scholarly journals Time and motion assessment of pit-emptying operations in Kigali, Rwanda

Author(s):  
Bruce Rutayisire ◽  
Dennis Wolter ◽  
Nicholas Kuria ◽  
Rachel Sklar

Abstract To ensure sanitation for all by 2030, fecal sludge collection services in low-income urban areas with no sewer connections need improvement. One of the major issues is the gap between low-income household's willingness to pay and the cost of emptying services in low-income areas. One way of lowering the cost of these services is through process optimization. In this regard, we conducted a time and motion study to better understand the bottlenecks associated with the collection of fecal waste from different types of on-site sanitation facilities. Our results show that emptying pit latrines, which make up 53% of the market for emptying services in Kigali, takes twice longer than emptying septic tanks. 33% of households that requested the service were located in an informal settlement with no access to road and could only be served by a semi-mechanized method which required use of barrels, and a portable pump. In general, interventions related to minimizing trash disposal in pits and septic tanks can go a long way in making the emptying process more time and cost-efficient. Additionally, developing effective and efficient pumping technologies that are suitable for use in inaccessible areas should be prioritized.

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 176-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Mitchell ◽  
Tom Gallagher

Abstract A time and motion study was conducted to determine the productivity and cost of an in-woods chipping operation when processing whole small-diameter trees for biomass. The study removed biomass from two overstocked stands and compared the cost of this treatment to existing alternatives. The treatment stands consisted of a 30-year-old longleaf pine stand and a 37-year-old loblolly pine stand. In the longleaf pine stand, 71% of the trees removed were less than 5 in. dbh. In the loblolly pine stand, approximately 81% of the stems removed were less than 5 in. dbh. The harvesting system consisted of conventional ground-based harvesting equipment and a three-knife chipper that processed the biomass into fuel chips. The average production time to fill a chip van was 24.61 minutes. The chip moisture content averaged 94.11% (dry basis). Using machine rates and federal labor wage rates, the in-woods cost of producing fuel chips was $9.18/green ton (gt). The cost of the biomass chipping operation ($15.18/gt), including transportation, compared favorably to existing alternative treatments of cut-and-pile or mulching.


2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 199-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arif Hasan

Over 20 years the Orangi Pilot Project has been working to understand the problems of Orangi, a district of Karachi largely characterised by high-density informal settlement, and enable its residents to develop and implement solutions. Sanitation was identified as the major problem and a sewerage system was built. From this work was developed the “internal-external” concept for sanitation, which has 4 levels: sanitary latrines in houses; underground sewer in lane; neighbourhood collector sewer; and trunk sewer and treatment plant. The first three components are “internal” and can be undertaken by low-income communities; the “external” fourth component has to be funded and carried out by government or similar agency. Successful and unsuccessful attempts elsewhere to replicate this model have both confirmed the effectiveness and practicality of such community-based action and shown the – largely organisational – pitfalls that must be avoided.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Okurut ◽  
R. N. Kulabako ◽  
P. Abbott ◽  
J. M. Adogo ◽  
J. Chenoweth ◽  
...  

Throughout Africa, the population in urban areas is increasing rapidly, often exceeding the capacity and the resources of the cities and towns to accommodate the people. In sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of urban dwellers live in informal settlements served by inadequate sanitation facilities. These settlements present unique challenges to the provision of sustainable and hygienic sanitation, and there is insufficient information on access to improved facilities. This paper reports findings of a study undertaken in low-income informal settlements using a mixed methods approach to assess access to sanitation and identify the barriers to household uptake of improved sanitation facilities. More than half of the respondents (59.7%) reported using sanitation facilities that are included in the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme definition of improved sanitation. However, a high proportion of these facilities did not provide access to basic sanitation. Less than 5% of all the respondents did not report problems related to sustainable access to basic sanitation. The findings highlight the urgent need to develop specific and strategic interventions for each low-income informal settlement, to upscale the sustainable access and use of improved sanitation in urban centres.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Hajar Annisa Abdurahman ◽  
Iwan Rudiarto

Human settlements supply has always been a problem in urban areas, particularly for the low-earners. There are few aspects to do in house procurement, such as location that will determine the cost of housing. Hence, this research aims to determine potential location to be developed as affordable housing for low-income people in Semarang. This research applied spatial analysis method based on Geographic Information System (GIS). The analysis results that only around 5,85% of allocated human settlement area in Semarang City is potential to be developed as affordable housing. In this study, the result show that in terms of location for affordable housing development, accessibility factor can determine the location with considering the particular planning standards.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia Rubini ◽  
Cristina Vilaplana Prieto ◽  
Marta Flor-Alemany ◽  
Lorena Yeguas-Rosa ◽  
Miriam Hernández-González ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundThe Mediterranean Diet (MD) is recognized as heart-healthy, but the economic cost associated with this type of diet has scarcely been studied.AimThe objective of the present study was to explore the cost and adherence of the low-income region population to the MD and its relationship with available incomes.MethodsA population-based study was carried out on 2,833 subjects between 25 and 79 years of age, 54% women, selected at random from the communities of Vegas Altas, La Siberia and La Serena in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. The average cost of each product included in the MD and monthly expenditure were calculated. The expenditure was related to the degree of adherence to the MD (the Panagiotakos Index) and to the incomes of the participants.ResultsThe monthly median cost was 203.6 euros (IQR 154.04-265.37). Food-related expenditure was higher among the male population (p<0.001) of between 45 and 54 years of age (p<0.013) and living in urban areas (p<0.001). A positive correlation between food-related expenditure and the MD adherence was found. Expenditure represents 15% of total incomes, ranging from 11% for the group with a low MD adherence to 17% for the group with a high MD adherence.Conclusions The monthly cost of the MD was positively correlated with the degree of adherence to this dietary pattern, and is similar to that of other regions of Spain with higher per capita income, which entails a greater expenditure for equal adherence to the MD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (18) ◽  
pp. 3409-3416
Author(s):  
Stavri Chrysostomou ◽  
Christos Koutsampelas ◽  
Sofia N. Andreou ◽  
Charalampos Pittas

