So for the introductions:
Erik
I am a Geological Engineering major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and am studying in Finland during the spring through an exchange program this spring. Hoping to get a Certificate in Energy Sustainability as well.
Santo
A Architectural Engineering & Finance major from Adelaide Australia Both of his skill sets will be put to good use during this project. He is also on exchange, but he is lucky enough to be here for a whole year!
Nina
Currently getting her master's degree in New Media, and she already has a degree in International Design Business. Again both skill will be very useful as we continue the work you have all started. On top of that, she is already very active in Lebanon and travels to Beirut quite often. It will be nice to have some connections over the course of the semester.
Desmond
Majoring in Creative Sustainability and Real Estates, Desmond hails from Cameroon Africa. Once again his skill are well suited for the challenges presented by this product.
So far we are still planning how to attack the giant challenge creating a sustainable community in a country known not only for it's volatile politics, but its volatile energy supply as well. During our brainstorm session today, we decided that the energy part of the project had been well discussed previously, and to provide another element to the project we decided to focus on the availability of water in the village.
Here is our problem tree. We decided that the water would be used in village in three main ways: Agriculture, Everyday Use (Washing and Drinking), and Waste Water. The lack of infrastructure poses a problem because there are no wells from which we can get data about ground water, and no way to transport the water. There is also little info about rainwater in the region, and if it is a viable option to collect it.
Another large problem is the cleanliness of the water. Is it suitable to drink? Are the ways to sanitize that don't use tons of energy? How much energy is needed for hot water in the region? All of these questions relate to the energy issue which in turn relates to the cost of water in the region.
After feeling a little depressed about all the problems we were facing ;) we looked to create a strategy tree to help us attack the problems:
There are two main sources of water in the region: Groundwater and Rainwater which both need research into how much is available for use, how to collect it, and how to efficiently use it once we have. Perhaps the farming methods in place are not the best going forward. Would greenhouses lead to better water conservation and crop yields? Physically installing observation wells and running pumping tests to determine aquifer properties is not really an option, so we will have to rely mostly on research of nearby areas to develop a plan that can be used to determine properties in the area. On top of this, the people of the village need to be informed and aware of how precious this resource is. This way they can be an active part of the project. The way the project is presented is also an important part of this. Specific terminology can be used to reinforce these principles, especially because the population has special needs. This also leads to another important aspect of the project, because the majority of our clients are special needs, are there different ways water can be incorporated as therapy for the village?
As the semester continues we will search for answers to these questions and more, and we will definitely be keeping you all updated on our progress. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and we all hope we can contribute to this amazing project in a significant way. More to come, and until next time hope you're all having a great spring :)
Sincerely,
RVG2013
