redesigning refugee camps
inspired by the ZERI concept
input from Gunter Pauli
to the charrette organized by RMI in Santa
Barbara
February 10-14, 2002
Background
Humanity
faces numerous challenges. But one of the most daunting is how to deal with man-made
disasters which lead to millions of refugees fleeing war-torn regions of the
world. Whereas the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) since
decades has a mandate to respond to the immediate needs of those crossing
borders in search of safety, time may have come to have a fresh look. The
images of people holding on to a few possessions have flashed so often across
TV-screens, but few realize the harsh realities that both refugees and international organizations face in an
attempt to respond to the basic needs.
Ideally,
refugees are welcomed in the prosperous neighboring nations, given safe
passage, and secured a temporary home so that repatriation can be orderly
organized rather sooner than later. The hard facts are the opposite indeed. The
Jewish communities living in Europe had to flee from the Nazis, and suffered
centuries of hatred. They had to survive in hostile environments and fled
Europe en masse when fascism ruled the Old Continent. They found peace when
Israel was established. Millions of Palestinian refugees have been locked up in
camps for four decades, now entering a third generation of children who are
faced with hatred and barbed wires while they continue to dream of returning to
their grandfather’s land. Millions of Colombians have fled the rural violence
which has erupted over cocaine and herion farming, and the list of disasters is
long indeed. Actually few ever reach the main page of our newspaper. The case
of the Afghan refugees who have been fleeing their nation a few decades ago, is
harsh and stands vivid before our eyes. One wonders how any of these persons
who have suffered so much and had to leave all behind could survive these
atrocious circumstances, keeping their faith, and not turn to violence as a
unique means of expressing frustration over their lost ones, and showing anger
over the world’s neglect. Actually, the large majority of refugees have
demonstrated impressive restraint most of us in the industrialized world would
not be capable of.
The
cause of the refugees must incite us to think different. We know all too well
that whatever we attempt in such a crisis situation it is insufficient. But we
also know that resignation to the fact that what we do is insufficient, will
only increase suffering. We must ask ourselves the question how can we assist?
Since a reality check confirms us that the majority of refugees do not return
home, could we not turn to the well-known adagio: “If you give a fish, they
will not be hungry for a day; if you teach them how to fish, they will have
food forever”. That is true as long as the refugees get permission to fish, and
this only holds as long as there is enough fish to catch. As soon as thousands
of refugees start to overfish, then the local population and the refugees will
depend on someone giving them a fish to survive. The Chinese proverb is then
better expanded to “If you learn how the Five Kingdoms of Nature work, then
there will never be hunger”.
The
ZERI concept may offer a basis of inspiration on how to deal with these complex
challenges of refugees who are most of the time not really welcome in their
temporary homeland. The ZERI approach builds on two considerations : (1) let us
start with what the people have, and (2) let us design jointly a system in
co-evolution with nature so that their presence and integration can be
socially, ecologically and economically sustainable. The purpose of this
article is to serve as a creative input to this debate.
Starting with
what is available
The
mere idea that the design of a refugee camp starts with what people have can
easily be described as an oxymoron: it simply does not exist. The mere fact
that these people are refugees seems to confirm that there is nothing. They
left everything behind and miraculously
survived hardship and arrive with miserable clothing, a few personal
belongings, a picture of their loved ones, perhaps a goat and a bicycle. It is
true, that on one hand one can see it this way. On the other hand, refugees
have a tremendous courage. In order to survive war or in some cases natural
disasters, they decided to flee, take their lives in their hands and jump into
the unknown. Their will to survive is a tremendous asset.
People
who have chosen to survive and have been prepared to give up their home and
sometimes even their loved ones, are prepared to do anything that it takes to
get back what they lost: including hard work, taking risks and going beyond the
reasonable. The mere idea that the few who succeeded in their flight would then
readily give up their autonomy and submit to “aid”, whereby a simple card
certifies that you are a UNCHR-refugee seems a contradiction to what most
psychologists would suggest. These people carried their lives in their hands,
trust only themselves and those who have successfully lead them out of
disaster.
