1st International Terra Preta Sanitation Conference Aug 2013

Location:Hamburg University of Technology. The campus is located in Hamburg-Harburg.

Dates: Wednesday, 28  -  Saturday  31 August 2013

Background

…An analysis of a former civilisation in the Amazon, nowadays Brazil, reveals concepts which enable a highly efficient handling of organic wastes. Terra Preta do Indio is the anthropogenic black soil that was produced by ancient cultures through the conversion of biowaste and faecal matter into long-term fertile soils. These soils have maintained high amounts of organic carbon even several thousand years after they were abandoned. It was recently discovered that around 10% of the originally infertile soils in the Amazon region was converted this way from around 7,000 until 500 years ago. Due to the accumulation of charred biomass and other organic residues, terra preta subsequently formed giving it a deep, distinctly dark and highly fertile soil layer.One of the surprising facts is that this soil is highly productive without adding fertiliser.

Recent research concludes that this culture had a superior sanitation and bio-waste system that was based on source separation of faecal matter, urine and clever additives particularly charcoal dust and treatment steps for the solids resulting in high yielding gardening. Additives included ground charcoal dust while the treatment and smell prevention started with anaerobic lactic-acid fermentation followed by vermicomposting.The generation of new Terra Preta (‘terra preta nova’) based on the safe treatment of human waste could be the basis for sustainable agriculture in the twenty-first century to produce food for billions of people….

Speakers / Sessions

Thursday
Conference Keynote Dr. Haiko Pieplow (tbc)
Session 1: TP soils, soil fertility, organic farming
Key note from Bruno Glaser or Albrecht von Sydow (Germany) (tbc)

• T. Theuretzbacher (Austria): Investigation on Terra Preta like products on the german-Austrian market
• N. Andreev (Moldava): The effect of terra preta like substrate on germination and shoot growth of radish and parsley
• H. Factura (Philippines): Addressing Poor Sanitation and Generating Added Values through Terra Preta Sanitation
• B. Pelivanoski (Germany): Terra Pellet – an organic fertilizer inspired by terra preta

Session 2: TPS Applications, Quality of products, hygienic parameter, legislation, certification
Keynote presentation Prof. Srikanth Mutnuri (India) (tbc): Terra Preta as an Alternative for the Management of Sludge from Waste Water Treatment Plant

• S. Böttger (Germany): Terra Preta – production from sewage sludges of decentralised wastewater systems
• M. Stöckl (Germany): Vermicomposting of fecal matter and organic waste – a quality assessment of products
• D. Meier Kohlstock (Germany): The integration of Terra Preta Sanitation in European nutrient cycles – Options for alternative policies and economies

Session 3: Terra Preta Sanitation: toilet systems and designs / Logistic and operation / practical examples
Keynote speech Prof. Charlotte de Fraiture (Netherlands) (tbc)

• R. Wagner (Germany): New challenges of resource management in the Botanic Garden Berlin by producing and applying biochar substrates
• R. Kuipers (Netherlands): A socio-economic assessment of urine separation, with a reflection on the possibilities for Terra Preta Sanitation, for the recycling of nutrients to rural agriculture in the Philippines
• M. Bulbo (Ethiopia): TP application in Ethiopia
• R. Wolf (Germany): Application of Fermented Urine for build up of Terra Preta Humus in a Permaculture Park and Social Impact on the Community Involved

Friday
Session 4: Carbon composting of biowaste and excreta/Climate farming / wood gas technology for energy and char coal production / Pyrolysis vs. hydrothermal carbonization
Keynote presentation Prof. Zifu Li (China) (tbc): Energy balance analysis on the pyrolysis process of animal manure
T. Voss (Germany): Wood gasification in parallel flow fixbed gasifieres for combined energy and charcoal production – experiences from six years of operation (abstact follows)

• C. vom Eyser (Germany): Product quality of ç from sewage sludge in terms of micropollutants
• E. Someus (Sweden): Reducing mineral fertilisers and chemicals use in agriculture by recycling treated organic waste as compost and bio-char products
• J. Fingas (Germany): Climate farming – Practical experience from sub-Saharan Afrika

Session 5: Microbiology, sanitization and lactic acid fermentation
Keynote presentation Dr. Gina Itchon (Philippines): The Effectivity of the Terra Preta Sanitation (TPS) Process in the Elimination of Parasite Eggs in Fecal Matter: A Field Trial of TPS in Mindanao, Philippines

• A. Yemaneh (Germany/Ethiopia): Investigation of Low-Cost Sugar Supplement for Lactic Acid Fermentation of Human Excreta in Terra Preta Sanitation System
• A. Febriana (Indonesia): Faeces Treatment By Lactofermentation Process Based On Terra Preta Sanitation System Concept
• A. Walter (Austria): Microbial communities in charcoal and microbe amended composts
• F. Scheinemann (Germany): Sanitation and conservation of nutrients in cattle manure and sewage sludge by anerobic fermentation

