‘Top-down’ planning for scalable sustainable sanitation in high-density low-income urban areas: is it more appropriate than ‘bottom-up’ planning?

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan Mara
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Density ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Sanitation Systems

Abstract We argue that, if the sanitation target of the Sustainable Development Goals (universal access to ‘safely-managed’ sanitation by 2030) is to have any chance of success, then a community-sensitive top-down planning approach has to be adopted for sanitation provision in high-density low-income urban areas in developing countries, as ‘bottom-up’ planning is much more time-consuming and not yet successfully proven at scale. In high-density low-income urban areas, there is only a limited choice for safely-managed sanitation: (i) simplified/condominial sewerage (which becomes cheaper than on-site sanitation systems at the relatively low population densities of 160–200 people per ha), (ii) low-cost combined sewerage (if it is cheaper than separate simplified sewerage and stormwater drainage), (iii) community-managed sanitation blocks, and (iv) container-based sanitation (the last two of which are suitable, especially in slums, when neither simplified sewerage nor low-cost combined sewerage is affordable or technically feasible). These four sustainable sanitation options are as scalable in developing countries as conventional sewerage has been in industrialized countries.

scholarly journals The Raspberry Pi as a Computer Substitute at Elementary Schools in Developing Countries: A Pilot Experiment in Ecuador

2018 ◽  
Vol 210 ◽  
pp. 04023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Nuñez-Unda ◽  
Angelo Vera ◽  
Lidice Haz ◽  
Viviana Pinos ◽  
Roberto Zurita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Pilot Experiment ◽  
Countries In Transition ◽  
The Government ◽  
Technology And Communication

One of the main challenges of developing countries is to shorten the digital divide that exists with developed countries and countries in transition. The government of Ecuador through its National Plan for Technologies and Telecommunications (Plan Nacional de Telecomunicaciones y Tecnologías), has as a goal to give universal access to Technologies of Information and Communication (TICs) to its entire citizens. One of its projects is to assure connectivity and infrastructure in schools. This paper proposes a low-cost open source solution to improve the access to information technology and communication through computers to children of schools in low income areas. The proposed alternative was set out to using the Raspberry Pi 3 s a substitute of standard computer. Its performance and capabilities were put to test comparing them to standard PC main functions. the pilot experiment was implemented at the "Ciudad de Ariel" elementary school, located on Durán, Ecuador.

Ecosan Can Provide Sustainable Sanitation in Emergency Situations with Benefits for the Millennium Development Goals

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
E. v. Münch ◽  
G. Amy ◽  
J. F. Fesselet
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Millennium Development Goals ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Value Analysis ◽  
Emergency Situations ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sanitation Systems

This paper describes the potential of ecological sanitation (ecosan) to provide sustainable excreta disposal in emergency situations and in peri-urban areas or slums in developing countries. At the present time, pit latrines are the most common form of excreta disposal both for emergency situations and in low-income peri-urban areas or slums. Although not intended to be a long-term solution, pit latrines provided during emergencies are often used for a long time (more than six months to years). This practice is not sustainable if the area is prone to flooding or there are soil conditions that allow groundwater pollution in areas where groundwater is used for drinking water, to name but two of the main factors. We propose eight criteria for the applicability of ecosan based on analysis of three case studies representing different types of emergency situations. The two most important criteria are awareness and expertise in ecosan within the aid agencies, and availability of standardised, lightweight toilet units that are quick to assemble and easy to transport (e.g. container for faeces, and urine diversion squatting pan made of impact-resistant molded polypropylene). Such toilets could be moved to, or replicated in, other areas in need after the emergency (peri-urban areas or slums). This would provide benefits for Millennium Development Goals achievements (targets on hunger, child mortality, sanitation and slum dwellers) at lower cost than conventional sanitation systems. Costs for sanitation systems should be compared based on the entire system (toilet, transport, treatment, reuse in agriculture), using Net Present Value analysis for capital, and operating and maintenance costs.

scholarly journals Multiscale additive manufacturing of polymers using 3D photo-printable self-assembling ionic liquid monomers

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 580-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bineh G. Ndefru ◽  
Bryan S. Ringstrand ◽  
Sokhna I.-Y. Diouf ◽  
Sönke Seifert ◽  
Juan H. Leal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Liquid ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Low Resolution ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Cost Approach ◽  
Self Assembling ◽  
Nanoscale Features

Combining bottom-up self-assembly with top-down 3D photoprinting affords a low cost approach for the introduction of nanoscale features into a build with low resolution features.

scholarly journals Multidisciplinary Approach to Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Review

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 615-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomás Reinert ◽  
Susana Ramalho ◽  
Rodrigo Gonçalves ◽  
Carlos Barrios ◽  
Marcia Graudenz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Locally Advanced Breast Cancer ◽  
Locally Advanced ◽  
Breast Cancers ◽  
Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy

AbstractBreast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. Hormone receptor-positive (HR+) tumors represent the most common form of this disease, with more than 70% of breast cancers expressing these receptors. Response and benefit to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) varies according to HR expression, with lower responses in luminal tumors as compared with hormone receptor-negative (HR-) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) tumors. Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) is an option for selected patients with HR+ locally advanced breast cancer. Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy has a favorable toxicity profile, and is associated with benefits such as having low cost and being more easily available even for cancer care professionals outside major urban areas or tertiary centers. These factors are particularly relevant, as 70% of breast cancer deaths occur in women from low-income and middle-income countries. Additionally, NET is being increasingly explored, not simply to allow for less extensive surgery, but also as a scientific tool, with the use of biomarkers to predict outcomes in adjuvant trials and for the individual patient. This review details the current and most relevant evidence about NET for breast cancer as well as the future directions of this field.