AbstractObjective:The main objective was to assess the cost, acceptability and affordability of the Cypriot Diabetic Healthy Food Basket (DHFB).Design:The development of DHFB was based on the Cypriot HFB with adjustments based on the nutritional guidelines for diabetes as developed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and information retrieved through the questionnaires. Two DHFB were constructed for adult women and adult men (±40 years) diagnosed with diabetes. Affordability was defined as the cost of DHFB as a percentage of the Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI).Setting:Cyprus.Participants:422 diabetic patients aged 18–87 years from different socioeconomic backgrounds.Results:DHFB consists of eight food categories, similar to Cypriot HFB, but different specific food items. The total monthly budget for a diabetic woman is about 15 % (25·68 Euros less) lower compared with HFB, and the relative percentage for a diabetic man is about 16 % (37·58 Euros less). The total monthly budget for a diabetic woman is about 30 % lower (60·32 Euros less) compared with that of a diabetic man. For low-income adults receiving GMI, the proportion of income that would need to be spent on DHFB ranges from around 30 to 42 % for women and men, respectively.Conclusions:The cost of DHFB is lower compared with HFB, meaning that nutritional treatment based on the practice guidelines for diabetes could be a cost-efficient therapy for these patients. DHFB is still not affordable among low-income persons.


1995 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin L. O'Hara ◽  
Darin A. Larvik ◽  
Narayanan I. Valappil

Abstract A time and motion study was conducted to determine the cost to prune ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca), western larch (Larix occidentalis), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) with loppers, pole saws, and Power Pruners. Costs to prune up to 8 ft ranged from $0.61 to $2.35/tree, and from $2.34 to $6.42/tree to prune to 18 ft depending upon species, equipment, and wage assumptions. Pole saws were the recommended equipment based on cost, ease of use, and damage to trees. Multivariate models were unable to explain much variation in pruning time because of the confounding effects of so many variables. Results suggest more than three trees could be pruned to a height of 9 ft for the same cost as pruning one tree to 18 ft. Pruning more trees to a 9 ft height would therefore increase clearwood production overpruning fewer trees to 18 ft, but may necessitate some modification of current log grading standards. West. J. Appl. For. 10(2):59-65.


Author(s):  
Ali asghar Pilehvar

AbstractThe development of urbanization and urbanism in Iran has created a wide socioeconomic gap in urban areas. Rapid population growth along with the lack of socioeconomic growth programs and urban development strategies have deteriorated unemployment, inflation, housing price, traffic congestion, and marginalization in cities, particularly in metropolises of Iran. This paper, using a descriptive-analytic research method and a meta-analysis technique, addresses the urbanization and urbanism changes in Iran. Using GIS technique and CV formula, the spatial distribution of urbanization and its rapid growth in Iran are depicted. The research data was derived from a systematic review of documents and techniques over 40 years. The results of the study demonstrated that Iranian cities have undergone an unsustainable growth trend and urbanization has overtaken urbanism. Over the past 4 decades, cities have been struggling with rapid growth and development. In this regard, development-oriented governments can play a significant role in tackling growth and urbanization problems. These problems are especially evident in the socio-economic, urban planning and urban ecology. The rapid growth of urbanization (74% in 2016) has resulted in the emergence of metropolitan areas in an unstable process. Also, in metropolitan areas of Iran, environmental and ecological threats, rural–urban migration and marginalization have posed serious national–regional and local challenges. The structural–functional reforms in Iran, along with skeletal–spatial and socio-economic changes in cities, have given rise to a new social class (low-income people), which is characterized with non-formal businesses and informal settlements in the outskirts of cities, especially metropolitan areas. This has prompted unsustainability in main indicators of urban development such as security, building density, environmental threats, and centralization, among other things. This analysis is based on indicators such as density and centralization, informal settlement, and urban security.


Author(s):  
Deepak Baindur ◽  
Pooja Rao

In most urban areas, buses are the most heavily used form of public transportation[1] and more so in Indian cities where buses make up for over 90% of public transport ridership[2]. In the selected Indian metro cities, where formal bus based PT systems are operated by public agencies, they are over-reliant on state support to sustain operations as fare box collections are inadequate in spite of having relatively high ridership. The main challenge for all this is to achieve long term financial sustainability of public transport systems while providing good quality and affordable bus services.This paper investigates internal and external factors that led to the steep and recurrent fare increases in the Bangalore city bus services in the period from 2012–2014 which are operated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation. In order to estimate the impact of the recent bus fare increases that have had on the economically weaker sections of the society dependent on these services, the paper presents the results of a random sampling survey study carried out in a central locality in the city that has a large slum area.The key findings throw light on the various ways in which the low income bus users have adapted to reduce their travel costs through changes in travel behavior, travel pattern and modal shifts. The cost of the behavioral changes through lost opportunities and the cost of the modal shifts of the persons earlier favoring public transportation draw attention to the significance of public transport fare policies. Furthermore, the management and operations of the BMTC agency show scope for improvement which can translate into better revenue generation and consequent reduction in fares.


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