TY - JOUR
T1 - Up and down the sanitation ladder: Harmonizing the treatment and multiple-barrier perspectives on risk reduction in wastewater irrigated agriculture
AU - Keraita, Bernard
AU - Drechsel, P.
AU - Konradsen, Flemming
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - This paper discusses two prominent perspectives in the debate on risk reduction in wastewater irrigation; reliance on conventional wastewater treatment and the multiple-barrier approach. The treatment perspective is based on water-quality standards for wastewater irrigation with treatment considered the ultimate risk reduction measure. The somewhat broader multiple-barrier perspective supports the use of a combination of pre-farm, on-farm and post-farm barriers, including, where possible, wastewater treatment, to meet required health targets. The discussion in this paper shows that each perspective has strengths and limitations. Rather than being opposing philosophies, they both support health risk reduction but in different ways depending on the level of the country in the sanitation ladder. Since each perspective has limitations, the recommendation is to capitalize on their strengths and explore synergies to optimize their applications for optimum risk reduction.
AB - This paper discusses two prominent perspectives in the debate on risk reduction in wastewater irrigation; reliance on conventional wastewater treatment and the multiple-barrier approach. The treatment perspective is based on water-quality standards for wastewater irrigation with treatment considered the ultimate risk reduction measure. The somewhat broader multiple-barrier perspective supports the use of a combination of pre-farm, on-farm and post-farm barriers, including, where possible, wastewater treatment, to meet required health targets. The discussion in this paper shows that each perspective has strengths and limitations. Rather than being opposing philosophies, they both support health risk reduction but in different ways depending on the level of the country in the sanitation ladder. Since each perspective has limitations, the recommendation is to capitalize on their strengths and explore synergies to optimize their applications for optimum risk reduction.
KW - Faculty of Science
KW - wastewater
KW - irrigation
KW - Risk Reduction Behavior
U2 - 10.1007/s10795-009-9087-5
DO - 10.1007/s10795-009-9087-5
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0168-6291
VL - 24
SP - 23
EP - 35
JO - Irrigation and Drainage Systems
JF - Irrigation and Drainage Systems
IS - 1-2
ER -
