BUILDING RESILIENCE – THE BIG NECESSITY

Community built, off-grid green sanitation, where waste is turned into a resource. In coherence with both culture and environment.

Long Description

In Fiji, climate change is affecting the rural communities. Villages are faced with a growing health concerns connected to the depletion of their resources; lack of fresh water, polluted coastal areas and rising sea levels. Innovative design can change this. By combining the community skills of their resources and environment, we jointly developed a prototype for composting human waste. Minimising the spread of diseases, pollution to nearby waterways and reefs.

The project objectives are:

• to directly improve communities in the Fiji islands through improved safe sanitation, minimising the spread of diseases and improving living conditions
• To introduce self-building strategies, where the development is carried out by the community themselves, strengthening the agency for the indigenous population.
• To demonstrate green technology appropriate to indigenous values and customs.  

The compost toilet decompose human waste in sealed chambers, as the waste never enters the water cycle, no pollution of freshwater sources, streams and reefs will take place. Saving both water and the environment.

The construction is durable and low-tech, and will reduce the risk for diseases spreading overtime. The project will provide a nutrient-rich compost for vegetable gardens, contribute to land rehabilitation and decrease the need for artificial fertilisers. It will also use local materials and techniques, retaining traditional knowledge and decrease the need for costly investments.

This design has been developed in cohesion with the community, to find new innovative solutions based on local practices and resources available, with aim for self-reliance at its core.