Capacity needs to achieve the UN MDG target 10 in Asia

A preliminary study is conducted in Asia to assess the capacity needs to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal 7, Target 10 on water supply and sanitation. Needs assessment methodology, compatible with that proposed by the UN Millennium Project, is adopted. Data is gathered by interviewing 66 selected respondents in Bangladesh, China, India and Nepal. In addition, a few projects are analysed for the involvement of professionals. Respondents find that engineers lack managerial skills as well as understanding of social realities. Engineering students are not enough exposed to real-life engineering practice. Curricula and research are insufficiently oriented towards local circumstances and needs. Institutions of higher education lack physical facilities and financial and, consequently, human resources. Analysis of several water supply and sanitation projects reveals that about 20% of professional staff is needed for community mobilisation, in order to ensure the success and sustainability of projects

The weak link in waste management in tropical Asia? Solid waste collection in Bali

This article builds on earlier work that examined waste processing options on the island of Bali, which can be seen as a useful "laboratory" for the study of solid waste management (SWM) problems and solutions in tropical Asia. The research reported here examines the challenges of waste collection, the component of SWM systems where public awareness and household waste management begin, but which are often a weak link in waste management chains. Moreover, it focuses on small towns and the specific problems they face, which are different from those in large cities that usually receive more political (and scientific) attention. The article consists of ethnographic accounts of waste collection and disposal initiatives in several small towns on the island, intended to cast light on the complex local political, economic and other socio-cultural realities that ultimately determine the success or failure of waste collection as a public utility service. Our evidence suggests a need for more attention to the collection end of the waste handling process and to the local socio-cultural factors that "make or break" waste management systems

Recovery of essential nutrients from municipal solid waste - Impact of waste management infrastructure and governance aspects

Every year 120-140. million tonnes of bio-waste are generated in Europe, most of which is landfilled, incinerated or stabilized and used as covering material in landfill operation. None of these practices enables the recovery of essential nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N), which are in great demand for agricultural production. Recovery of these nutrients is a matter of international concern considering the non-renewable nature of P sources and the energy intensive production process required for the synthesis of N fertilizers. The objective of this research is to understand the relation between the municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system, both its the physical components and governance aspects, and the recovery of nutrients in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country) as a benchmark for European medium-size cities. The analysis shows that the existing physical infrastructure and facilities for bio-waste have high potential for nutrient recovery, 49% for N and 83% for P contained in bio-waste. However, governance aspects of the MSWM system such as legislation and user inclusivity play an important role and decrease the actual nutrient recovery to 3.4% and 7.4% for N and P respectively

(E)-4-[(2-Carbamoylhydrazinylidene)methyl]-3-hydroxy-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyridin-1-ium nitrate

The title compound, C9H13N4O3+center dot NO3-, is the first structurally characterized Schiff base derived from semicarbazide and pyridoxal. Unusually for an unsubstituted semicarbazone, the compound adopts a syn conformation, in which the carbonyl O atom is in a cis disposition relative to the azomethine N atom. This arrangement is supported by a pair of hydrogen bonds between the organic cation and the nitrate anion. The cation is essentially planar, with only a hydroxymethyl O atom deviating significantly from the mean plane of the remaining atoms (r.m.s. deviation of the remaining non-H atoms = 0.01 angstrom). The molecules are linked into flat layers by N-H center dot center dot center dot O and C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds. O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds involving the hydroxymethyl group as a donor interconnect the layers into a three-dimensional structure

Synthesis, characterization, cytotoxicity and antiangiogenic activity of copper(II) complexes with 1-adamantoyl hydrazone bearing pyridine rings

Three novel copper complexes with tridentate N2O ligand di(2-pyridil) ketone 1-adamantoyl hydrazone (Addpy) of the formula [(Cu2Cu2I)-Cu-II(Addpy)(2)Br-2(mu-Br-4)] (1), catena-poly[CuCl(mu-Addpy)(mu-Cl)CuCl2](n) (2) and [Cu(Addpy)(NCS)(2)] (3) were synthesized. Complexes are characterized by X-ray crystallography, spectral (UV-Vis, FTIR), electrochemical (CV) analyses, and magnetochemical measurements. Investigation of anticancer potential of Cu(II) complexes, mode of cell death, apoptosis, and inhibition of angiogenesis were performed. All tested malignant cell lines (HeLa, LS174, A549, K562, and MDA-MB-231) showed high sensitivity to the examined Cu(II) complexes. It has been shown that the complexes induce apoptosis in the caspase 3-dependent manner, whereas the anti-angiogenic effects of 1, 2, and 3 have been confirmed in EA.hy926 cells using a tube formation assay. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved

Integrated sustainable waste management in developing countries

This paper uses the lens of 'integrated sustainable waste management' to examine how cities in developing countries have been tackling their solid waste problems. The history of related concepts and terms is reviewed, and ISWM is clearly differentiated from integrated waste management, used mostly in the context of technological integration in developed countries. Instead, integrated sustainable waste management examines both the physical components (collection, disposal and recycling) and the governance aspects (inclusivity of users and service providers; financial sustainability; coherent, sound institutions underpinned by proactive policies). The data show that performance has improved significantly over the last 10 years. Levels of collection coverage and controlled disposal of 95% in middleincome and 50% in low-income cities are already commonplace. Recycling rates of 20-30% are achieved by the informal sector in many lower income countries, at no direct cost to the city - presenting a major opportunity for all key stakeholders if the persistent challenges can be resolved. The evidence suggests that efficient, effective and affordable systems are tailored to local needs and conditions, developed with direct involvement of service beneficiaries. Despite the remaining challenges, evidence of recent improvements suggests that sustainable solid waste and resources management is feasible for developing countries

‘Wasteaware’ Benchmark Indicators for Integrated Sustainable Waste Management in Cities

This paper addresses a major problem in international solid waste management, which is twofold: a lack of data, and a lack of consistent data to allow comparison between cities. The paper presents an indicator set for integrated sustainable waste management (ISWM) in cities both North and South, to allow benchmarking of a city’s performance, comparing cities and monitoring developments over time. It builds on pioneering work for UN-Habitat’s solid waste management in the World’s cities. The comprehensive analytical framework of a city’s solid waste management system is divided into two overlapping ‘triangles’ – one comprising the three physical components, i.e. collection, recycling, and disposal, and the other comprising three governance aspects, i.e. inclusivity; financial sustainability; and sound institutions and proactive policies. The indicator set includes essential quantitative indicators as well as qualitative composite indicators. This updated and revised ‘Wasteaware’ set of ISWM benchmark indicators is the cumulative result of testing various prototypes in more than 50 cities around the world. This experience confirms the utility of indicators in allowing comprehensive performance measurement and comparison of both ‘hard’ physical components and ‘soft’ governance aspects; and in prioritising ‘next steps’ in developing a city’s solid waste management system, by identifying both local strengths that can be built on and weak points to be addressed. The Wasteaware ISWM indicators are applicable to a broad range of cities with very different levels of income and solid waste management practices. Their wide application as a standard methodology will help to fill the historical data gap