Strategies for sanitation systems to mitigate GHG emissions in Lao PDR | |
| Author | Jacob, Paul |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-12-15 |
| Subject(s) | Sanitation--Laos Greenhouse gas mitigation--Laos |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Environmental Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The current study used material flow analysis (MFA) and Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) wastewater model equations to calculate the green house gases (GHG) emissions from onsite sanitation system in Lao PDR. Thus a case study was made in Ban Xok Noy a village near Vientiane to assess the same. In this study carbon and nitrogen were assessed to find the methane and nitrous oxide emissions from the onsite sanitation systems. Using material flow analysis it was found that the major input source of carbon was food with 686.1 ton C/yr entering the house and nitrogen with 28.1 ton N/yr. which was entering the system as fertilizer. But the system output showed that the major share of the total assessed nitrogen exiting (44%) the system was as effluent from the sanitation system and 36 % of the total assessed carbon was exiting the MFA system as agricultural produce. The onsite sanitation system of the community consisted of 58% as cesspool and 42 % as septic tank. This in turn produced a total GHG emission of 01.51 ton CH₄/yr. as methane and 0.02 ton N₂O/yr. as nitrous oxide. Three scenarios namely ”Business as usual”, ”All septic tank”, ”All biogas latrine” were developed, assessed for their GHG emissions and emissions were simulated for twenty years using a growth population of 2.14% with a standard deviation 0.53. It was found that if the community changed their sanitation system to septic tank, methane emissions were 4.248 ton CH₄/yr. which was not a good option in terms of methane emissions compared to the other two scenarios. Biogas latrine showed a maximum simulated emission of 6.64 ton CH₄/yr but this methane can be recovered and can be used for energy purposes. Thus concluding the study that the best practice to reduce GHG emissions in onsite sanitation system would be by using biogas latrine for all households. |
| Year | 2012 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering and Management (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Thammarat Koottatep; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Visvanathan, C.;Preeda Pakpian; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2012 |