SWAPNO-Project
In Bangladesh, groundwater is used as drinking water without further treatment. However, untreated groundwater can contain problematic contaminants. Arsenic is an extremely toxic substance that occurs naturally in groundwater. Microbial contamination also poses a major problem, particularly when water is stored in unhygienic conditions or when surface water is used as a source of drinking water. Water treatment solutions at the household level are often unaffordable for most households. Furthermore, the contaminated filter media generate toxic waste for which there are no suitable disposal systems. For this reason, filters are not considered a sustainable solution.
The SWAPNO project aims to establish a cost-effective, easy-to-use and sustainable water treatment system for removing various water contaminants at the household level. It takes a holistic approach by addressing not only drinking water but also the improvement of general hygiene conditions. To this end, the project aims to provide easy access to clean drinking and domestic water within the home. In a second step, the project will investigate how these solutions impact health outcomes (e.g. diarrhoeal diseases). Environmental aspects, such as the reusability of consumables (e.g. adsorbent media), will also be investigated. This research aims to contribute to a better understanding of the effectiveness, acceptance and use of handwashing and filtration systems for use in households in regions of South Asia with poor infrastructure, thereby sustainably improving the health situation of the people living there.
The project is an interdisciplinary research project run by the German Alliance for Global Health Research (GLOHRA), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), with the following project partners:
- Institute for Geosciences, University of Heidelberg
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam
- AGAPE e.V. Heidelberg
Filter system and handwashing system, that are provided for the project households.
This project is supported by the German Alliance for Global Health Research (GLOHRA) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
