scholarly journals A Review on EcoSan (Ecological Sanitation)

Author(s):  
Chetan Joshi

In today’s world about 2.4billion people from urban and rural areas do not have suitable access to sanitation services. In upcoming 20 years, it is estimated that a surplus of 2 billion will get migrated to urban areas, probably in developing countries, necessitating sanitation. Still greater than 90% of sewage in developing countries is discharged unprocessed polluting water bodies. Traditional sanitation ideas are neither ecofriendly nor cost-effective for developing countries. Ecological Sanitation (EcoSan) is a sanitation system having a cycle of sustainable closed-loop system, which winds up the breach between sanitation and agriculture. The EcoSan technique is resource minded and characterize a universal approach towards ecofriendly and economically healthy sanitation. The primary goal is to close water and nutrient cycle with minimum expenses on energy and material to subsidize a sustainable development. Human excreta is treated as resource and are generally handled on-site and treated off-site. The nutrient contents in excreta are reutilized by using them in agriculture. EcoSan is a complete methodology. Single practices are only measures to termination and may range from near-natural wastewater treatment techniques to compost toilets, uncomplicated domestic installations to complex, mainly decentralized systems. These technologies are not ecofriendly but only in relation with witnessed environment. They are chosen from complete range of available conventional, traditional and modern techniques merging them to EcoSan system.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huda Farhana Mohamad Muslim ◽  
Tetsuro Hosaka ◽  
Shinya Numata ◽  
Noor Azlin Yahya

Direct experiences with nature in childhood are essential for enhancing psychological and physical development in children. However, researches on childhood nature-related experiences and their effects are largely biased toward more developed Western countries. In this study, we created a questionnaire on childhood experiences with nature and surveyed 357 adults (>20 years old) around Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, to determine whether younger generations had fewer nature-based experiences than older generations and whether people who grew up in urban areas had fewer experiences than those who grew up in rural areas. We found that playing in rivers or waterfalls and collecting and eating tropical fruits were the most common nature-related activities experienced in childhood. There was a minimal decline in nature-related experiences among generations. However, people who grew up in rural areas had more nature-related experiences than those who grew up in urban areas. The loss of nature areas and increase in population density may accelerate the decline in nature-related experiences in urban areas. Therefore, efforts to create urban parks and other public spaces for reconnecting urban children to nature will become increasingly important for urban planning and environmental education in tropical developing countries such as Malaysia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-170
Author(s):  
Tri Noviyanti Nurzanah ◽  
Zakianis Zakianis ◽  
Bambang Wispriyono ◽  
Athena Anwar

ABSTRACT   Bengkulu Province is the fourth-lowest province in Indonesia for sanitation facilities and drinking water availability. The difference in socioeconomic conditions and very low access to sanitation in Bengkulu Province poses a major challenge to ensuring water and sanitation services for all, so as to attempt to control a large number of infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the description of sanitation and drinking water between urban and rural areas in Bengkulu Province. Data analyzed were Village Potential data (PODES) in 2018 and the sample were 148 villages. Research results show that sanitation facilities and the availability of clean water in urban areas are better than in rural areas. In rural areas the majority of sewage is unsanitary or without latrines/open defecation, garbage disposal is carried out by dumping it into the pit of natural soil or being burnt, the sewage is still open, the water source is still a dug well as a source of clean water. In conclusion, there are still gaps in terms of access to sanitation in rural areas and urban safe drinking water. An evaluation is needed to increase community access to sanitation in rural areas and drinking water in cities.   Keywords: Saniation, drinking water, urban areas, rural areas     ABSTRAK   Provinsi Bengkulu merupakan salah satu provinsi dengan sarana sanitasi dan ketersediaan air minum ke empat terendah di Indonesia. Perbedaan kondisi sosial ekonomi dan akses sanitasi yang sangat rendah di Provinsi Bengkulu menimbulkan tantangan besar untuk memastikan layanan air dan sanitasi bagi semua, sehingga membantu mengendalikan sejumlah besar penyakit menular. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui gambaran sanitasi dan air minum antara wilayah perkotaan dan perdesaan di Provinsi Bengkulu. Data yang dianalisis adalah data Potensi Desa (PODES) tahun 2018 dengan unit analisis desa. Jumlah sampel sebesar 148 desa di daerah perkotaan dan perdesaan di Provinsi Bengkulu. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa sarana sanitasi dan ketersediaan air bersih di wilayah perkotaan lebih baik daripada di wilayah perdesaan.  Di wilayah perdesaan mayoritas pembuangan tinja tidak saniter atau tanpa jamban/buang air besar sembarangan, pembuangan sampah dilakukan sdengan membuang ke dalam lubang tanah atau dibakar, saluran pembuangan air limbah masih terbuka, dan sumber air adalah  sumur gali sebagai sumber air bersih. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa masih terdapat kesenjangan dalam hal akses sanitasi dan air minum antara di perdesaan dan  perkotaan. Perlu adanya evaluasi peningkatan akses masyarakat terhadap sanitasi di pedesaan dan air minum di perkotaan.   Kata kunci: Sanitasi, air minum, perkotaan, pedesaan