Click here to go to the conference website

Organisation Committee

Institute of Wastewater Management and Water Protection at TUHH
GFEU e. V.
WECF

Co-Organisers

Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics at TUHH
German WASH Network
UNESCO IHE
BDZ

all details are from their site

half-a-dozen(+) Sanitation infographics – WATSAN /WASH

Here are a half-a-dozen…well 3/4 of a dozen  infographics  on WATSAN/WASH/sanitation

There are more on our Pinterest WATSAN board 

World toilet day poster – UNICEF
Site: Facebook page: http://j.mp/18GyPku

From walk4wells.org – “Water and Women (and Girls!)”
site http://j.mp/18Gx8nl

Reinvent the Toilet (original Gates Foundation link of image not available)
Gates Foundation WASH Site: http://j.mp/18GB5Z4

From The World Poverty Project : Breaking the Taboo of the Loo
Site: http://globalpovertyproject.com/blog/view/671

From emag.suez-environnement.com – Access to water and sanitation
site: http://j.mp/18GEwiA

From Water.org’s Field guide to toilets http://water.org/toiletday/fieldguide/

What Your Poop and Pee Are Telling You About Your Body
Possible origins of graphic :http://j.mp/18GHeEI

From plancanada.ca: From head to toe: anatomy of a girl’s health
Site:http://plancanada.ca/page.aspx?pid=4657

Putting Poop In Its Place: The Problems With Bad Global Sanitation fastcoexist.com http://j.mp/10fjt2U

El Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan New Chairman of Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation

Press Release

The Secretary-General today appointed  His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan as the new Chairman of his Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB).

In highlighting the challenges facing the international community in achieving the water and sanitation targets of the Millennium Development Goals, the Secretary-General stated that 2.5 billion people around the world still lack access to proper sanitation and 768 million do not have access to improved sources of water.  Between now and the 2015 deadline, the international community, Governments and the private sector must accelerate progress toward the Millennium Development Goals water and sanitation targets.  He further underlined that water and sanitation is likely to figure prominently in the discussions on the sustainable development goals.

The Secretary-General commended Prince El Hassan on his leadership in championing global causes and in supporting intercultural dialogue.  Among other initiatives, he launched the International Cultures Foundation in 2002, the Partners in Humanity Dialogue in 2003, and the Parliament of Cultures in 2004.  He has served as Chairman of the Policy Advisory Commission for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and as a Member of the Board of the South Centre.  Water management is an issue of central importance to Jordan.

The Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation was established in 2004 to advise the Secretary-General and galvanize action by Governments and international organizations to advance the global water and sanitation agenda.  The Board’s focus is helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goal targets on water and sanitation.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto was designated Chairman of the Advisory Board in March 2004, and he was followed by Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who became Chairman in December 2006.  He remained Chairman until 30 April 2013, when he assumed his duties as King of the Netherlands.  Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan serves as the Honorary President of the Advisory Board.

The Secretary-General is confident that the new Chairman and the Board members will continue vigorously to address the water and sanitation challenge and mobilize action, resources and political will to improve the lives of billions of people around the world.

In welcoming the new Chairman, he expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation for the skilled and untiring efforts of the former Chairman, His Majesty Willem-Alexander, hailing his commitment as a driving force in setting the water and sanitation challenges on the global agenda.

source

Related articles

• UN: 2.4 billion people will lack improved sanitation in 2015 (washlink.wordpress.com)
• When Sanitation Does Not Have Clear Institutional Home or Accountability, Progress Lags: UN Deputy Secretary-General (washlink.wordpress.com)
• Is the world forgetting about sanitation? (one.org)

 

Gender based violence GBV and WASH / WATSAN – a reblog

Here is an important re-blog from  communityledtotalsanitation.org titled:

Gender based violence and sanitation, hygiene and water

 

Gender based violence

Recent high profile cases of women and girls being violently raped and killed in India, South Africa and elsewhere have made the ugliness of gender based violence more visible. Globally it is estimated that up to 70% of women will face gender based violence at some point in her lifetime depending on the country in which she lives.12 Gender based violence is a widespread and complex issue rooted in power differences and structural inequality between men and women, although men and boys can also suffer GBV. Experiences also vary by other social factors, including ethnicity, caste, age, sexual orientation, marital status, disability and other differentiations.3

Why is GBV important in the context of WASH?

So why are we looking at this issue from the perspective of the WASH professional? We are not GBV or protection professionals and already have large workloads and responding to the large number of people who still lack access to water and sanitation is a massive challenge.

