5.4 Waste Treatment

5.4 Waste Treatment

By: Chenshuo Li

For waste management, an anaerobic digester will be placed near the rear of the animal pens for blackwater, animal waste, and organic solid waste to turn into energy and fuel, and fertilizer (Tilley et al.2014). The biogas reactor can produce biogas that replaces conventional energy sources, reducing reliance on fossil fuel and firewood. And the biogas slurry produced by the reactor can substitute chemical fertilizer for the crop yield, where the human excreta cannot be directly used as fertilizer while reducing N2O emissions.

Figure 51 Anaerobic Digestion Generators Schematic

Tilley et al. (2014).

Biogas is a combination of methane, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases, which could be transformed into light, heat, or electricity (MES et al. 2003). The Small-scale biogas reactor is usually designed to produce biogas at the household or community level in rural areas, which is suitable waste management for the Women House in Baghere. The biogas reactor only required a small land space and no electrical energy consumption for the entire mechanism. It combined waste treatment of animal, human and solid organic waste from the kitchen or the garden. Besides, the biogas reactor can be constructed with low capital cost and maintained with low operating costs with materials that can be found at local (Tilley et al. 2014).

5.4 Programme of Works

By: Chenshuo Li

The objective of the landscape design of the women’s house is to provide the ability to learn new skills and knowledge based on agriculture as both a social and economic resource. In addition, knowledge of greywater management and waste management will be introduced to the community. The Landscape Design Plan is shown in the figure below.

To achieve this, the design incorporates a demonstration farm at the rear of the plot, to provide a sustainable source of nutritious vegetables; the purpose of the farm is to equip women with the skills of food production, nutrition, whilst providing a source of income through marketing the crops. The vegetations can be traded as commodities locally while providing stable revenues to cover the cost of running the women house, such as building maintenance. Surrounding sections of the building envelope are garden beds where the women can plant trees to act as a cooling and shading device once grown.

Furthermore, a rainwater cistern system will be placed at the middle of the animal pens situated at the rear of the plot, where rainwater will be harvested from the pen roofs to provide a sustainable source of water for the demonstration farm and live animals, allowing the water sourced from the Women’s House to solely be for the use of the community. Finally, a biogas reactor will be placed near the rear of the animal pens for blackwater, animal waste, and organic solid waste to turn into the digested slurry that can be utilized as a rich fertilizer for crop yields and biogas that can be utilized for energy for cooking.