EcoPro projects soil, water & the cycle of nutrients

Transcription

1 EcoPro projects soil, water & the cycle of nutrients Feb. 24 th, 2017 Auroville, The Bridge Dr. Lucas Dengel Executive EcoPro, Auroville

2 Contents: (1) EcoPro the team (2) EcoPro field of work & premises (3) EM practices (4) Ecosan & farming (5) Organic farming & biochar (6) Nutrition, sanitation, farming (7) Municipal solid waste management (SWM) & roadside drainage, sanitation & sewerage, wastewater treatment, water resource management & farming (8) Education

3 (1) In Feb. 2018, the EcoPro team consists of eleven co-workers including Aurovilians (3) and employees (8), plus two longterm volunteers/ interns. Master & bachelor degrees & diplomas in agriculture, botany, business administration, ecology & environmental sciences, electronics & communication engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, medicine, and microbiology. Team members are encouraged & delegated to attend & actively participate in seminars and workshops.

4 (2) EcoPro conducts projects in environmental health and public hygiene, primarily focused on soil and water, referring to the management of wastewater, solid waste, biowaste, and human excreta. Based on the following understanding: Two challenges of human excreta management in conflict; Human feces potentially carry pathogens, urine does not (not in our part of the world resp. is irrelevant); Coliform and E. coli are bad indicators of pathogens; Drinking water safety standards are set irrationally high; Difference between water ecosystems and soil ecosystems. Conclusions for implementation & practices: Make optimum reuse of wastewater (with high contents of nutrients high BOD) and of human urine (nutrient-rich) in soils, on crops, in forest.

5 (3) EM practices work with Effective Microorganisms Dealership of Maple EM products and promotion of EM practice requires basic understanding in application fields: Agriculture, animal care, aquaculture, biowaste processing & management of solid waste, sewage &effluent treatment, sanitation & hygiene management, bioremediation of soil, sludge, waste and water bodies.

6 (3) EM practices work with Effective Microorganisms EM practices require basic understanding in application fields: Agriculture, animal care, aquaculture, biowaste processing & management of solid waste, sewage & effluent treatment, sanitation & hygiene management, bioremediation of soil, sludge, waste and water bodies.

7 (4) Ecosan & farming From 2011 onwards 54 urine-diversion-dry toilets (UDDTs) built at household level in Tindivanam-Boodheri; user education and monitoring for optimum use being continued.

8 (4) Ecosan & farming From 2011 onwards 54 UDDTs built in Boodheri. Field trial and demo with paddy farmer in 2015/16: in comparison to synthetic fertilizer-treated field, 6% less yield but 60% reduced input expenses on urine-fertilized field.

9 (4) Ecosan & farming From 2011 on 54 UDDTs built in Boodheri. Since 2017, community-led total sanitation scheme (CLTS).

10 (5) Organic farming & biochar 2014 to 2017, education & guidance of farmers in Puducherry and Villupuram Dt. in Biodynamic farming, funded by Demeter International.

11 (5) Organic farming & biochar Since 2012 i.e. after cyclone Thane in Dec. 2011, construction of several models of charcoal kilns; production of biochar & terra preta (TP) i.e. biochar-based compost for farm use. Demonstration plots & field trials on Annapurna Farm, to compare BD practices, EM practices, TP, and combinations of TP with BD and TP with EM.

12 (6) Nutrition, sanitation, farming From Oct onwards, in Scheduled Tribals hamlets in the Kalvarayan Hills, Villupuram Dt., providing supplementary nutrition for school children, guiding in organic farming, promotion of UDDTs.

13 (7) Municipal solid waste management (SWM) Guidance in waste segregation and biowaste composting. From 2013 to 2015 in Karaikal, public awareness campaign in several wards, composting of biowaste.

14 (7) Municipal solid waste management (SWM) & roadside drainage, sanitation & sewerage, wastewater treatment, water resource management & farming From Sept on, supported by Ramco Textile Group: Collaboration with Rajapalayam Municipality; guiding Ramco textile mills in SWM; teaching SWM in Ramcosupported schools & colleges.

15 (7) Municipal solid waste management (SWM) & roadside drainage, sanitation & sewerage, wastewater treatment, water resource management & farming From Sept on, supported by Ramco Textile Group. Now looking at urban plan of under-ground sewerage and wastewater treatment & reuse; Indo- European program coordinated by TERI, Delhi, & TU Munich in preparation.

16 (8) Education E.g. in Vadamanapakkam, a village in Thiruvannamalai Dt. requested and supported by Indian students at UCLA. Contaminated water source identified; education of residents and school students initiated.

17 (8) Education In particular in one school in Chennai: teaching subjects of environmental science, developing a school farm & designing on-farm programs for students, mentoring of teachers, organising exposure visits to Auroville. School farm practices composting, vermicomposting, production of biochar and terra preta, preparation of plant extracts & panchakavya, sowing, weeding, harvesting, ploughing. Is growing vegetables and local varieties of paddy & millets. School farm in Chennai: Transplanting paddy (SRI), Bee-keeping demo, 2013

18 (8) Education Interaction with IFOAM, GIZ, Sustainable Sanitation Alliance, offices of Ministry of Municipal Administration & Water Supply on sanitation (Swachh Bharat Mission) and water resource management. In Sept invited to ISOFAR symposium in Korea to speak on the integration of sanitation into organic farming.

19 Thank you. Lucas, for EcoPro ecoproauroville