Developing an integrated sustainable sanitation system for urban areas: Gaza strip case study

A vertical flow (reed bed) constructed wetland was used for treating bio-solid and gray water. The results present a positive performance in treating the bio-solids and well-stabilized accumulated organic material in the bed formed fertile soil. Moreover, using vertical flow reed bed of liquid waste treatment showed removal of around 70% of organic matter indicator Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The Fecal Coliform (FC) removal was around 2 logs (99.9%) with a retention time of less than two days. The effluent can be used in agriculture or groundwater recharge. A semi-dry toilet followed by anaerobic/aerobic units is in planning to be coupled with an existing system. The system mainly depended on separating of the human excreta from the urine and gray water. The two separated fractions will be treated in vertical flow reed bed to produce organic fertilizer and reclaimed water for reuse. Such systems could be a suitable solution for wastewater problems in Gaza strip and similar regions. The designed and planned system integrated environmental and technical sound approaches with socio-economical aspects. In addition, the designed system implemented the idea of a natural and closed circle of water and nutrients “from food to food”

Integration of Sustainability in Engineering Education in Palestine

Supporting engineering education is considered as one of the main goals that lead to strong Palestinian economy due to the strong interactions and synergy effects between education and the economy. Engineering education is considered a mid-point that connects natural resources at one side to industrial products at the other side. To keep this connection in a sustainable manner that guarantees maintaining these resources for the longest time of life, engineering courses and programs are designed by integrating sustainability aspects into engineering education in order to increase productivity resource efficiency without damaging the environment.The focal point of this paper is the academic faculties of engineering where education and training courses are designed and delivered on one hand and innovation and research are fostered on the other hand. This paper demonstrates an overview of the potential contributions of academia in altering the attitude of industries toward more sustainable resource consumption and capacity building for implementing sustainable engineering. Bachelor and master engineering programs will be considered in the paper. Cooperation and partnership between higher educational institutions and industry will be addressed in the context of sustainability and taking into account national and international indicators for this partnership