scholarly journals On Transforming Unused Urban Spaces to Social Housing for Self-Employed People in Ho Chi Minh City: An Architectural Space Design Proposal

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12175
Author(s):  
Le-Minh Ngo ◽  
Hai-Binh Nguyen ◽  
Thi-Phuong Uyen Nguyen ◽  
Thi-Minh Dieu Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Urban Spaces ◽  
Ho Chi Minh City ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Property Market

As with many metropolitan areas, social housing (SH) provision, which can improve living standards and social welfare, is crucial for urban socio-economic development strategies in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). However, there have been issues relating to promoting social housing in the Vietnamese context resulting from the property market and the design. The former is a failure to attract investors. The latter relates to lacking housing models for the mid- and low-income communities. Currently, many low-income families who have low access to the general job market in HCMC have to make a living by running their own business at home. This situation leads to low-income housing establishments in some residential areas. Thus, the planning approach in social housing needs to solve both the demand for low-cost housing and promoting self-employed activities. In this paper, mixed methods, including observation, questionnaires, interviews, data aggregation, and comparison, were conducted with supporting legal conditions and corresponding operating conditions to propose appropriate designs for the SH for self-employed people in HCMC. First, observing and analyzing urban spaces helped identify the unused urban areas that solve the investment issue. Then, after studying the development of social housing in different contexts via the questionnaire and in-depth interviews, self-employed households’ basic information and their business needs in using SH spaces were identified in some districts. Then, based on the legal framework and practical projects, optimal space designs were formed.

Technology Issues and the New ICTs

Leonardo ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Verzola
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Public Ownership ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Cost Information ◽  
Compulsory Licensing ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
Ict Infrastructure

The author provides examples of low-cost information and communications technologies (ICTs) and suggests five major strategies for their low-cost deployment in developing countries: (1) appropriate technology, (2) free/open software, (3) compulsory licensing, (4) pay-per-use public stations and (5) community/public ownership of ICT infrastructure. Aside from the problems of affordability and universal access, the author identifies the Internet's built-in biases for (1) English, (2) subsidizing globalization, (3) automation and (4) the technofix, and explores the implications of these biases. The challenge is not only to design affordable and accessible technologies or to redesign technologies to be consistent with our deeply held values, but also to make ourselves less technology dependent.

SKEWED PEDIATRIC PRIORITIES

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 388-388
Author(s):  
D. Morley
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Low Cost

Although three quarters of the population in most developing countries live in rural areas, three quarters of the spending on medical care is in urban areas, where three quarters of the doctors live. Three quarters of the deaths are caused by conditions that can be prevented at low cost, but three quarters of the medical budget is spent on curative services, many of them provided for the elite at high cost.

scholarly journals Fe0/H2O Filtration Systems for Decentralized Safe Drinking Water: Where to from Here?

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Nanseu-Njiki ◽  
Willis Gwenzi ◽  
Martin Pengou ◽  
Mohammad Rahman ◽  
Chicgoua Noubactep
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Iron Corrosion ◽  
Small Communities

Inadequate access to safe drinking water is one of the most pervasive problems currently afflicting the developing world. Scientists and engineers are called to present affordable but efficient solutions, particularly applicable to small communities. Filtration systems based on metallic iron (Fe0) are discussed in the literature as one such viable solution, whether as a stand-alone system or as a complement to slow sand filters (SSFs). Fe0 filters can also be improved by incorporating biochar to form Fe0-biochar filtration systems with potentially higher contaminant removal efficiencies than those based on Fe0 or biochar alone. These three low-cost and chemical-free systems (Fe0, biochar, SSFs) have the potential to provide universal access to safe drinking water. However, a well-structured systematic research is needed to design robust and efficient water treatment systems based on these affordable filter materials. This communication highlights the technology being developed to use Fe0-based systems for decentralized safe drinking water provision. Future research directions for the design of the next generation Fe0-based systems are highlighted. It is shown that Fe0 enhances the efficiency of SSFs, while biochar has the potential to alleviate the loss of porosity and uncertainties arising from the non-linear kinetics of iron corrosion. Fe0-based systems are an affordable and applicable technology for small communities in low-income countries, which could contribute to attaining self-reliance in clean water supply and universal public health.

scholarly journals Trans-Disciplinary Responses to Climate Change: Lessons from Rice-Based Systems in Asia

Climate ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Hellin ◽  
Jean Balié ◽  
Eleanor Fisher ◽  
Ajay Kohli ◽  
Melanie Connor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Paris Climate Agreement

Climate change will continue to have a largely detrimental impact on the agricultural sector worldwide because of predicted rising temperatures, variable rainfall, and an increase in extreme weather events. Reduced crop yields will lead to higher food prices and increased hardship for low income populations, especially in urban areas. Action on climate change is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 13) and is linked to the Paris Climate Agreement. The research challenge posed by climate change is so complex that a trans-disciplinary response is required, one that brings together researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers in networks where the lines between “research” and “development” become deliberately blurred. Fostering such networks will require researchers, throughout the world, not only to work across disciplines but also to pursue new South–North and South–South partnerships incorporating policy-makers and practitioners. We use our diverse research experiences to describe the emergence of such networks, such as the Direct Seeded Rice Consortium (DSRC) in South and Southeast Asia, and to identify lessons on how to facilitate and strengthen the development of trans-disciplinary responses to climate change.

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