Author(s):  
Katarzyna Zatońska ◽  
Piotr Psikus ◽  
Alicja Basiak-Rasała ◽  
Zuzanna Stępnicka ◽  
Maria Wołyniec ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Alcohol is a leading risk factor of premature morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to investigate the patterns of alcohol consumption in the PURE Poland cohort study baseline. (2) Methods: A Polish cohort was enrolled in the baseline study in 2007–2010. The study group consisted of 2021 adult participants of urban and rural areas from the Lower Silesia voivodeship in Poland (747 men and 1274 women). (3) Results: In the overall study population, 67.3% were current drinkers, 10.3% were former drinkers, and 22.4% were abstainers. Current use of alcohol products was more prevalent in men (77.2%), people living in urban areas (73.0%), and people with a higher level of education (78.0%). The percentage of current drinkers decreased with increasing age (from 73.4% in 30- to 44-year-olds to 48.8% in participants aged 64 and more). The majority of participants (89.2%) declared a low level of alcohol intake. The chance of high level of intake of alcohol was four times higher in men than in women (OR 4.17; CI 1.64–10.6). The majority of participants (54.6%) declared most frequent consumption of low-alcohol drinks (beer, wine) and 21% declared most frequent consumption of spirits. Current drinkers had almost 1.5-fold higher odds of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) than never drinkers (OR 1.49, CI 1.03–2.17; OR 1.66, CI 1.27–2.18, respectively). Former drinkers had higher odds for hypertension and CVD than never drinkers (1.73, CI 1.05–2.85; OR 1.76, CI 1.22–2.53, respectively). (4) Conclusions: In our cohort study, we observed several socio-demographic factors differentiating the patterns of alcohol consumption. The preventive programs should focus predominantly on men, people aged <45 years, and those with a higher level of education.


The Forum ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth M. Johnson ◽  
Dante J. Scala

Abstract This study of the 2018 congressional midterms demonstrates how voting patterns and political attitudes vary across a spectrum of urban and rural areas in the United States. Rural America is no more a monolith than is urban America. The rural-urban gradient is better represented by a continuum than a dichotomy. This is evident in the voting results in 2018, just as it was in 2016. We found that the political tipping point lies beyond major metropolitan areas, in the suburban counties of smaller metropolitan areas. Democrats enjoyed even greater success in densely populated urban areas in 2018 than in 2016. Residents of these urban areas display distinctive and consistent social and political attitudes across a range of scales. At the other end of the continuum in remote rural areas, Republican candidates continued to command voter support despite the challenging national political environment. Voters in these rural regions expressed social and political attitudes diametrically opposed to their counterparts in large urban cores.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leni Kang ◽  
Juan Liang ◽  
Chunhua He ◽  
Lei Miao ◽  
Xiaohong Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Breastfeeding is important for the physical and psychological health of the mother and child. Basic data on breastfeeding practice in China are out-of-date and vary widely. This study aimed to evaluate the progress of breastfeeding practice in China, as well as to explore the bottlenecks in driving better practice. Methods This was an observational study. We used data from the Under-5 Child Nutrition and Health Surveillance System in China for the period 2013–2018. The prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) were calculated for each year for subgroups of China. The Cochran-Armitage test was used to explore the time trends. The annual percent of change (APC) were calculated by log-linear regression followed by exp transformation. Results The prevalence of EIBF increased significantly from 44.57% (95% CI: 44.07, 45.07) in 2013 to 55.84% (95% CI: 55.29, 56.38) in 2018 (Ptrend < 0.001), with an APC of 4.67% (95% CI: 3.51, 5.85). And the prevalence of EBF increased rapidly from 16.14% (95% CI: 15.10, 17.18) to 34.90% (95% CI: 33.54, 36.26) (Ptrend < 0.001), with an APC of 14.90% (95% CI: 9.97, 20.04). Increases were observed in both urban and rural areas, with urban areas showing greater APCs for EIBF (6.05%; 95% CI: 4.22, 7.92 v.s. 2.26%; 95% CI: 1.40, 3.12) and EBF (18.21%; 95% CI: 11.53, 25.29 v.s. 9.43%; 95% CI: 5.52, 13.49). The highest EBF prevalence was observed in the East, but the Central area showed the highest APC. The prevalence of EBF decreased with increasing age within the first 6 months, especially after 3 months. Conclusion The prevalence of both EIBF and EBF in China are improving in recent years. The rural and West China could be the key areas in the future actions. More efforts should be made to protect and promote breastfeeding to achieve near- and long-term goals for child health.


Author(s):  
Chensong Lin ◽  
Longfeng Wu

Many empirical studies have shown evidence of multiple health benefits provided by green and blue spaces. Despite the importance of these spaces, investigations are scarce in details for blue spaces rather than green. Moreover, most research has focused on developed regions. A limited number of studies on blue spaces can be found in China with a focus on the city level. Outcomes have been mixed due to varying research scales, methodologies, and definitions. This study relies on a national-level social survey to explore how the self-rated health (SRH) of senior individuals is associated with local green and blue space availability in urban and rural areas. Results indicate that the coverage ratio of overall green spaces and waterbodies around a resident’s home have marginal effects on SRH status in both urban and rural areas. In urban areas, living close to a park can is marginally beneficial for older people’s health. Regarding different types of blue spaces, the presence of a major river (within 0.3–0.5 km) or coastline (within 1 km and 1–5 km) in the vicinity of home negatively affects SRH among the elderly in urban areas. Close proximity to lakes and other types of waterbodies with a water surface larger than 6.25 ha did not significantly influence SRH. These findings not only evaluate general health impacts of green/blue space development on senior populations across the county but inform decision makers concerning the health-promoting qualities and features of different green/blue spaces to better accommodate an aging population in the era of urbanization.


Author(s):  
Ruchika Agarwala ◽  
Vinod Vasudevan

Research shows that traffic fatality risk is generally higher in rural areas than in urban areas. In developing countries, vehicle ownership and investments in public transportation typically increase with economic growth. These two factors together increase the vehicle population, which in turn affects traffic safety. This paper presents a study focused on the relationship of various factors—including household consumption expenditure data—with traffic fatality in rural and urban areas and thereby aims to fill some of the gaps in the literature. One such gap is the impacts of personal and non-personal modes of travel on traffic safety in rural versus urban areas in developing countries which remains unexplored. An exhaustive panel data modeling approach is adopted. One important finding of this study is that evidence exists of a contrasting relationship between household expenditure and traffic fatality in rural and urban areas. The relationship between household expenditure and traffic fatality is observed to be positive in rural areas and a negative in urban areas. Increases in most expenditure variables, such as fuel, non-personal modes of travel, and two-wheeler expenditures, are found to be associated with an increase in traffic fatality in rural areas.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myung-Bae Park ◽  
Chun-Bae Kim ◽  
Chhabi Ranabhat ◽  
Chang-Soo Kim ◽  
Sei-Jin Chang ◽  
...  

Happiness is a subjective indicator of overall living conditions and quality of life. Recently, community- and national-level investigations connecting happiness and community satisfaction were conducted. This study investigated the effects of community satisfaction on happiness in Nepal. A factor analysis was employed to examine 24 items that are used to measure community satisfaction, and a multiple regression analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of these factors on happiness. In semi-urban areas, sanitation showed a positive relationship with happiness. In rural areas, edu-medical services were negatively related to happiness, while agriculture was positively related. Gender and perceived health were closely associated with happiness in rural areas. Both happiness and satisfaction are subjective concepts, and are perceived differently depending on the socio-physical environment and personal needs. Sanitation, agriculture (food) and edu-medical services were critical factors that affected happiness; however, the results of this study cannot be generalized to high-income countries.


Author(s):  
Shamsul Azhar Shah ◽  
Nazarudin Safian ◽  
Saharuddin Ahmad ◽  
Wan Abdul Hannan Wan Ibadullah ◽  
Zulkefley bin Mohammad ◽  
...  

Happiness is an essential component to experience healthy ageing. Hence, understanding the factors that contribute to happiness is important. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with happiness among the elderly population in Malaysia. In this study, 1204 respondents were recruited from urban and rural areas in Selangor. A face-to-face interview was conducted using the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study questionnaire. The inclusion criteria include Malaysians who are 60-years old and above and can converse in the Malaysian language. Those who encounter less than seven scores for the Abbreviated Mental Test were excluded from the study. Among the 1204 respondents, 953 (79.2%) were happy. Sociodemographic characteristics showed that being a men, age of 60 to 74 years, and living in urban areas were significantly associated with happiness. A logistic regression model showed that locality (aOR 1.61), income category (Bottom 40% aOR 0.49; Middle-class group 40% aOR 1.40), social engagement (active aOR 1.77; less active aOR 1.25), receiving emotional support (aOR 2.11) and handgrip strength (aOR 1.02) were significantly associated with happiness. Thus, ensuring the elderly population in receiving emotional support and active social engagement among them can enhance their happiness level.


Author(s):  
Barbora Frličková

The paper analyses construction and use of a selected indicator of pro-poor growth – the rate of pro-poor growth. It further explains the interpretation of this indicator in absolute and relative terms and indicates how economic growth affects poverty and inequality. The selected indicator is applied to the example of Indonesia and compares pro-poor growth in urban and rural areas of the country, examines regional disparities in terms of pro-poor growth for the period 1996–2019. From the absolute interpretation, pro-poor growth is observed in both urban and rural areas over the whole period. In relative terms, results of pro-poor growth for the first partial period (1996–2000) differ. While there was a relative pro-poor growth in the rural areas, there was a strong pro-poor growth in the cities with a significant decline in inequality observed (incomes of poor people increased while the average income of the whole population dropped). Indonesia achieved trickle-down growth in both rural and urban areas in two remaining periods (2000–2010 and 2010–2019).


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