The reality is that the risk of GBV can impact significantly on the access of women and girls and in some cases boys and men, to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene.4 In both urban and rural contexts, girls and women regularly face harassment when going to the toilet, and may delay drinking and eating in order to wait until nightfall to relieve themselves. Given the taboos around defecation and menstruation and the frequent lack of privacy, women and girls, may prefer to go to the toilet or use bathing units under the cover of darkness.   [Full story/more.... ]

Site /Org background

Objective

The IDS project on Community-Led total Sanitation (CLTS), also known as the CLTS Knowledge Hub, aims to support the approach to go to scale with quality and in a sustainable manner, and to accelerate its spread in order to contribute to the health and wellbeing of children, women and men in rural areas of the developing world who currently suffer the consequences of inadequate or no sanitation. We seek to contribute to intensified momentum, expanded scale, and enhanced quality and sustainability of CLTS practice and thereby to increase access to and use of safe sanitation and hygienic behaviour.

Activities

All our activities aim to co-generate and co-create practical knowledge on CLTS and to make learning and innovations widely and quickly accessible. Through staying in touch and interacting with stakeholders on a regular basis, we try to keep up with what is happening with CLTS globally and are often able to make linkages between organisations and individuals interested and engaged in CLTS. We wish to encourage and support champions and add to the energy and momentum of CLTS. In order to raise awareness and commitment of practitioners and policy champions and support good practices and policies, the three main activities we engage in are:

1. action learning, networking and dissemination,
2. (co-)convening workshops for sharing and learning, and
3. the CLTS website and bi-monthly e-newsletter.

History

IDS’s [Institute of Development Studies]work on CLTS, including the CLTS website (in its previous versions) were initially as part of the three year (2006-2009) DFID-funded research, action learning and networking project Going to Scale? The Potential of Community-led Total Sanitation . Until 31st December 2009, the action learning and networking aspect of this work continued as the project Sharing Lessons, Improving Practice: Maximising the potential of Community-Led Total Sanitation  funded by Irish Aid From 1st January 2010 onwards, this work is being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Community-Led total Sanitation (CLTS) pages:

• Home
• About
• Where
• Resources
• News
  • Latest news
  • Blog
  • Forthcoming events
  • CLTS Newletters

Related articles

• Gender Based Violence (kennizworld.wordpress.com)
• Ireland pledges KR8,900,000 for GBV fight (times.co.zm)
• Gender-based Violence in War times and Peace (halfofhumanity.wordpress.com)
• FROM AKIMBO | Standing Strong for a Woman’s Right to a Just and Healthy Life (womensphilanthropy.typepad.com)

Sections of the Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda

The UN  report is out with Download  PDF here  with the Herculean title of

A NEW GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP: ERADICATE POVERTY AND TRANSFORM ECONOMIES THROUGH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda

It’s 81 pages in pdf format that breaks out to the following sections:

Chapter 1: A Vision and Framework for the post-2015 Development Agenda

• Setting a New Course
  • Remarkable Achievements Since 200
  • Consulting People, Gaining Perspective
  • The Panel’s Journey
• Opportunities and Challenges in a Changing World
• One World: One Sustainable Development Agenda

Chapter 2: From Vision to Action—Priority Transformations for a post-2015 Agenda

• Five Transformative Shifts

1. Leave No One Behind

2. Put Sustainable Development at the Core

3. Transform Economies for Jobs and Inclusive Growth

4. Build Peace and Effective, Open and Accountable Public Institutions

5. Forge a new Global Partnership

• Ensure More and Better Long-term Finance

Chapter 3: Illustrative Goals and Global Impact

• The Shape of the Post-2015 Agenda
  • Risks to be Managed in a Single Agenda
  • Learning the Lessons of MDG 8 (Global Partnership for Development)
• Illustrative Goals
  • Addressing Cross-cutting Issues
• The Global Impact by 2030

Chapter 4: Implementation, Accountability and Building Consensus

• Implementing the post-2015 framework
  • Unifying Global Goals with National Plans for Development
  • Global Monitoring and Peer Review
  • Stakeholders Partnering by Theme
• Holding Partners to Account
  • Wanted: a New Data Revolution
  • Working in Cooperation with Others
  • Building Political Consensus

Chapter 5: Concluding Remarks

ANNEX:

• Annex I Illustrative Goals and Targets
• Annex II Evidence of Impact and Explanation of Illustrative Goals
• Annex III Goals, Targets and Indicators: Using a Common Terminology
• Annex IV Summary of Outreach Efforts
• Annex V Terms of Reference and List of Panel Members
• Annex VI High-level Panel Secretariat

Annex 1: While no one section should overshadow the others, The Illustrative Goals and Targets of Annex 1 is one of the ones that will be   most debated  (thus the safe adjective of “illustrative” ?)

It list “5  Transformative Shifts” required to move forward 

We believe five transformative shifts can create the conditions – and build the momentum – to meet our ambitions.

•Leave No One Behind.

