Enhancing capabilities of Engineering Safety practices by using emerging Technology in Sanitation infrastructure: prototype of mobile latrine in poverty pockets in Jordan (E-ESTS)

Project Description

This project aims at developing skills and education interventions that will improve capacity and capability for
safe and innovative engineering in water sanitation. This will be achieved by developing new e-learning
packages based on an experimental project aimed at reducing health and safety issues deriving by poor
design and constructions of sanitary infrastructure. The UK partners will develop this new e-learning package,
and implementing it thus upskilling engineering graduates internationally thanks to the outreach of their e-
learning platform. The Jordanian partners are vital in the development of the experimental project which will directly feed into the new educational toolkit, i.e. a novel socially-driven technology to tackle the issue of lack
of sanitary facilities. This will be achieved by designing, developing and testing a prototype latrine facility unit,
including technology that turns human waste to bioproduct and geolocalised sensors. Solar panels will allow for powering the latrine. The testbed will be Jordanian Poverty Pockets (PPs) identified in refugees, i.e. mobile
populations seeking seasonal work (around 7,200 in total). They live in tents with little or no sanitation
provision and no toilet facilities. Commonly used mobile toilets using chemicals for odour neutralisation are
difficult to access and would require continuous maintenance and movement by a third party. In addition,
emptying them outside specially designed facilities, is an environmental hazard. Having to defecate in
makeshift arrangements or out in the open, puts them at risk for both infections and attacks, especially the
female members of the population. During the current epidemic, these places are at increased risk for passing
on the virus. This project will design, develop and test a prototype latrine facility unit for PPs populations in line
with their cultural and social norms.