-women, orphans with less economic capacities, are more prone to observe the housing grants. They are unable to build their house on their own, unable to extend physical and financial contribution in the reconstruction of their own house. This brings another dilemma the construction groups (mercenary construction groups) do not trust such vulnerable groups, as a result they remain to start reconstructing their house and unable to access the government housing grants without any progress of the house reconstruction.

The level of scientific and engineering research does indicate that resilience is not only due to materials one chose, it’s the technology and engineering codes to be followed. Many engineers focusing on earthquake safety strive to use local materials, however the Nepali case appeared bit different, the engineers learn modern construction materials and try to apply without much innovation on use of local materials, it was evident from the catalogue of house designs distributed by DUDBC after the 2015 earthquake. The social stigma (elite and rich opting for modern construction materials) and officials recommending for modern construction materials through different catalogues brings another negative fold in rural Nepali housing. The use of traditional materials (wood and stone) and traditional architecture that were the part of rural houses are being replaced by concrete, turning the serenity to concrete jungles which was not the case prior to 2015 earthquake. Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal for 2014/2015 indicates 40.6% of houses in the country constructed were out of stone and wood. 

 For full story please follow the link,

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reaching-vulnerable-post-disaster-reconstruction-bikram-rana/?published=t

Water Use Master Plan + Recharge, Retention and Reuse - ( WUMP+3R) Facilitator's Manual

Introduction

 In many areas of the world, people experience periods of water scarcity even though there is enough rainfall and run-off on an annual basis. At moments when water is plentiful, often a large portion of it disappears unused through floods, surface run-off, and evaporation. Nepal, despite being one of the most water-abundant countries in the world with over 6,000 rivers, is experiencing severe water challenges hampering both economic development and poverty alleviation. Nearly 85 per cent of the country’s annual rainfall occurs during the monsoon months, from June to September. This means there is an overabundance of water during these months and a shortage outside of this period. Better water buffer management is needed to avoid localized scarcity and prepare for future climate change shocks and increased climate variability. HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation, MetaMeta and Aidenvironment have developed a WUMP + 3R approach. WUMP + 3R builds on the Water Use Master Plan (WUMP) approach, developed and implemented by the Water Resource Management Programme of HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation, and on the concept of 3R (retention, recharge, and reuse), as developed by the 3R consortium (including Aidenvironment and MetaMeta). The objective of the WUMP + 3R approach is to mainstream the issues of recharge, retention, and reuse in operational and inclusive water use planning in Nepal for climate change adaptation and enhanced water resource management. The approach is developed for implementation at the village development committee (VDC) level, which is the lowest administrative unit of the Government of Nepal. An average VDC has about 5,000 inhabitants in an area of about 35 km2 . However, both area and population vary greatly across ecological regions and districts. The WUMP + 3R approach emphasizes low-cost and small-scale water conservation and inclusive management solutions that can be implemented at the local level. It envisions giving women and men from all walks of life and disadvantaged communities the means and confidence to protect their livelihoods in response to climatic changes, and to improve local water management to ensure reliable and sustained access to water, economic development, and environmental integrity. This document is prepared as a Training Manual for WUMP + 3R facilitators who facilitate the inclusive WUMP + 3R process in the field. The focus of the manual is on developing the knowledge and skills necessary for a facilitator. This manual also provides links to the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary for trainers who train the facilitators.

Follow the link for the manual;

http://www.aidenvironment.org/news/water-use-master-plan-3r-facilitators-manual-online/

Practicing IWRM at Local Level - implementation of Water Use Master Plan

Introduction

Since the coining of Integrated Water Resources Management ( IWRM), almost all definitions of IWRM stress three “E” s (Efciency, Equity and Ecological integrity) principles aiming to improve efficiency in water use (economic efficiency), promote equity in access to water (creating just situation , social or developmental rationale) and to achieve ecology integrity (sustainability and the environmental rationale).

There is emerging consensus that Integrated Water resources management requires an integrated and participatory approach. In terms of water allocation, basic human needs should receive priority; other uses should be prioritized according to societal needs and socioeconomic criteria.

