RUAF supported activities under the Dutch WASH Alliance (www.washalliance.nl)
In 2013 RUAF Foundation continues to collaborate with the WASH partners in Ghana (Tamale), Nepal (Surkhet), Ethiopia (Dire Dawa) and Kenya (Kajiado) on Safe and Productive Use of Wastes for Urban Agriculture. In addition to policy influencing and developing scenarios on Safe Reuse of Wastes in Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (UPA) for the selected cities and towns, RUAF and the local partners seek to identify and develop sanitation systems / busines s models for sanitation and waste reuse that fit within the development strategies of the city or town. RUAF Foundation supports the selection of promising systems, design of prototypes, development of capacity building materials and training activities, as well as close monitoring of the implementation activities. The selected systems in these countries are:
1) Integrated School Sanitation, with urine diversion, composting and gardening, and in some cases with Biogas and Rainwater harvesting (such as in Surkhet or Kajiado).
2) Public Sanitation, improving the safety and services of public toilets (with use and sale of urine or composted faecal sludge, as in Tamale, or the mobile toilet in Surkhet).
3) Eco-sanitation at household or community level, with own vegetable gardens or sale of co-compost to surrounding community (as in Tamale, Surkhet and Dire Dawa).
4) Improvement in current system of handling and treatment of solid organic waste and animal and human wastes (as in Kajiado and Dire Dawa) at community and city level.
More information: René van Veenhuizen: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Use of Solid and Liquid Wastes for Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture
The WASH Alliance is formed by six Dutch Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) with extensive experience in Water Sanitation and Health (WASH). Visit: the WASH Alliance at: www.washalliance.nl RUAF is a thematic partner of the WASH alliance, specifically on the issue of productive use of household (waste-)water and organic solid wastes.
By “productive use” we refer to the (re)use of (waste)water and wastes for small scale agricultural production activities with the purpose to: i. secure household consumption and improve nutrition and/or, ii. generate income by bartering or selling the surplus produce, and in such a way, iii. reduce costs / generate income for WASH systems maintenance and provide jobs and income for people in the community, iv. improve natural resource management (resource recovery and reuse of precious resources).
Assessments and multi stakeholder meetings have been finalized in selected cities: Tamale in Ghana, Dire Dawa in Ethiopia, Birendranagar/Surkhet in Nepal and Kaijado in Kenya. Similarities in the opportunities and constraints in the development of water and sanitation and in the potential of productive re-use, were noted. Re-use systems which raised high interest included: enhancing soil fertility by use of animal and human manure and the multiple use of safe waste-water re-use at household or community level. In addition, the following needs were identified: enhancing the role of UPA (including re-use) in city development by awareness raising; support to city authorities in land use mapping, planning and zonification, and development of appropriate regulation; support to urban farmers and their organisations improving their access to water en nutrients and assisting them in value chain development. These activities have been agreed in work plans for 2013. An international sharing and learning workshop of the WASH partners is planned for May 2013.
More information: René van Veenhuizen: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Resource Recovery and Reuse: From Research to Implementation
RUAF’s partner IWMI and WHO collaborate in this SDC funded project. The two objectives of the project are:
• To increase the scale and viability of the productive reuse of water, nutrients, organic matter and energy from domestic and agro-industrial waste streams through the analysis, promotion and implementation of economically viable business models – IWMI led
• To safeguard public health in the context of rapidly expanding use of wastewater, excreta and grey-water in agriculture & aquaculture and protect vulnerable groups from specific health risks associated with this pattern of agricultural development – WHO led
The project in its first year analyzed existing business cases from across the globe in order to identify successful business models for their replication elsewhere. For this, IWMI, WHO and their Swiss partners SANDEC, Swiss TPH and CEWAS are undertaking in 2013 feasibility studies for business model implementation at largest possible scale in Hanoi, Kampala, Lima and Bangalore. The feasibility studies will go hand in hand with the development and testing of Sanitation Safety Plans to ensure safe waste reuse. An important target group for recovered nutrient and water resources are the urban farmers, but even more the larger group of peri-urban farmers to support large scale waste valorization. More information: Pay Drechsel, IWMI: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

See the full call at www.ruaf.org.

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