THT282 - CASE C5, PACIFIC ISLAND
NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCES
WATER
SANITATION
A PACIFIC
WATERAND
AND SANITATION
A PACIFIC
ISLANDISLAND
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Photo: Ronny Hansen
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THT282 - CASE C5, PACIFIC ISLAND
NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCES
WATER AND SANITATION A PACIFIC ISLAND
You are at a pacific Island and is going to give advice regarding upgrading of the water and sanitary conditions.
The Island has a total area of 3km2. The highest point is 20 m above sea level. 500 people live on the island most
of them in four small settlements. The settlements range from 50 to 200 people and they are all located close to
the sea. The groundwater level is from 0,5 to 1,0m below the ground surface in the area where the people live.
The people are poor fishermen and also have some agriculture in addition to harvesting what they can find in the
forest. There is interest an emerging interest among the islanders to be more self sufficient with respect to basic
agricultural products and vegetables especially. Tourism is starting to develop and there is one eco-hotel on the
island.
The people are mainly practicing open defecation and some have a bucket toilet in a shed next to the house. In
the largest settlement they have just installed a few traditional water toilets with direct discharge to the
sea/beach. This practice, however, is strongly opposed by the owner of the eco-hotel who wants to keep the
beaches and sea as clean as possible.
The islanders are relying on water from dug wells. The water quality is generally good, but wells located within
the village suffer from greywater discharged into soakpits next to the house. There are also some houses in the
villages that have built pit latrines that are polluting the groundwater in their nearby surroundings.
The water resources on the island are limited due to low precipitation (700 mm/year) and the risk of saltwater
intrusion if the groundwater is pumped to hard. The soil is sandy and the rich in calcium due to the coral reef
origin of the island. On and near the beach you find calcium rich white sand.
The Islanders want to upgrade their sanitary facilities, but have very limited resources. Most of the houses/huts
do not have running water, but this it is a wish to have running water at least to a tap stands in the villages.
The electricity on the island is generated by diesel generators and therefore very expensive.
The mean annual temperature is 25C and does not vary very much over the year due to the location in the ocean.
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Photo: Ronny Hansen
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THT282 - CASE C5, PACIFIC ISLAND
NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCES
WATER AND SANITATION A PACIFIC ISLAND
TASK:
How would you suggest to upgrade the water and sanitary facilities on the island
to more sustainable systems that benefits both the islanders and the nature?
Make a short presentation (max 15 minutes) to the class where you discuss your
solutions.
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The pictures in this and the previous slides are not from the island described in this case
Photo: Ronny Hansen
http://www.ravencruise.com/images/Huahine%20-%20Signe%20hunts%20for%20shells.jpg
www.umb.no