We must ensure that no person – regardless of ethnicity, gender, geography, disability, race or other status – is denied basic economic opportunities and human rights.

•Put Sustainable Development at the Core.

We must make a rapid shift to sustainable patterns of production and consumption, with developed countries in the lead. We must act now to slow the alarming pace of climate change and environmental degradation, which pose unprecedented threats to humanity.

•Transform Economies for Jobs and Inclusive Growth.

A profound economic transformation can end extreme poverty and promote sustainable development, improving livelihoods, by harnessing innovation, technology, and the potential of business. More diversified economies, with equal opportunities for all, can drive social inclusion, especially for young people, and foster respect for the environment.

•Build Peace and Effective, Open and Accountable Institutions for All.

Freedom from violence, conflict, and oppression is essential to human existence, and the foundation for building peaceful and prosperous societies. We are calling for a fundamental shift to recognize peace and good governance as a core element of wellbeing, not an optional extra.

•Forge a New Global Partnership.

A new spirit of solidarity, cooperation, and mutual accountability must underpin the post-2015 agenda. This new partnership should be built on our shared humanity, and based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.

 Annex 1, then has 12 targets under the subsection   UNIVERSAL GOAL, NATIONAL TARGETS:

(Where the percentages are graciously  left for others in working committees to arrive at.)

1. End Poverty

1a. Bring the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day to zero and reduce by x% the share of people living below their country’s 2015 national poverty line

1b. Increase by x% the share of women and men, communities, and businesses with secure rights to land, property, and other assets

1c. Cover x% of people who are poor and vulnerable with social protection systems

1d. Build resilience and reduce deaths from natural disasters by x%

2. Empower Girls and Women and Achieve Gender Equality

2a. Prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against girls and women

2b. End child marriage

2c. Ensure equal right of women to own and inherit property, sign a contract, register a business and open a bank account

2d. Eliminate discrimination against women in political, economic, and public life

3. Provide Quality Education and Lifelong Learning

3a. Increase by x% the proportion of children able to access and complete pre-primary education

3b. Ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, completes primary education able to read, write and count well enough to meet minimum learning standards

3c. Ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, has access to lower secondary education and increase the proportion of adolescents who achieve recognized and measurable learning outcomes to x%

3d. Increase the number of young and adult women and men with the skills, including technical and vocational, needed for work by x%

4. Ensure Healthy Lives

4a. End preventable infant and under-5 deaths

4b. Increase by x% the proportion of children, adolescents, at-risk adults and older people that are fully vaccinated

4c. Decrease the maternal mortality ratio to no more than x per 100,000

4d. Ensure universal sexual and reproductive health and rights

4e. Reduce the burden of disease from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases and priority non-communicable diseases

5. Ensure Food Security and Good Nutrition

5a. End hunger and protect the right of everyone to have access to sufficient, safe, affordable, and nutritious food

5b. Reduce stunting by x%, wasting by y%, and anemia by z% for all children under five

5c. Increase agricultural productivity by x%, with a focus on sustainably increasing smallholder yields and access to irrigation

5d. Adopt sustainable agricultural, ocean and freshwater fishery practices and rebuild designated fish stocks to sustainable levels

5e. Reduce postharvest loss and food waste by x%

6. Achieve Universal Access to Water and Sanitation

6a. Provide universal access to safe drinking water at home, and in schools, health centers, and refugee camps

6b. End open defecation and ensure universal access to sanitation at school and work, and increase access to sanitation at home by x%

6c. Bring freshwater withdrawals in line with supply and increase water efficiency in agriculture by x%, industry by y% and urban areas by z%

6d. Recycle or treat all municipal and industrial wastewater prior to discharge

7. Secure Sustainable Energy

7a. Double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

7b. Ensure universal access to modern energy services

7c. Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency in buildings, industry, agriculture and transport

7d. Phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption

8. Create Jobs, Sustainable Livelihoods, and Equitable Growth

8a. Increase the number of good and decent jobs and livelihoods by x

8b. Decrease the number of young people not in education, employment or training by x%

8c. Strengthen productive capacity by providing universal access to financial services and infrastructure such as transportation and ICT

8d. Increase new start-ups by x and value added from new products by y through creating an enabling business environment and boosting entrepreneurship

9. Manage Natural Resource Assets Sustainably

9a. Publish and use economic, social and environmental accounts in all governments and major companies

9b. Increase consideration of sustainability in x% of government procurements

9c. Safeguard ecosystems, species and genetic diversity

9d. Reduce deforestation by x% and increase reforestation by y%

9e. Improve soil quality, reduce soil erosion by x tonnes and combat desertification

10. Ensure Good Governance and Effective Institutions

10a. Provide free and universal legal identity, such as birth registrations 1,2

10b. Ensure people enjoy freedom of speech, association, peaceful protest and access to independent media and information

