A Case Study With Neighbourhood Participation

by César Barrientos

In this article, the focus is on the Alameda Norte pilot project, the first phase of which (management of solid waste) has been in operation since mid-1984 in a low-income neighborhood of Guatemala City. Serving 3,000 households, a local pre-cooperative committee provides the services of collection of domestic waste, transport and manual sorting of the waste, and sale of recovered objects and compost.

This pilot project will soon be receiving technical and financial assistance from the Italian government, as well as support from the Municipal Government of Guatemala City and the central Guatemalan government. The objective of this project is to transfer the system to other low-income urban neighborhoods in this city.

How the project originated

As a consequence of the social promotion work carried out by the Municipal Government in outlying urban areas of Guatemala City, a local committee was established in the neighborhood of "Alameda Norte" in Zone 18 in order to address the problem of waste, which was considered to be one of the most important problems in this community. The committee in question submitted a request for aid to the mayor of the city for the purpose of establishing a pool of vehicles for cleaning and transport, to be operated by the residents themselves, in this community with a population of 3,000. Because of the great distance from the site for final disposal of the solid waste (18 km) and the difficulties involved in operating the motor pool for transport of the waste, a more suitable alternative was considered at the suggestion of the environmental programme of the Municipal Government of Guatemala City.

The alternative was proposed to the neighbourhood committee that an "integrated system" be implemented and managed by a local cooperative. The first stage of this would involve collection of separated waste types from the households, composting of the organic part, sorting out of recoverable objects, and sale or consumption by the community of all the by-products of this process. The indispensable prerequisite for implementation of the project was that the committee pledge to participate actively, together with the rest of the community, in management and operation of the plant and of the small productive enterprise based on this technological approach.

Implementation of the first phase

Once the previous phase had been terminated, namely installation of infrastructure for processing of the solid waste (with operation beginning in July 1984), the service of collection and recycling of waste from the neighbourhood of Alameda Norte was initiated. Sufficient capacity was included for extension of the services to the neighbourhood of Alameda II (population 2,000) in the future. The service provided and the right to utilize the installations remained in the hands of the local pre-cooperative committee, as confirmed in a document signed by the mayor.

Between July 1984 and July 1985, the plant operated more or less without problems, and at the end of this time the process of cooperative organization had nearly been completed. Funding was also arranged for completion of the installations for the second phase, with provision of equipment, and monitoring and evaluation of the activities.

Current and future prospects

Given the potential and the integrated character of the pilot project and of its possible transferral to other low-income urban neighborhoods within Guatemala City and other urban zones in the Republic of Guatemala, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development - among other governmental institutions has shown interest in "reopening the case". Based on the non-reimbursable necessary funding and technical assistance soon to be provided by the italian government, it is planned for the physical infrastructure and equipment of the project to be completed, along with monitoring, studies and evaluation activities.

Thus, almost immediate continuation of the project is envisaged, also including construction and implementation of two similar projects to service a total of 42,000 residents and ultimately allow development of the planned investment programmes that would benefit 200,000 inhabitants of the metropolitan zone in a first phase and an even greater target group in a second phase.

Characteristics of the proposed technology

As a result of a preliminary study on this topic conducted in Tegucigalpa, Honduras for OPS/WHO and another study performed recently in Lima, Peru for the GTZ, pilot projects have been proposed that resemble that of Alameda Norte but which would involve five successive development phases culminating in a complete "integrated urban system". The methodology which has been elaborated outlined is below.

It is planned to address, in successive stages, the problems of management and disposal of the solid and liquid wastes produced by low income urban neighborhoods.

First phase:

Collection from the households of waste (without sorting or recycling), deposition of it in collection units (carts), and frequent transport to a landfill site. Payment of minimum wages to the collectors, who are designated by the local pre-cooperative committee. The municipal institution is responsible for the transport by cart.

Second phase:

Collection of waste (with separation of different waste types at the households and recycling), manual sorting to extract recoverable objects, organic material for composting, and rejected materials which then pass to collection units and to the landfill site. The recoverable objects (glass, metals, plastics, paper, cardboard) are sold either locally or elsewhere; the organic fertilizer obtained from composting is sold in the same way. Simple installations are required (small buildings) for sorting and storing of inorganic materials, as well as a site for composting. Transport, less frequently than in Phase 1, of the rejected materials by the municipal institutions.

Third phase:

The above activities are supplemented by family-run or communal farms, the produce of which is sold or consumed. The organic fertilizer is used on a priority basis in these areas, only the surplus being sold. In addition, a small crafts and production center will be incorporated in order to make better use of the objects recovered from the waste and of the agricultural products (for example a canning operation).

Fourth phase:

The above activities are supplemented by a "simplified" (low cost) sewer if one does not already exist, and primary treatment of the wastewater (seadimentator / digester). The products thus obtained are used as follows: the biogas in kitchens and motors for pumping water and sludge, with the clarified water and the sludge, the latter either mixed with compost or by itself, being applied to the crops (with the exception of vegetables). Use of irrigation, the organic fertilizer, and the biogas will serve to increase productivity while reducing expenditure on fuel and conventional fertilizers. By this stage, the community organization will have been legalized and trained for improved management of the systems and products, including formal marketing whithin and outside the community.

Fifth phase:

The quality of the effluent is improved by means of secondary and tertiary treatment of the wastewater, preferably in a series of successive ponds in order to eliminate pathogens, permitting aquaculture and irrigation of crops that grow close to the soil and are highly profitable (peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers etc.). As an alternative to ponds, when this is not feasible it is proposed that a system of filtration by "tower-type" trickling filters be employed.

