environmental advice to the leaders of third world countries

7/30/2019 Environmental advice to the leaders of Third World countries

1/6

1

EE NN VVII RR OO NN MM EE NN TT AA LL AADD VVII CCEE TT OO TT HH EE TT HH II RR DD WW OO RR LLDD

There should be a campaign to educate people on the improved utilisationof fuel resources. Small clay stoves can be made to replace the traditionalthree stones used for cooking. Less heat will escape and the fuel resourcecan be extended.

Roads on hills should have their drains terminating every two hundredmetres into the adjacent ground. This will reduce the momentum of stormrun off and hence erosion.

Effluent from breweries, sugar factories, oil factories and tanning facilitiesshould be allowed to meander through a bed of aquatic vegetation such aselephant grass or reeds. The bacterial growth on the stems of these plantswill help to clean up the effluent. The vegetative growth can also be used asgreen fodder or roofing material.

The use of pit latrines should be encouraged. The pits should be located atleast 100m from the nearest water source.

Residents in rural areas should be encouraged to filter their drinking waterthrough a bed of crushed charcoal. This is very effective in removingimpurities.

Supervisors who control motor fleets should constantly lecture to theirdrivers to drive sensibly in order to conserve fuel and reduce tyre wear.Spot checks should be made from time to time and this should include tyrepressure checks. All drivers are to be held responsible.

All industries should be encouraged to conduct an annual energy audit withthe aim of energy conservation.

Reforestation should be encouraged at all times. The saplings chosen forthis purpose should be selected from the healthiest indigenous plants at the

end of the dry season. Their health will be testimony to their ability tosurvive. Small industries which emit gaseous pollutants through their stacks should

be encouraged to install a wet scrubber. Basically a sealed box containingcoconut shells or bamboos through which the gas will be exhausted. Watersprays will keep the internal media wet. Coconut shell and bamboo willencourage bacterial growth.

Houses in rural areas are too often built with poor ventilation. Very often,without windows. This together with overcrowding has led to an increase inmeningitis. Advice should be given to leave a gap between rafter and wall,and to incorporate windows.

Streams and rivers polluted with sewage normally have a putrid smellbecause of the high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). To alleviate theproblem, weirs or dams should be built to increase turbulence and henceoxygen pick up. In small streams large boulders dropped inside will havethe same effect.

As a form of malaria control, all residents should be encouraged to smoketheir entire house just after dark. A simple smoke pot can be used for thispurpose and green leaves burnt to generate smoke.


2/6

2

In areas where the dissolved iron in the potable water is high, residentsshould be advised to leave the water to stand overnight before using.During this period the iron precipitates out as hydroxide. Larger scale userscan try bubbling air through the water using a compressor, before leaving itto stand overnight.

Greater use should be made of straw, reeds and palm fronds as thatchingmaterial for roofs of buildings. This will place less pressure on zinc,aluminium, plastic and asbestos.

Farmers should be encouraged to cultivate their hilly land along the contourlines; this will increase water retention and reduce soil erosion. The population should be encouraged to burn the bricks used in the

construction of their houses, this will increase the life tenfold.

FF iigg uu rr ee 11 :: QQ uu ee uu iinn gg ff oo rr ww aa tt ee rr iinn tt hh ee SS uu nn dd aa rr bb aa nn ss

iinn WW ee ss tt BB ee nn gg aa ll ,, SS oo uu tt hh II n d i a

FF iigg uu rr ee 22 :: CCoo oo kk iinn gg ff oo oo dd oo nn tt hh ee vv ee rr yy ee ff ff iicc ii ee nn tt cc hh hh uu llaa (( cc ll aa yy ss tt oo vv ee )) uu bb iiqq uu ii tt oo uu ss iinn tt hh ee SS uu nn dd aa rr bb aa nn ss iinn WW ee ss tt BB ee nn gg aa ll ,, SS oo uu tt hh II nn dd iiaa


3/6

3

FF iigg uu rr ee 33 :: PP aa tt iiee nn tt llyy ww aa ii tt iinn gg ff oo rr pp rr ee cc iioo uu ss aa nn dd oo ff tt ee nn ss cc aa rr cc ee pp oo tt aa bb ll ee ww aa tt ee rr iinn rr uu rr aa ll II nn dd ii aa

FF iigg uu rr ee 44 :: CCoo ww ss dd uu nn gg uu ss ee dd aa ss ff uu ee ll .. II nn aa nn aa rr ee aa dd ee vv oo iidd oo ff tt rr ee ee ss ,, aa qq uu aa tt iicc rr ee ee dd ss aa rr ee cc oo aa tt ee dd ww ii tt hh cc oo ww ss dd uu nn gg aa nn dd aa rr tt ii ff iicc ii aa ll cc oo oo kk iinn gg lloo gg ss aa rr ee mm aa dd ee .. WW ee ss tt BB ee nn gg aa ll iinn SS oo uu tt hh II nn dd ii aa


4/6

4

FF iigg uu rr ee 55 :: MM aa kk iinn gg uu ss ee oo ff ss cc aa rr cc ee ww aa tt ee rr rr ee ss oo uu rr cc ee ss ,, bb rr aa cc kk iiss hh ww aa tt ee rr iinn PP oo oo vv aa rr ww ee tt ll aa nn dd nn ee aa rr KKoo vv aa llaa mm iinn KKee rr aa ll aa ,, SS oo uu tt hh II nn dd ii aa

FF iigg uu rr ee 66 :: FF iiss hh ee rr mm ee nn aa tt KKoo vv aa ll aa mm iinn KKee rr aa llaa ,, SS oo uu tt hh II nn dd iiaa


5/6

5

FF iigg uu rr ee 77 :: SS yy mm bb iioo ss ii ss bb ee tt ww ee ee nn hh uu mm aa nn kk iinn dd aa nn dd nn aa tt uu rr ee ,, PP oo oo vv aa rr ww ee tt llaa nn dd iinn KKee rr aa ll aa ,, SS oo uu tt hh II nn dd ii aa

FF iigg uu rr ee 88 :: TT hh ee pp oo pp uu ll aa tt iioo nn ss hh oo uu lldd bb ee ee nn cc oo uu rr aa gg ee dd tt oo bb uu rr nn tt hh ee bb rr ii cc kk ss uu ss ee dd iinn tt hh ee cc oo nn ss tt rr uu cc tt iioo nn oo ff tt hh ee ii rr hh oo uu ss ee ss ,, tt hh iiss ww ii ll ll ii nn cc rr ee aa ss ee tt hh ee ll ii ff ee tt ee nn ff oo lldd ,, aa ss ii ss

dd oo nn ee hh ee rr ee iinn PP aa ll aa kk kk aa dd iinn KKee rr aa llaa ,, SS oo uu tt hh II nn dd ii aa ..


6/6

6

FF iigg uu rr ee 99 :: GG rr ee aa tt ee rr uu ss ee ss hh oo uu lldd bb ee mm aa dd ee oo ff ss tt rr aa ww ,, rr ee ee dd ss aa nn dd pp aa llmm ff rr oo nn dd ss aa ss tt hh aa tt cc hh iinn gg mm aa tt ee rr ii aa ll ff oo rr rr oo oo ff ss oo ff bb uu ii lldd iinn gg ss ,, LLuu aa nn ss hh yy aa ,, ZZ aa mm bb iiaa

RAMOUTAR SEECHARRAN BSc(Hons), MSc(Eng), ACSM, DIC, REng

Environmental Consultant

London, England

environmental advice to the leaders of third world countries

Documents