10c. Increase public participation in political processes and civic engagement at all levels

10d. Guarantee the public’s right to information and access to government data

10e. Reduce bribery and corruption and ensure officials can be held accountable

11. Ensure Stable and Peaceful Societies

11a. Reduce violent deaths per 100,000 by x and eliminate all forms of violence against children

11b. Ensure justice institutions are accessible, independent, well-resourced and respect due-process rights

11c. Stem the external stressors that lead to conflict, including those related to organised crime

11d. Enhance the capacity, professionalism and accountability of the security forces, police and judiciary

12. Create a Global Enabling Environment and Catalyse Long-Term Finance

12a. Support an open, fair and development-friendly trading system, substantially reducing trade-distorting measures, including agricultural subsidies, while improving market access of developing country products

12b. Implement reforms to ensure stability of the global financial system and encourage stable, long-term private foreign investment

12c. Hold the increase in global average temperature below 20 C above pre-industrial levels, in line with international agreements

12d. Developed countries that have not done so to make concrete efforts towards the target of 0.7% of gross national product (GNP) as official development assistance to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20% of GNP of developed countries to least developed countries; other countries should move toward voluntary targets for complementary financial assistance

12e Reduce illicit flows and tax evasion and increase stolen-asset recovery by $x
12f. Promote collaboration on and access to science, technology, innovation, and development data

Annex2: Over  20 pages are given  to provide some substance to each of  the 12 Illustrative goals above.

Annex 3:  It focuses on the challenges of  global targets (while titled Goals, Targets and Indicators: Using a Common Terminology)

The mechanic of creating targets that are pragmatic rather than dogmantic, and address each countries social economic political profile will be daunting. Here  are some excepts from the annex, but it should be read in its entirity.

Targets translate the ambition of goals into practical outcomes. They may be outcomes for people, like access to safe drinking water or justice, or outcomes for countries or communities, like reforestation or the registration of criminal complaints. Targets should always be measurable although some may require further technical work to develop reliable and rigorous indicators…

The target specifies the level of ambition of each country, by determining the speed with which a country pursues a goal. That speed can be a function of many things: the priorities of the country, its initial starting point, the technical and organizational possibilities for improvement, and the level of resources and number of partners that can be brought to bear on the problem.

We believe that a process of allowing countries to set their own targets, in a highly visible way, will create a “race to the top”, both internationally and within countries. Countries and sub-national regions should be applauded for setting ambitious targets and for promising to make large efforts. Likewise, if countries and sub-national regions are too conservative in their target setting, civil society and their peers can challenge them to move faster. Transparency and accountability are central to implementing a goals framework.

In some cases, there may be a case for having a global minimum standard for a target, where the international community commits itself to do everything possible to help a country reach a threshold level. That applies to the eradication of extreme poverty by 2030, for example. This could be extended in several other areas, including ending gender discrimination, education, health, food, water, energy, personal safety, and access to justice…

It is important to be clear that allowing countries to set the speed they want for each target is only one approach to the idea of national targets. The other suggestion considered by the Panel is to have a “menu”, whereby a set of internationally agreed targets are established, and then countries can select the ones most applicable to their particular circumstances. For example, one country might choose to focus on obesity and another on non- communicable disease when thinking about their priorities for health.

In the terminology used in this report, national targets refer only to the national differences in the speed with which targets are to be achieved. As an example, every country should set a target to increase the number of good or decent jobs and livelihoods by x but every country could determine what x should be based upon the specific circumstances of that country or locality. Then these can be aggregated up so that you can compare achievements in job creation across countries and over time…

 panel:

1. His Excellency Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia, Co-Chair
2. Her Excellency Ms. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, Co-Chair
3. The Right Honorable David Cameron,MP,  Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Co-Chair
4. H.M. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
5. Gisela Alonso, Cuba
6. Fulbert Amoussouga Gero, Benin
7. Abhijit Banerjee,India
8. Gunilla Carlsson, Sweden
9. Patricia Espinosa, Mexico
10. Maria Angela Holguin, Colombia
11. Naoto Kan, Japan
12. Tawakkol Karman, Yemen
13. Sung-Hwan Kim, Republic of Korea
14. Horst Köhler, Germany
15. Graça Machel, Mozambique
16. Betty Maina, Kenya
17. Elvira Nabiullina, Russian Federation
18. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria
19. Andris Piebalgs, Latvia
20. Emilia Pires, Timor-Leste
21. John Podesta, United States of America
22. Paul Polman, Netherlands
23. Jean-Michel Severino, France
24. Izabella Teixeira, Brazil
25. Kadir Topbas, Turkey
26. Yingfan Wang, China
27. Amina J. Mohammed, Ex-Officio member of the Panel

A half dozen infographics on WATER

From CNN posted on sekumapter blog -

The only way to understand and appreciate the importance of water to our lives is to look at the data flow. | Illustration by Francesco Franchi

Water, 21st century challenges from suez-environnement.com

 

The threat of a global water shortage By Dan Jones americainfra.com

c Infographic (1 of 2) : 10 Things You Should Know About Water from circleofblue.org

Infographic: 10 Things You Should Know About Water (2 of 2):

Water Way To Go from cargocollective.com

 

$8.1 M in new grants from Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) initiative.

press release

May 21, 2013, SEATTLE –

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced more than US $8.1 million in new grants through its Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) initiative.

