FSDS - Humanitarian Deployment
FSDS has assisted
already in relieving the potential suffering of many thousands
of displaced persons in times of crises. FSDS's
humanitarian deployment applications include, but are not
limited to:
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Displaced person camps
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UN and NGO Agency operational support
accommodation |
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Schools |
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Villages |
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Emergency hospitals |
Detailed below are just two examples of the deployment
of FSDS in support of humanitarian
aid projects.
Firstly, through the generosity and prompt action of
the Tasmanian State Government, ninety, 300 person FSDS
systems were flown to the Tsunami devastated area of Bande
Aceh - where consultants worked with OXFAM to install
the systems and at the same time provide OXFAM personnel
with a familiarisation of the systems' ease of installation
and capabilities in difficuly or remote locations.
Bande
Aceh - Ujung Lancang - Displaced Persons Camp - March
2005
Prior to the Tsunami, Ujung Lancang was a successful
fishing
community. When the Tsunami struck most of the men were
at sea (550 men) and were unaware of the devastation
it had caused until their return. Fifteen (15) women
and children survived.
The first phase of the familiarisation training is
to assemble each system
chamber. This is done in a convenient location close
to where the system is to be installed. The assembly
process takes between 2 to 3 minutes for each chamber.The
assembled system is then placed into position to enable
a final check to be made to ensure that appropriate
levels will be achieved to ensure correct wastewater
flows from the toilets, through the chambers and into
the absorption trench. 
The
selection of an appropriate absorption trench will depend
on the soil types and ground conditions on-site together
with the expected numbers of persons that will be using
the sanitation facilities. A number of Australian Standard
absorption trench design options were also covered in
the familiarisation training. No special equipment is
required for system installation
other than a shovel and willing locals who were keen
to help in the construction of their sanitation facilities.
The flexible nature of the system's
chamber configuration allows for installation
into very restricted spaces. In this case a number of
chambers were installed between the existing squat latrines
and unsuitable concrete sewage collection chambers.
During the excavation a root ball from a dead coconut
palm was discovered between the 2nd and 3rd chambers.
This
caused only a minor delay with a small horizontal tunnel
being provided through the use of a crow bar to allow
the correct positioning of the FSDS
chamber connecting drain.Maximum use is made of locally
available materials such as sand and gravel for the
absorption trench, recycled timber to protect the chamber
tops and the use of banana leaves to act like
geotextile fabric to prevent the fine sand particles
used as back fill infiltrating down into the absorption
trench gravel.
In a short time, the FSDS installation at Ujung Lancang
proved a significant success in assisting to improve
basic hygiene and sanitation for the people of the disrupted
camp. Andy Bastable, Public Health Engineering Coordinator
with Oxfam
GB, noted in a letter of thanks to the Premier of
Tasmania:
As part of the Tsunami response
Oxfam was donated 50 complete units. These were rapidly
installed and have made a significant difference to
the speed and efficiency of ensuring good excreta
disposal at disrupted camps. They have been particularly
useful in high water table areas where we would have
had to desludge the old latrines every 3 weeks but
since these systems were installed we have not had
to desludge it for the past two months.
Makonge School - Kampala on the shores
of Lake Victoria in Uganda
Humanitarian aid operations require prompt and effective
deployments into areas that usually have no safe sanitation
systems.A
tragic cholera epidemic early in 1998 claimed the lives
of 127 children at Makonge School near Kiyindi 80 km east
of Kampala on the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. The
photo below shows some of the children from Makonge School.
The probable source of the cholera epidemic
was identified as the 4 pit latrines that were subject to
periodic flooding.
International Needs Australia assisted International
Needs Uganda to replace the filthy pit
latrines with a flushing toilet system suitable for up to
1000 students and staff.
Photo right shows Makonge School children
helping construct one of a number of absorption trench options
using local materials.The Makonge School project provided
a working example of what can be achieved in remote undeveloped
areas. Other projects were identified within the Makonge
District for schools, community health centres and individual
houses.
The FSDS system's
simple yet effective design allows installation using unskilled
local labour without the need for specialised equipment.
