One amazing power of what human excreta can do for this country is its enormous support in our energy sector. Just recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently awarded Columbia University professor Kartik Chandran a $1.5 million grant to develop a “Next-Generation Urban Sanitation Facility” in Accra, Ghana along with Waste Enterprisers (a private American-led, Ghanaian company) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
The purpose of the facility is to turn organic compounds from fecal sludge (human excreta) into biodiesel and methane, two energy sources. The project has a potential of providing cheap source of fuel to boost our energy sector replacing our dependency on forest for fuel in cooking. In fact, there are some households in this country which are relying on biogas in cooking and lightening. Moreover, biogas can be upgraded to a level compatible with natural gas by cleaning, with the resulting gas being delivered to power thermal plants which depend fully on natural gas.
The cost of petroleum products and its fast depletion has currently called on attention sustainable means of producing energy. Ghana, for example, is facing challenges on meeting its energy needs of people due to increasing population and increasing in usage of electronic gadgets and technologies which rely solely on electricity.
Scientists are working hard to develop technologies that would turn waste especially waste water into drinking water. One of such development is the Oniprocessor, a waste treatment plant, which was developed by Janicki Bioenery, and has a tendency to process sewage for a community of about 100,000 people. One interesting thing about this plant is that it uses technology which rely on energy from sewage sludge to power itself.
Biodiesel, has been termed as a sustainable means to alternative fuel as compared to fuel from fossil fuel. Biodiesel reduce emissions of particulates, small particles of solid combustion products. Several works have established biodiesel as more environmental friendly as compared to fossil fuel. Plants’ fruits and seeds which are used in production of biodiesels would therefore depend on human excreta for their production and cultivation.
In all, if the government is to ensure proper management of human excreta, diseases related to contamination of human excreta would be a thing of the past in this country. This would be made possible as human excreta would no more be channeled into water bodies and its direct contact with humans would be minimized. Currently, 1.8 million people die each year from water transmitted diseases like cholera, dysentery, typhus fever, typhoid, and so on. In addition, 1.5 million children die every year from diarrhea. Most of these top related diseases are more environmental related which could be reduced drastically if human excreta are effectively managed. Moreover, the government have to spend huge amount of money to cure outbreak of these environmental related diseases. The impact of outbreak of diseases such as cholera and diarrhea significantly affect tourisms, agricultural exports and others sectors.
As a country, we can learn significantly from Britain. Water-borne diseases were predominant in the Britain in the 19th Century. The diseases were killing people in Britain. It is on record that over 21, 000 people died in the first known cholera epidemic in the 1830s. In 1848, their Parliament passed the Public Health Act which became a model plumbing code for the world to follow. Every house was instructed to have sanitary facilities whether a flushing toilet, privy or ash pit. Their government released money for sanitary research and engineering and build a sound sewer system. All measures were put in place to effectively manage human excreta by preventing it direct contact with water bodies and human contacts.
In 1875, a second Public Health Act came to pass compelling local authorities to provide sewage disposal facilities and clean water for all. By 1900, death rate related to water-borne diseases had fallen dramatically and most towns had efficient sewer and water systems. This is the country that most Ghanaian would choose to stay when given the option to choose between Britain and Ghana. The secret is, they identified a problem, and made resolute actions to solve it. Today, the waste sector provides quality and decent employment to huge numbers of people in Britain. Today, cholera and some water borne diseases have been eradicated in Britain.
Though It has conclusively been shown that investing in health in developing countries saves lives and produces clear and measurable financial returns, it seems the politicians in this country care more of retaining power than saving lives. As human excreta become useful, it has the tendency of reducing poverty, by producing sustainable jobs in energy sectors, agricultural, beautification projects and saving the government huge sums of money from spending on diseases caused by contamination from human excreta. Human resources would improve and malnourished children would be a thing of the past. Every human life in this country value much and therefore managing human excreta effectively can help reduce such number of death. Once again, the next time you flush the toilet, remember, you just flushed a million worth of money.