GCE is a phased grant program that funds innovative ideas to tackle key global health and development problems, and provides additional resources for projects that demonstrate promise.
Fifty-eight projects from 18 countries will receive $100,000 grants.
These grants allow researchers to begin testing bold global health and development projects that could transform the lives of those most in need. Included in today’s announcement is a group of grantees working to develop “Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers” to find holistic solutions that will boost productivity of smallholder farmers, including:

• Solar-powered Grain Drier:  Vaibhav Tidke of Institute of Chemical Technology in India will work to develop a mobile, solar-powered grain drier that would double the storage life of harvested crops to reduce spoilage and significantly reduce the time women spend working in the fields.
• Multi-crop Thresher: Jodie Wu, D-Lab Scale-Ups Fellow and CEO of Global Cycle Solutions in Tanzania, is working to develop a multi-crop thresher that would enable smallholder farmers to thresh crops in a fast and affordable way, saving hours of manual labor.  The thresher works without electricity and allows smallholder farmers to significantly reduce harvest loss.
• Drip Irrigation Tubes from Recycled Bags: Dr. Joseph Parse of Synovision Solutions in the United States will develop equipment to recycle plastic shopping bags into drip irrigation tubing for smallholder farmers in developing countries.  The design of the manually powered equipment will allow the tubing to be produced in developing countries by relatively low-tech facilities.

“The impressive concepts from around the world that are part of the Grand Challenges Explorations initiative are pushing the envelope when it comes to innovation to tackle ongoing challenges for the poor using approaches ranging from agricultural development to communications for social good,” said Chris Wilson, director of Global Health Discovery &Translational Sciences at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  “We expect this increasing diversity of novel approaches to foster interventions that will save and improve lives.”

In partnership with the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, a second round of grantees will be funded for research focused on the “Aid is Working. Tell the World” topic. The goal of this topic is to identify revolutionary approaches to communications that could motivate the public in wealthy countries of the world to support foreign aid investments. Projects include:

• BeHere-BeThere Project: Christoph Nann of Serviceplan in Germany will test a simple method for raising awareness of development projects in developing countries using location-based network applications such as Foursquare, in collaboration with local retail partners, to connect consumers to projects.
• Mobileizing the Unheard Voices of Aid Recipients: Arjun Venkatraman of Environics Trust in India and colleagues will use an Interactive Voice Response system to collect 10,000 personal narratives of the impact of aid programs in rural India and share them through social media channels.
• Hactivating Development Aid: Charlotte Obidairo and team from Coxswain Social Investment plus in Tunisia will develop a crowdsourcing program that engages young people around the world to learn about global development challenges through first-person narratives, and offer solutions to real-life challenges identified by their peers

Following promising results from initial GCE grants made earlier, four projects were awarded additional funding. These projects take a variety of approaches that could contribute improved health and development including:

• Vaginal Gel to Inhibit Sperm Mobility: David Clapham of Boston Children’s Hospital in the United States will develop and test a nanoparticle contraceptive that releases sperm tail inhibitors that could be incorporated into a vaginal gel as a low-cost contraceptive.
• Acoustical Newborn Diagnosis Tool:  Chakib Tadj of École de Technologie Supérieure in Canada will design a software-based diagnostic tool using acoustical analysis of newborn cries to detect serious medical conditions such as heart defects and infections.
• Heat Stable Vaccines: Fasséli Coulibaly of Monash University in Australia will design a vaccine platform based on protein crystals (MicroCubes) produced by insect viruses to produce new and more potent vaccines with increased heat stability, reducing the need for refrigerated storage.
• Blood Protein Test for Preeclampsia:  Guiying Nie and colleagues of Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research in Australia will test the utility of measuring blood proteins for the early diagnosis of preeclampsia, which is a serious disorder of human pregnancy. Early diagnosis would help guide interventions to avoid premature delivery and associated risks.

A full list [with descriptions] of GCE projects and grant recipients can be found here. [List of 58 without details is provided below] Applications for the next round of Grand Challenges Explorations will be accepted beginning in September 2013. For email updates with the latest grant opportunities for Grand Challenges in Global Health and for Grand Challenges Explorations, sign-up here.

