TRCT and ECOPLUS have been working together to set up the pilot site to purify the water from toilet in Thol village. The system has completed in mid-March, and it will be tested in coming months and years. The project is supported by Japan Fund for Global Environment, JFGE.
The system was designed by Professor, Nakano Kazunori of Nihon University in Japan. To decompose human waste and purify the wastewater, the system uses natural mechanism called as “artificial wetland”.
Human waste is not harmful as it is, since it comes out from human body. However, if it just soaked into the ground, in the deeper part, Nitrogen will be changed into nitrate nitrogen, which is harmful for human. Contamination of underground water by the nitrate nitrogen is one of serious risks for cancers.
To avoid such contamination, Oxygen rich environment will avoid making nitrate nitrogen.
So, Prof. Nakano designed the system to use oxygen, or air, mixed environment. The first and second layer of the system are packed with rough gravels and smaller ones with 1 foot thickness. The last layer is 1-foot-thick sea sand. Passing through those filters which contains air, wastewater will be composed and purified.
Such system is already in use in Japan. This time it will be tested in different climate condition from Japan. During the next months and years, the system will be checked, be maintained and will be changed accordingly.
TRCT is now conducting the project to establish eco-tour in Tamil with the support from JICA, Japan International Corporation Agency, and with the partner with ECOPLUS.
The aim is to promote a community based small economy for the sustainable community to generate money for education, medication and healthy community.
In the concept of “ECO-TOUR,” not like mass commercial tourism, we carefully invite people who respect our tradition and nature and who want to touch and learn our way of life here in Yap.
The size of the tour will be only a few people in each village and the villagers will introduce them into their normal daily life. Activities will be carefully prepared to minimize the environmental, social and economic impacts.
In the later part of 2024, some model tours will be conducted inviting participants of ECOPLUS study tour programs in past decades. The tour will be carefully expanded for the general public who want to experience in this island where the nature, culture, and traditions are well preserved.
