Improving environmental sanitation : a case study in Northern Cambodia | |
| Author | Sreymom Um |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-13-28 |
| Subject(s) | Cambodia--Environmental aspects Sanitation--Environmental aspects |
| 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 study aimed at improvement of environmental sanitation which composed of good hygiene practices, provision of adequate and safe water supply, and safeguards of solid waste and waste water management. The specific objectives were to assess existing situation and management practices regarding drinking water facilities and hygiene practices to investigate solid waste, and wastewater management practices in urban and rural settlements of Kratie and Stung Treng provinces, and to propose appropriate approaches to ensure environmental sanitation issues. A social survey, interviews, field observations and laboratory testing were carried out to assess the present environmental sanitation status and identify the existing environmental sanitation issues. It was found that hygiene practice and sanitation were at very poor states in rural areas, Kampong Krabei and Veun Sean. Even in Kratie town only approximately 8% of respondents always wash hands before eating, while nobody in the villages practicedit. Washing always with soap after defecation was found only in 6% of cases in the villages. Lack of basic sanitation facilities was found high in the villages in 66 to 79%of respondents‘ cases. More critically open defecation was practiced less than 30m from households at about 75% of cases in Veun Sean. Water quality testing results in Kratie city showed that the Residual Chlorine level at the drinking water distribution end was lower than the WHO guideline. In the villages, all of respondents were found to be using unsafe water sources including Mekong River water, and unprotected dug wells. Moreover, there were around 37% of villagers who did not practice any point-of-use water treatment. Limitations of solid waste service (10% coverage) and sewer system (5% coverage), inappropriate state of solid waste disposal and wastewater discharge were found to exist in Kratie city due to people‘s acceptance, and business financial constraints. Total Phosphorus and Nitrogen analyses showed that Kratie city contributed to pollution of Mekong River, particularly in the wet season. The study recommends the provision of 142 individual or 28 shared pour-flush ventilated improved toilets. Technical suggestions on upgrading of unprotected to protected dug wells and filter usage are put forward. Awareness program on good hygiene practice including hand washing, toilet using, etc is proposed to be carried out through diligent and long term activities: school programs, poster and media campaigns at the village level and small group discussions, while communicating risks of poor hygiene and merits of proper sanitation. Awareness programs of the kind arelong term process so that implementing programs havetobe continuouslyconducteduntil evaluation of behavioralchange confirms the tangible achievements. To improve solid waste management the study proposes new institutional arrangements to improve the proper disposal of waste incorporating the households, waste collector and the local government. To improve waste water management the study proposes to expand the coverage of existing sewer system, semi-centralized wastewater treatment and to introduce potential reuse of wastewater for agriculture. |
| Year | 2013 |
| 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) | Shipin, Oleg |
| Examination Committee(s) | Chettiyappan Visvanathan ; Ebbers, Theo |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Great Mekong Subregion (GMS) Scholarship |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2013 |