Waste management is an important issue in many developing countries. With no proper systems in place, people run the risk of contracting disease, polluting the environment and dirtying water sources. A group of designers has come up with a concept called Jala Hub that could help the township of Tongi in Bangladesh’s capital of Dhaka manage its waste better. It also seeks to improve the living conditions of slum dwellers in the region by providing access to clean drinking water, energy generation and production of agriculture.
The group comprises Junghwa Suh, Chretien Macutay, Aarthi Padmanabhan and Yunhee Kim. The young team based its concept on water-infused connectivity. They conceived designing a community hub that can accommodate as well as connect slum structures. The center will have facilities that will provide residents with access to drinking water and water for other purposes like cooking and bathing.
The hub will also incorporate systems for proper waste disposal and energy generation so that they don’t have to rely on the national grid. A multi-directional water system will be established so that residents won’t lack for this life essence in the event that the township is inundated if surrounding water levels rise.
Locally sourced materials will be used to construct the necessary infrastructure. To provide a safe sanctuary in the event of floods, the community will build mooring posts out of local jute so people can gather to ride out the inundation in the hub. A holistic water system will also offer residents the opportunity to engage in hydro farming so they don’t go hungry.
For electricity, a biodigester will be employed to create methane gas which can be used for energy generation. As for agriculture, the hub will have an anaerobic digester which will process human and animal waste and turn it into fertilizer for growing crops.
Via: Macutay