However, there has been lots of debates about its true application at the local level. The three E’s principle has been contested at different scales.

Follow the article from link;

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303401876_Practising_IWRM_at_Local_Level_-_implementation_of_Water_Use_Master_Plan

KEEP it Local- Dilemma in Reconstruction of Shelter-Post disaster

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/keep-local-dilemma-reconstruction-shelter-post-disaster-bikram-rana/

It's not the violent shaking of the ground itself that claims the most victims, but the collapse of poorly constructed buildings. The earthquake sequence destroyed 490,000 houses, mostly traditional mud-brick and mud-stone houses built and occupied by the rural poor.

" The largest single need identified in the PDNA was for “housing and human settlements”: 755,000 houses were destroyed or damaged. "

Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal for 2014/2015 indicates 40.6% of houses in the country constructed are out of stone and wood. Many engineers focusing on earthquake safety strive to use local materials, however the Nepali case appeared bit different, the engineers learn modern construction materials and try to apply without much innovation on use of local materials, it was evident from the catalog of house designs distributed by DUDBC after the 2015 earthquake. 

However, we have used the local materials (stone and wood) in the permanent house reconstruction improving the flaws identified.

Foundation: The foundations of the stone houses were shallow less than 3 feet depth. The project proposed and adapted foundation at least of 3 feet depth with bonding to superstructure.

Corner walls: The stones used in corner walls were of not of regular shape, this was one the reasons of corner walls toppling leading the toppling of walls and the house. The project focused on strengthening corner walls by using good stones and tying with wooden vertical posts bonded with wooden horizontal bands.

Through stone: Through stone placed at the regular intervals in the walls act as a binder to wall, this was missing in the old stone houses. Project introduced use of through stones at regular intervals in the walls of the houses reconstructed.

Lack of bonding: The stone house walls were not bonded with combination of horizontal and vertical bands. The project introduced wooden horizontal and vertical bands. Plus, the window and door opening spacing was adjusted in compliance to the national building codes.

Gabble walls: Gable walls were of stone and not bonded with the walls and roofs, most of the houses toppled from gable walls. The project replaced stone gable walls with light material, corrugated galvanized iron sheet and for some houses wood tied to walls and roofs.

 Wood Treatment: In the rural context wood are painted and some times coated with lube oil ( mobil) to protect them from termites. Smoky kitchens used to be another protection of wood inside the house and natural seasoning (use of stack wood) were the practices. Proper treatment of wood was lacking.

Wood is a natural organic material and as such, can be degraded by biological organisms: bacteria, fungi (rot) and insects (woodworms and termites). Wood is also vulnerable to direct sun light and moisture, which affect its durability and increase the rotting process. Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate (Na2B8O13·4H2O) DOT . Boron-based compounds for wood treatment were developed in New Zealand and Australia in the 1930s and became commercialized in 1949. Over nearly 70 years borate mineral has been used worldwide proving its efficiency as wood treatment. 

DOT is a water-soluble solution that can easily penetrate dry and wet wood. It takes advantage of the moisture content in the wood to penetrate deeper. For fresh cut timber, where the moisture content can be 35% or higher by weight, the DOT solution penetrates timber logs more completely and faster. DOT is known to be an effective, eco-friendly and low-cost remedy for killing rot organisms and wood-destroying insects in infested wood and preventing its recurrence.

The project introduced the DOT for the wood treatment in its housing component. Boric Acid and Borax was prepared at sites of each house reconstruction following the standard mixes. The woods to be treated are dipped in the solution for diffusion effect. People used the local wood species of Chilaune, Salla, Uttis, Lapsi and Sal. One of the advantage of DoT wood treatment is that even fresh cut woods can be treated with moisture content of 30 to 40 percent and dried wood could be dipped in water for about and hour before immersing into Borax and Boric solution.

Use of local materials in reconstruction has created awareness among local people that the salvaged material can be used for reconstruction, this also reduces financial burden of house owners. (560 Individual Houses are built)

However, 2335 Households surveyed to identify the type of technical assistance need- in housing revealed the housing interest were of concrete not of stone and wood.