Some data on the Alameda Norte system (including Alameda II)

Table 1: Population and housing

Total housing
Number of users	884 units
Currently served	5,216
Membership In the cooperative	3,000
Number of plant operators	30
Monthly household Income (current average)	6
Predicted number of man-days	US$ 60 00
of work (over a 10-year period)	13,500

Note: This is a semi-disadvantaged neighborhood with a population belonging to

the lower and lower-middle classes, with more than 40% out of work or under

employed; a few basic utilities are available.

Table 2: Costs of system

Physical Infrastructure of the Integrated Treatment System	US$	147,787.00
Solid waste		32,332.00
Liquid waste		83,974.00
Physical treatment		31,481.00

Note: By way of comparison, the approximate cost of the existing conventional sewerage system for the same community without waste treatment of any kind is US$ 157,400.00

Table 3: Costs and revenues of the completed project

	Years 1-4	Years 5 and above
Annual costs	US$	123,633.00 US$	US$	79,125.00
Annual revenues	245,988.00		157,433.00
Difference	+ 122,355.00		+ 78,308.00

Note: These costs and revenues are based on a production model involving: 12 hectares used for intensive cropping ( 3 harvests per year), 9 hectares of forest for production of fuel wood, and 4.5 hectares of fruit orchards. During the first years greater production of food can be expected with intensive cultivation of crops grown in between the fruit and fuel wood trees (tercropping) , which accounts for the greater gross revenues during this period.

Table 4: Economic indicators for evaluation

Cost/benefit factor	+1.26
Current net value	US$ 196,296.00
Internal rate of return	39.2 %
Time required to recover investments	4 years

Note: These figures have been calculated based on a time-adjustment rate of 16 % over a period of 10 years.

Conclusions

According to the results of preliminary studies, the proposed system as such can be applied to low income outlying urban neighborhoods in the zone of Guatemala City, both from the human point of view (promotion, organization and community response) and in view of physical and topographical considerations. It is characterized by economic and financial viability, thus apparently ensuring integrated economic and social development of the areas served as well as substantial improvements in the fields of health and environmental protection.

Its extrapolation to and replicability in other countries in the region is feasible as long as preliminary studies are conducted with the aim of permitting the required adaptations of the technological approach involved (integrated system, community self-administration, etc.) to be made. In order to obtain the desired effects, it is necessary for the remaining phases of the Alameda Norte pilot project to be implemented: complete functioning, monitoring, applied investigation, and integrated evaluation of the system (which has only been done in a partial manner so far).

The methodology set forth here, i.e. of addressing the requirements by stages and adapting to the unique local conditions of each city and low-income urban neighborhood, could serve to ensure more extensive use of this technological approach. For this reason it is believed to be suitable for application to other, analogous pilot projects in this and other regions of the Third World. The required adaptations could be initiated from the start in a parallel process, benefitting from the experience gained by the Alameda Norte project in Guatemala.

The greatest difficulty which this technological approach poses is not the technology itself, but rather its adequate integration of the local population into the process on a sustained basis. For this reason, it is essential to foster - with and not just for the community - an awareness founded on education and emergence of a spirit of responsibility as regards environmental problems and the most suitable ways of dealing with them. It is necessary for the residents of such neighborhoods, with appropriate institutional support, to realize that they themselves are the direct perpetrators of the environmental problems and that nobody else is going to take the job of solving them off their hands. Consequently, they are going to have to become familiar with the problems and get a grip on them by means of a special dynamic process which has been termed 'community self-administration of the environment" in Guatemala. The institutions must enable them to do this, training and preparing them for the task facing them.

Abstract

In Alameda Norte, an outlying suburb of Guatemala City, a waste recycling experiment has been in effect since mid-1984. All the in habitants of the district are relatively poor, At present there are 3,000 households participating in the experiment. Collection transport and sorting of the domestic waste are in the hands of a local neighbourhood organization knownas a prcooperative commite. this commite also sells recycled products and the compost produced. In view of the very encouraging results to date it is planned to introduce this form of domestic waste disposal in other districts as well.

Résumé

Depuis le milieu de I'année 1984, un projet expérimental de recyclage des déchets a ete mis en place á AIameda Norte, quartier périphérique de la ville de Guatemala. Ce quartier est peuple exclusivemnent par une population pauvre. Le nombre des foyers participating á cette expérience est actuellement, 3000. La collecte des ordures ménagères, leur transport ainsi que leur triage vent assures par comité local. De même, pour ce qui est de la vente des pro duits recyclage et du compost ainsi obtenu. Les résultats de cette expérience étant trés positifs, on envisage d'introduire ce système d'élimination des ordures ména gères dans d'autres quartiers de ville.

Extracto

Desde mediados de 1984 se esta realizando un ensayo de reciclaje de basuras en Alameda Norte, un distrito del extrarradio de la ciudad de Guatemala, en el que viven exclusivamente gentes de pocos medios económicos. Actualmente participan unos 3.000 hogares en el ensayo. La recogida de los desechos domiciliarios, el transporte y la clasificación /os realiza una iniciativa ciudadana local, quien se encarga asimismo de la ventas de los productos reciclados y del compostage. Dado que las experiencias han sido hasta ahora muy positivas, se quiere introducir también en otros barrios de la ciudad este sistema de eliminación de las basuras domiciliarias. D