D-Lab China 2010Intro to Village Life & Projects

Scot Frank

Awuju VillageOne of the three poorest villages in the Jinyuan Township

Main Problems: fuel shortages, dermatological scarring & diarrhea, lack of accessible medical care, animal roaming disputes between neighbors.

Xiakeba Village

Main Problems: fuel shortages, injuries during wood collection, lack of toilets with proper evacuation doors, lack of running water in half the village, childhood diarrhea and stomachaches, arthritis.

Common Themes

• Fuel collection, fertilizer, lung pain, and climate change

Root Cause: fuel

• Diarrhea, stomach pain, water collection, non-functional latrines, and community disputes over animals

Root Cause: sanitation infrastructure

12 May 2009 One Earth Designs 5

Biogas

Solar

Coal

Crop Residues

Wood

• Deprives animals of food• Fertilizer• Also highly polluting

• Scarce• Deforestation• Highly polluting

• 900 W/m2: W. China (670; 1100)• 105 W/m2: Scotland (10; 200)

• Longer, cleaner burning• Expensive• Inaccessible• Metals pollution

• Temperature!!!

Wood & Dung• Time• Education• Income• Migrant Labor

• Most accessible fuel• Most polluting fuel• Pathogen transmission• Fertilizer/Income

Dung

Fuel ChoicesFuel Options

Fuel

Global Biomass Fuel Use

2.5 Billion PeopleMost polluting fuels known pollutants/energy extracted

Known Health Impacts

• LRI

– 1.6 million

• Diarrhea

– 2.2 million

• Climate Change

Stove Options

Open Fire

Traditional MudImproved Mud

Improved Metal

Solar Cookers

Portability Use Heating

Heating ModulesHousehold Heating

Mobile Personal Heating

What We’ve Done So Far• Emissions

Testing

• Water testing

• Fuel Use Surveys

• Education study

Goals for January

• Implement new fuel use survey

• Ethnographic studies of textiles, activities

• Test and modify solar cooker designs

• Document household ventilation systems

• In-situ emissions testing

• Heating system design (passive or textile)

Sanitation

Scope

• Water scarcity and contamination

• Animal husbandry practices

• Latrine scarcity and design

• Bare-handed dung collection

What We’ve Done So Far

• Epidemiological surveys

• Analysis of water sources

• ICPMS and nested PCR (cryptosporidium) on water samples

Goals for January• Examine women’s hands as an exposure pathway

• Improve and implement new water sampling protocols / education materials

• Assess local materials for construction of low-tech water filters

• Additional bacterial analysis

• Document piping materials used in running water projects

• Document fertilizers, pesticides, and rat poisons used in villages

• Collect soil samples near springs and sediment samples from water sources for geological analysis to determine natural metal content

• Qualitative analysis of percent contribution of various species to fecal content of water sources

• Examination of latrine designs and proposal of new methods

• Organization support– Computer training (Excel, Word)– Web design

• Data collection with sensors / phone – Air– Water

• Children’s books• Manufacture / supply chain / marketing• Workshops

Additional Projects