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About Grand Challenges Explorations

is a US$100 million initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Launched in 2008, more than 850 projects in more than 50 countries have received Grand Challenges Explorations grants. The grant program is open to anyone from any discipline and from any organization. The initiative uses an agile, accelerated grant-making process with a two-page online application and no preliminary data required. Initial grants of US$100,000 are awarded two times a year. Successful projects have the opportunity to receive a follow-on grant of up to US$1 million.

About Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation  206-709-3400

media@gatesfoundation.org follow @GatesPress

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List of 58 projects

(for descriptions and more …)

 

A Fortified School Meal Product to Deworm School Children
Primary Investigator:
Elijah Songok, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya – KE
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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A Small Animal Model Of Onchocerciasis
Primary Investigator:
Joseph Turner, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom – GB
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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A Small Animal Model to Validate Onchocerca Macrofilaricides
Primary Investigator:
Warwick Grant, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia – AU
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical

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DiseasesAccurate, Accelerated, and Affordable Kit to predict Preterm Birth and Postpartum Recovery
Primary Investigator:
Ashish Ganguly, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India – IN
Topic: Explore New Solutions in Global Health Priority AreasBeHere-BeThere Project
Primary Investigator:
Christoph Nann, Serviceplan, Hamburg, Germany – DE
Topic: Aid is Working. Tell the World (Part 2)

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Cause Generation: A Platform to Define a Generation’s Cause
Primary Investigator:
Tony Morain, Ogilvy, San Francisco, CA, United States – US
Topic: Aid is Working. Tell the World (Part 2)

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Cheap Yeast-Based Efficient Screens For Antifilarial Drugs
Primary Investigator:
Stephen Oliver, The University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom – GB
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Chimeric Nematode Models for Anthelmintic Discovery
Primary Investigator:
Richard Komuniecki, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Dawadawa Therapy For Intestinal Helminthic Infections
Primary Investigator:
Michael Chan, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China – CN
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Delivery of New Drugs Into Parasitic Nematodes
Primary Investigator:
Stephen Miller, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worchester, MA, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Designing an Agricultural Implement Microfranchise for Women
Primary Investigator:
Patrice Martin, IDEO.org, San Francisco, CA, United States – US
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Evolutionary Learning Laboratory for Labor Saving Innovation
Primary Investigator:
Ockie Bosch, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia – AU
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Farmer-Led 3D Prototyping for New Labor Saving Agri-Tools
Primary Investigator:
Charles Spillane, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland – IE
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Foodborne Disease Treatments
Primary Investigator:
Aaron Maule, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom – GB
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Hactivating Development Aid
Primary Investigator:
Charlotte Obidairo, Coxswain Social Investment plus, Tunis, Tunisia – TN
Topic: Aid is Working. Tell the World (Part 2)

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Hand-Operated Seed Cleaner for Ugandan Women Farmer Groups
Primary Investigator:
Margaret Smith, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States – US
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Hand-Powered Millet Processing Suite Viability
Primary Investigator:
Bert Rivers, Compatible Technology International, St. Paul, MN, United States – US
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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HMKD (humankind)
Primary Investigator:
Eric King, Leo Burnett, Chicago, IL, United States – US
Topic: Aid is Working. Tell the World (Part 2)

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House Parties: Experiential Marketing for Global Aid
Primary Investigator:
Chip Carter, Plan International USA, Washington, DC, United States – US
Topic: Aid is Working. Tell the World (Part 2)

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Improved Lighter and Long-Handle Hoes For Women
Primary Investigator:
Ton Rulkens, Oxfam Solidarité, Brussels, Belgium – BE
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Improving the Livelihood Of Women Smallholder Farmers
Primary Investigator:
Tomás Chiconela, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique – MZ
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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In Vitro Culture of Filariae
Primary Investigator:
Edward Mitre, Uniformed Services University, Rockville, MD, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Increasing Productivity for and by Women Smallholder Farmers
Primary Investigator:
Alice Irene Whittaker-Cumming, African Women Education and Development Forum, Woodbridge, VA, United States – US
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Inhibitors of tRNA-Synthetases as Antimalarials
Primary Investigator:
Ralph Mazitschek, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches for the Interrogation of Anti-malarial Compounds

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Innovative 3D In Vitro Culturing System for Filarial Worms
Primary Investigator:
Sara Lustigman, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Interrogating AntiMalarials Using Optogenetics Technology
Primary Investigator:
Choukri Ben Mamoun, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches for the Interrogation of Anti-malarial Compounds

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Liver-Stage Antimalarials to Drive Sterile Immunity
Primary Investigator:
Kirsten Hanson, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisboa, Portugal – PT
Topic: New Approaches for the Interrogation of Anti-malarial Compounds

