Ecosanitaion in Ukraine : success and prospects

1. Ecosanitaion in Ukraine: success and prospects Petro Hrytsyshyn, Director of the Western Center of the Ukrainian Branch of the World Laboratory April 25,2015 Vilnius, Lithuania

2. Our main goal is: -to protect the water of the river, near which we live, against pollution and to preserve its cleanness over its length -to show other European countries that we are the nation that cares about health of its people and future generations.

3. The water of the ZakhidnyiBuh river is used not only by Ukraine but also by Poland and Belarus. Its water is the main source of drinking water for Warsaw. Polluted waters of the ZakhidnyiBuh together with Vistula river pollution are the source of environmental problems of the Baltic Sea. Therefore our task is to ensure the required quality of water running from Ukraine.

4. ZakhidnyiBuh basin

5. According to the data of the ZakhidnyiBuh basin managementdepartmentthe river water pollution is caused by: • Waste waters from industrial enterprises - 60% of the total pollution of surface waters In the ZakhidnyiBuh river basin 21 treatment plants are in unsatisfactory state. These installations do not treat water even to our standards, which values are five-fold higher than that of the European ones. • 18% of pollution is caused by agriculture • 20-22% of sewage waters come from unauthorized landfills, septic tanks, dump wells of private homes and communal organizations

6. Problem formulation: • In our villages canalization systems and treatment plants have never been constructed and at present are not soon expected • We also understand that we can not influence the conscientious treatment of industrial and household sewage waters But we can prevent the river water pollution caused by private homes and communal organizations in rural areas!! • One of the ways of pollution prevention is introduction of ecosanitation

7. Principles of ecosanitation– separation of urine and faeces, that are later used as organic nutrients For this purpose the so called “ dry toilets” i.e. toilets which do not use water for flashing, are introduced in the world. Thus, biological pollution of environment, surface, ground and river waters decreases.

8. There are sterotypes in public understanding that the repeated use of the waste from toilets causes certain risks, like : • To be infected via excrements (transmission of infectious diseases); • Increased soil salinity; • Increased content of heavy metals or other toxic elements in soil and in crop. However: Repeated use of nutrients from ecotoilet waste in agriculture is possible under condition of strict following the treatment instructions

9. World Health Organization, has published a Manual on the safe use of sewage waters, excrements and grey waters according to which: “...direct use of excrements and grey water on arable land decreases their impact on environment both within local and global context”

10. What is our goals? To decrease water pollution in the ZakhidnyiBuh basin by: • awareness raising of people of their role in this process; • ability of people to solve by themselves their ecological and social problems; • ensuring sustainable development of village communities

11. What are our tasks to reach these goals? • To define the local problems and inform local authority and public about them; • To initiate public environmental assessment of the ecological problems on the territory of communities; • To inform people on ecosanitation principles • Lobbying the decisions that promote introduction of the ecosanitation technologies, which decrease the amount of sewage waters and waste from household and communal organizations .

12. Our actions • Different types of educational activity with population – talks, interviews, environmental propaganda teams, meeting with teachers and school art master competitions;

13. Our actions • Information campaigns in schools, press releases in mass media. • publishing, distribution of leaflets and other printed materials

14. Our actionsInforming and consulting local leaders on development of dry toilet projects in schools

15. Our actionsSeminars and trainings on ecosanitation as means of preservation of river water cleanness

16. Our actions Beginning of ecotoilet construction in Zabuzhzha school

17. Our successThe present view of the school toilet in Zabuzhzha village

18. Our success Planning and construction of ecotoilet in Uhnev school

19. Our success The present view of the ecotoilet in Uhnev school

20. Success achieved in introduction of ecosanitaion in ZakhidnyiBuh river basin promoted the dissemination of this technology also in private homes

21. THANK YOU!