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EcoSan Seminar in Bulgaria

Alternative for Wise Management of Human Waste and Waste Water

09.05.2007 |Bistra Mihaylova

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Peter van Luttervelt, presenting the business survey for Ecosan market in Bulgaria

An EcoSan seminar “ Alternative for Wise Management of Human Waste and Waste Water “ took place in Sofia between 12 and 14 April, 2007. Participants from local Municipalities  and international experts had a fruitful cooperation for 2 days of seminar and one day field trip.

The seminar was prepared by Earth Forever Foundation, a partner of WECF for implemeting a 2,5 year project in Stara Zagora region - “ Developing a model for sustainable water and waste management in rural areas in Bulgaria“.

The seminar was part of the strategic planning activities of Earth for Ever foundation and its purpose  was to inform and  strengthen the local Bulgarian Authorities, NGOs, Universities, etc., about the concept of Ecological sanitation systems as  alternative possibilities for wastewater management and proper sanitation in agglomerations up to 10 000 inhabitants (villages and small towns).

The following topics were presented and discussed:

1. Ecological sanitation concept, Thor Axel Stenström, Professor, Chief   Microbiologist, Dept of Parasitology, Mycology, Water and Environmental Microbiology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control; Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI);

2. Current trends in Ecological Sanitation, Claudia Wendland, Institute of Wastewater Management and Water Protection, Hamburg University of Technology;

3. European standards and testing of small wastewater plants, Erkki Santala, Finnish Environment Institute;

4. Why WECF develops dry urine-diverting toilets in its projects in Europe and EECCA region, Margriet Samwel, WECF ;

5. EcoSan in Bulgaria  togther with Video documentary for the construction of EcoSan systems in Sulitsa, Stara Zagora Municipality , Diana Iskreva;

6. Mama-86’ experience in introduction of the dry urine-diverting toilets in  Ukraine, Juliya Berezhna, Mama-86;

7. EcoSan experience in Village Hayanist, Armenia, Emma Anakhasyan, AWHHE;

8. Ecological sanitation and the associated health risks. WHO Guidelines – safe use of excreta, grey water and wastewater in agriculture, Thor Axel Stenström, Professor, Chief Microbiologist, Dept of Parasitology, Mycology, Water and Environmental Microbiology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control; Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI);

9. Reuse of urine in agriculture - Can pharmaceuticals cause a problem? Martina Hammer, Institute of Wastewater Management and Water Protection, Hamburg University of Technology;

10. EcoSan capacity building and awareness raising amongst water professionals, Elisabeth von Münch, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands;

11. Video documentary about the UDD toilet in UNESCO-IHE, Delft;

12. A market for EcoSan? Business survey, Peter van Luttervelt


Thor Axel Stenström, Professor, Chief Microbiologist, Dept of Parasitology, Mycology, Water and Environmental Microbiology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control; Stockholm Environment Inst

In the seminar there were about 60 representatives from Bulgaria:

• Bulgarian Academy of science – 2 representatives;
• Ministry of the Environment and Water – 2 representatives, 
• Trakia University- 2 representatives; 
• National Assembly –1 representatuve; 
• Representatives from Stara Zagora region – Mayor of the Stara Zagora Spa together with Project committee of Sulitsa village – 10 representatives
• Representatives of different Muinicipalities – Radnevo, Stara Zagora, Sofia,Pravets,Kazanluk, Shipka; 
• NGOs:international and national – 15 representatives
  

The field trip took place on the 14th of April (Saturday) and the participants could see several Ecosan systems in the village of Sulitsa – new EcoSan toilet for the cultural club, 2 household toilets and 2 soil filters.
 

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