MIDDLE EAST CENTER FOR THE TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY (MECTAT)

Mr. Boghos Ghougassian- Coordinator

Middle East Center for the Transfer of Appropriate Technology (MECTAT)
P.O.Box: 113-5474, Beirut- Lebanon
Tel. : 961-1-341323 - Fax : 961-1-346465
E-Mail : boghos@mectat.com.lb

1. Context and Stakes:

One of the major challenges that the Arab World is facing is the unbalance between the water resources available and the demand for water. This issue is becoming more critical because of the increase in the rate of use of water in houses, in industry and in agriculture. In addition, the developmental plans of the region do not take into consideration the limitation of the water resources. It is important to note that the Arab region is subject to consecutive cycles of desertification.

Therefore, there is an urgent need in the region for the adoption of integrated strategies that emphasize proper consumption of water as related to the availability of resources, as well as the need for raising the awareness of the community and promoting appropriate technologies that help achieve these results.

2. Objectives of the Action:

To promote low cost appropriate technologies in the field of water management, in order to achieve a balance between use of water and availability of resources.

It was planned to raise the awareness of local actors in water and sanitation issues and provide technical advise for solving these issues in the rural areas. Main emphasis being on self- help measures, which are low cost and maintainable at local level.

It was also planned to conduct training sessions for the transfer of know-how on the waterless/odorless latrine with the aim of maximizing the domestic water resources. Because in conventional latrines 40% of freshwater is utilized for flushing of toilet wastes.

3. Description of the Action:

3.1- Sum up:

Promotion of the following technologies:

- Sanitary latrines that are waterless, odorless and fly free. (Main area of concentration)

- Wells construction with hands tools

- Ferrocement water storage tanks

Through:

- Do-It-Yourself booklets

- Audio-visual

- Practical training with the participation of beneficiaries

With the financial contribution of the following agencies:

- UNICEF

- Ministry of Rural and Social Affairs and with technical expertise and advisory services of MECTAT.

3.2- Dates:

- Publications started in 1985 and continues till now

- Training workshops in Syria and elsewhere: 1984-1995

- Production and distribution of relevant materials continues

3.3- Responsibilities:

- UNICEF: Sponsorship

- Ministry : Organization

- MECTAT: Transfer of technical know-how

4. Results:

- Training of teachers, engineers, handicraftsmen in 5 provinces of Syria particularly on the techniques for building waterless/odorless sanitary latrines.

- Installation of pilot sanitary latrines in rural areas of Syria and Lebanon.

- Distribution of booklets all over the Arab countries (1985 to present)

4.1- Strong points of the experience:

- The officials found the waterless latrines as an appropriate tool for maximizing the sanitation in the rural areas and agreed to install these at rural schools, because, the region has scarcity of water and there

exists a severe need for the latrines in the rural areas.

- Householders seeing the advantage of this technology, they replicated it at their houses. They needed it and after finding it practical and beneficial, adopted it and built sanitary latrines at their premises.

4.2- Lessons learned:

The main lessons learned is that, whenever there exists the need, people are eager to replicate it, provided that pilot models are shown to them or participation in a training workshop is ensured. The low cost and the need for the application of the technology, in this case odorless/waterless latrine, brought wide scale acceptance.

The weak points are that there does not exist government programmes that guaranty the continuity of the training work started.

5- Impacts:

At MECTAT we are unable to assess the real impacts. Because, we can not supervise the follow-up actions in the region. Our limited resources allow us just to disseminate the technical know-how and conduct training workshops. Keeping direct contacts with the target groups is too costly for us. However, from various corners of the Arab World we receive communications, revealing that after they have read our publications, they have successfully constructed sanitary latrines and other environmentally sound techniques that MECTAT promotes.