This entry contains two conference papers: 'Thermophilic composting of human wastes in uncertain urban environments: a case study from Haiti' Abstract: After the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti nearly 1.5 million people in the capitol were living in camps without access to sanitation. In response to the crisis, international agencies installed thousands of toilets within weeks. However, the absence of waste treatment facilities in the country further complicated the sanitation response. The first treatment facility constructed post-earthquake was a thermophilic composting site designed to treat the wastes from 20,000 earthquake victims living in camps. Despite multiple hurricanes, a cholera epidemic, and political unrest, the SOIL composting facilities have treated over 500,000 gallons of human waste in the past three years, converting it to pathogen free compost, over 10,000 gallons of which has been sold for use in agriculture and reforestation projects. The experience of thermophilic composting in Haiti is unique in scale and duration and can have global implications for waste treatment in both emergency and development contexts. 'Piloting ecological sanitation (EcoSan) in the emergency context of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the 2010 earthquake'. Abstract: The earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010 and the cholera epidemic that followed from October 2010, resulted in one of the largest humanitarian relief efforts in history. Even prior to the earthquake, sanitation coverage in Haiti was the lowest in the hemisphere, but with 1.5 million people living in tents in a densely populated urban area that lacked basic infrastructure, the sanitation crisis presented new challenges to the WASH community. Many of the internally displaced persons camps were located in urban neighbourhoods with high groundwater, making onsite sanitation extremely difficult. In response to these unique conditions a small local organization, SOIL, partnered with Oxfam Great Britain to pilot urine diversion EcoSan toilets in camps throughout Port-au-Prince. This briefing paper covers this pilot project from March 2010 through March 2012. During that 2-year period, SOIL’s toilets served over 20,000 people and treated more than 400,000 gallons of human waste, converting it to rich compost.

Bibliographic information

Kramer, S., Preneta, N., Kilbride, A. (2013). Piloting ecological sanitation (EcoSan) in the emergency context of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the 2010 earthquake Two papers from SOIL presented at the 36th WEDC International Conference, Nakuru, Kenya, 2013 SOIL, Haiti

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Emergency and reconstruction situations (WG8)Composting, vermicomposting (solid waste), composting toiletsUrine diversion dehydration toilets (UDDTs) Faeces or faecal sludgeUrban informal settlements (slums)English

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Haiti

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