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Local Multi-Crop Thresher to Improve Productivity for All
Primary Investigator:
Jodie Wu, GCS Tanzania Limited, Arusha, Tanzania, United Republic of – TZ
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Locally Produced Drip Irrigation Tubing from Recycled Waste
Primary Investigator:
Joseph Parse, Synovision Solutions, LLC, Burke, VA, United States – US
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Locally Produced, Labor Saving Groundnut Sheller Promotion
Primary Investigator:
Setegn Gebeyehu, Oxfam America, Boston, MA, United States – US
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Lymphatic on a Chip as a Model Host for Lymphatic Filariasis Parasites
Primary Investigator:
J. Brandon Dixon, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Malaria Box Target and Mechanism Characterization
Primary Investigator:
Gregory Goldgof, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches for the Interrogation of Anti-malarial Compounds

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Media Trust: Global360
Primary Investigator:
Caroline Diehl, Media Trust, London, United Kingdom – GB
Topic: Aid is Working. Tell the World (Part 2)

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MicroRNA Biomarkers for Parasite Macrofilariae
Primary Investigator:
Paul McVeigh, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom – GB
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Mobilizing the Unheard Voices of Aid Recipients
Primary Investigator:
Arjun Venkatraman, Environics Trust, New Delhi, India – IN
Topic: Aid is Working. Tell the World (Part 2)

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Neobreathe
Primary Investigator:
Avijit Bansal, Windmill Health Technologies, New Delhi, India – IN
Topic: Explore New Solutions in Global Health Priority Areas

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Neurophysiology-Based Platform for Soil-Transmitted Helminth Drug Discovery
Primary Investigator:
Janis Weeks, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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No-Till Rotary Punch Planter For Women
Primary Investigator:
August Basson, KEL Growing Nations Trust, Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho – LS
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Participatory Neglected Tropical Disease Detection and Response System
Primary Investigator:
Bebe Sylla, American Friends of Guinea, Houston, TX, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Pay As You Go Biogas: Labor Saving and Affordable for Women
Primary Investigator:
Kyle Schutter, Schutter Energy Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya – KE
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Piloting Sustainable Mechanisms for Fuel Efficient Stoves
Primary Investigator:
John Gilliland, Vita, Dublin, Ireland – IE
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Profiling Anti-Malarials for Loss of Efficacy in Endemic Regions
Primary Investigator:
Sangeeta Bhatia, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches for the Interrogation of Anti-malarial Compounds

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Programmed Killing of Parasite Eggs by Probiotic Organisms
Primary Investigator:
Tae Seok Moon, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Radio8
Primary Investigator:
Mark Bashore, Digital Kitchen, Seattle, WA, United States – US
Topic: Aid is Working. Tell the World (Part 2)

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Rapid, Low-Cost, Point-of-Care Diagnosis of Loa loa Microfilaremia by Handheld Fluorescence Photodetection
Primary Investigator:
Jason Andrews, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases
Round:

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Reducing Women’s Labor In Parboiled Rice Transformation
Primary Investigator:
Karime Séré, Fundación Intermon Oxfam, Barcelona, Spain – ES
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Rural Mobility and Agro-Products Collection Centers
Primary Investigator:
Richard Seshie, Vivus Ltd., Accra, Ghana – GH
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Single Dose Cocktail Anti-Filarial Therapies Using AmPa
Primary Investigator:
Bryan Bellaire, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Smart Cities: An Interactive Multi-Media and Mapping Platform
Primary Investigator:
Jamie Lundine, Spatial Collective, Nairobi, Kenya – KE
Topic: Aid is Working. Tell the World (Part 2)

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Solar Grain Dryer
Primary Investigator:
Vaibhav Tidke, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India – IN
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Supporting Uptake of Time and Energy-Saving Technologies
Primary Investigator:
Michelle Winthrop, Farm Africa (Food & Agricultural Research Management), London, United Kingdom – GB
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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TB Nanodots: Transdermal Controlled Release of TB Drugs
Primary Investigator:
Rohit Srivastava, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Mumbai, India – IN
Topic: Explore New Solutions in Global Health Priority Areas

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The Development of Periphyton Biofilm Fertilizer
Primary Investigator:
Yonghong Wu, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China – CN
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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The Hand-Pulled Small Seeds Planter
Primary Investigator:
Alfred Alumai, Muni University, Arua, Uganda – UG
Topic: Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers

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Turning the Worm Against its Symbiont
Primary Investigator:
Denis Voronin, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom – GB
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Ultra-Low-Cost Loa Loa Paper Diagnostic Device
Primary Investigator:
Andrew Steckl, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States – US
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases

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Virosomes Producing Virus-Like Particles in situ for Dengue Prophylaxis
Primary Investigator:
Vishwas Joshi, Seagull BioSolutions, Pune, India – IN
Topic: Explore New Solutions in Global Health Priority Areas

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Widespread Monitoring of Soil-Transmitted Helminths
Primary Investigator:
Stephen Sowerby, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand – NZ
Topic: New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases