Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Creation of a Multidisciplinary Project Platform for Water Systems in Developing Countries
EPA Grant Number: SU833943Title: Creation of a Multidisciplinary Project Platform for Water Systems in Developing Countries
Investigators: Jellison, Kristen L. , Putnam, Eric D. , Smith, Natalie L. , Weisman, Richard N. , Schweitzer, Andrew , Moon, Bruce , Canada, Holly , Kramer, Jason , Hunter, Kelsey , Kastango, Nick , Coull, Tim
Institution: Lehigh University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2008 through August 14, 2009
Project Amount: $9,700
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2008) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Lehigh University Engineers Without Borders (LU-EWB) is a chapter of Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) currently working with the people of Pueblo Nuevo, Honduras to design and construct a new water treatment and distribution system that will provide them with a reliable supply of clean drinking water. Throughout the course of LU-EWB’s efforts in Pueblo Nuevo, numerous issues and setbacks have made it abundantly clear that the work, which was originally narrowly focused on the technical engineering design, must be approached as a multidisciplinary development project.
These are issues faced by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the globe. It is not enough for an organization to have good intentions, funding, and technical competence; these resources must be coupled with the desire and ability to truly understand a community, its needs, and its capabilities. If this is done, an organization can provide a solution which is truly sustainable: not only technologically, but also socially, environmentally, and economically.
The purpose of LU-EWB’s work during Phase I was to become a more interdisciplinary group (and subsequently enhance our skill set) and shift perspective from a narrow engineering exercise to a broader community development project. In doing so, we would be able to provide Pueblo Nuevo with a solution to its water issues that benefits people, promotes prosperity, and protects the planet. The three major objectives of the work were to:
- make progress on the design and implementation of the water system,
- educate ourselves on the requirements necessary to provide a truly sustainable solution and develop skills and partnerships to meet those requirements, and
- document the process so that our work could be used as a model for other groups that wish to make a similar journey.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
The two main outcomes of the Phase I work were the establishment of a set of fundamental principles for sustainable development and the documentation of a model for organizational growth.
Fundamentally, sustainable development efforts must be as the interaction between a community, their partner organization(s) , and the project for which the two (or more) groups collaborate to accomplish. In order for the efforts to be successful, each of these components must possess certain criteria. A community must have plentiful social capital, be free of internal divisions/conflicts, have effective leadership, and must not contain “veto players” who can unilaterally end a project. A project must fit well with both the physical infrastructure (including the surrounding ecosystem) and the economic capacity of a community, have “buy-in” and a sense of ownership by the community, and be designed for village level operation and maintenance. The partner organization(s) must have the organizational capacity to accomplish their goals, be able to identify the community’s needs and desires, and they must be able to evaluate the previously mentioned criteria of the community and project.
Organizations that wish to shift perspective from a narrow engineering exercise to a broader community development project oriented around these fundamental principles can follow the model of organizational growth documented by LU-EWB. The first step is to assess the organization against the fundamental principles. Second, identify local resources that can provide knowledge and training in any areas of deficiency and develop relationships with them. Third, develop opportunities for mutual gain and strength the relationships. Finally, reflect on the process and any lessons learned, and modify future plans accordingly.
Conclusions:
LU-EWB made progress towards becoming a multi-disciplinary organization, although progress was not as rapid has hoped. The main conclusions, aside from the principles and model previously mentioned, is that groups wishing to become more multi-disciplinary and sustainable must be willing to modify their initial plans, be flexible, and grow organically. A shift in perspective and organization can take a significant amount of time, and LU-EWB is still progressing in that journey and will continue it in the months and years to come.
Proposed Phase II Objectives and Strategies
LU-EWB plans on the following steps to further develop its multi-disciplinary platform:
- Find a developing community that better meets the criteria for sustainable development projects
- Learn how other disciplines can be involved and ask them to contribute their skills to help the community in a way that interests them
- Fund a professor to create a development course that will increase student interest in the adopted community
- Demonstrate the success of past events to the University and encourage the formal “adoption” of a community
- Invite student organizations from other schools who have also been working with developing countries to a conference where ideas can be shared
- Host a conference to share experiences, lessons learned, and final blueprint
Over the next two years, LU-EWB will bring students together on a multi-disciplinary platform with the goal of empowering Pueblo Nuevo with the ability to improve, maintain, and eventually expand its own water system. While these goals will be measurable over the long-term (i.e., more than two years), we propose the following ways to assess the success of LU-EWB’s project platform over the next two years:
- At Lehigh:
- Increasing the percentage of non-technical members in LU-EWB from 42% to 50%.
- Involving at least two more academic disciplines in addition to Engineering and International Relations.
- Developing a humanities or social science course for members
- Hosting a workshop or conference to share our project platform blueprint with other student groups who have a focus on helping developing communities.
- In Pueblo Nuevo:
- Providing Pueblo Nuevo with clean water and an improved distribution system.
- Testing the quality of the water to ensure compliance with WHO standards. If necessary, further measures like building a slow sand filter will be implemented.
- Reducing the number of waterborne illnesses reported to the community doctor.
- Testing the flow rate at each house to ensure adequate pressure during all periods of the day.
- Comparing pre-project, mid-project, and post-project community health surveys to understand the change in health practices.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 8 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
treatment technologies, sustainable infrastructure design, environmental policy, environmental accounting, global considerations, holistic design, model for sustainability, international development,Relevant Websites:
Lehigh University Engineers Without Borders Exit
PBS 39 (TEMPO) episode on Lehigh University Engineers Without Borders and the Honduras water infrastructure project Exit
EUREKA Social Venture Creation Competition home page Exit
Lehigh Valley Professional Chapter of Engineers Without Borders Exit
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.