The
first asset is therefore of course the people and their mind set. They are
geared towards survival. But also in view of what they had to go through to
survive, one cannot expect simple surrender to a new regime of aid and order,
or more, expect these character-rich individuals to ever change anything that
they know and could rely on for their survival. Change is self-evident. This
leads us to believe that the opportunity to design a refugee camp on the basis
of these premises, will lead to an approach which may be able to respond
sustainably to the basic needs.
This
approach is not a criticism of international organizations, the United Nations
and the NGOs, which are doing their very best to assist and alliviate the suffering.
It is only an attempt to translate this basic concept of sustainable design
into one of the most fragile and needed interventions humanity must lend to
those who are refugees. It starts from the hypotheses that (1) we start from
what they have, that (2) there is always room for improvement, and (3)
sometimes improvement comes from those who are “out of the box”.
The long list
of needs
Refugees
have a long list of needs. Water, food, sanitation and health care are top
priorities (Table 1). Shelter and energy are part of an immediate second set.
Security comes as a rapid third package. Over the long term, education and jobs
cannot be neglected. This is a vast task for anyone who has decided to dedicate
time and effort to respond to refugees’ needs. Consider for a moment the
magnitude of the challenge: the camps to be set up, on sites approved by the
host nation, must be operational in no time, and must accomodate often 10,000
sometimes even 500,000 people in a matter of weeks. It clearly is a scary thought
to even pretend you can do any of this. Mistakes will be made, even when
avoided at all cost. But the speed with which decisions have to be made implies
that the mere strategic approach is going to be a military one : do what you
know works, and do it fast.
But
apart from the long list of needs of the refugees, there is also a long list of
needs of the local population. It may be perceived by the communities were the
camps are established, that the refugees get preferential treatment: free food
and water, sanitation and quality health care at no cost. The refugees will
encroach on a fragile socio-economic system. This could rapidly deteriote the
ecosystem, and a highly stressful relationship between the two communities is
more the rule than an exception.
Turning value
out of hidden assets
If
there were only one lake, then the addition of 100,000 fisherman will kill of
all fish in no time. But if we combine the assets of the refugees, i.e. their
desire to survive with the hidden assets of the system of the host region where
they arrived, then it may be possible to start build a strategy which is able
to respond to the needs of both communities, with more chances of success, at
greater levels of efficiency, at lower cost. Eventually, the whole initiative
could become self-sustaining.
The
ZERI concept always starts from what is there, and reviews the opportunities on
the basis of insights in species of the “5 Kingdoms of Nature” which are always
locally present. Even in the desert, and even on eroded land, even in the high
mountain ranges, there are always bacteria, algae, fungi, plants and animals.
It is the dynamic relationships amongst all five, especially how one kingdom
converts the waste of another in food for itself, leaving its waste behind as a
nutrient for a member of yet another kingdom. The dynamic matrix of relations
which emerges is an inspiration on how to design any new activity. Any
initiative which relies on these core principles has the chance to become
sustainable and could even unleash a development process which maintains a co-evolutionary path with
the dynamics of the local ecosystem.
Water first
Potable
water and a continuous supply of water for washing and local needs is
indispensable. Whereas watertanks are moved in, by truck or even dropped from
the air, is a first logical measure which does not threaten the perhaps limited
water resources available to the local population, a few ideas immediately come
to mind: condensation water and closed loop well/aquifer pumping.
Water
is a precondition for survival. Contaminated water will cause diseases,
including typhoid, hepatitis and cholera. Therefore water must be sanitized. An
untapped and rich source of water is the humidity in the air. While there are
no catchment systems in place which secure an abundant supply to meet the 10
liters per person per day minimum, condensation water can quickly complement
the resources needed to get local farming of many kinds going. The idea is
simple, if a truck arrives, instead of just opening the valve, and fill up the
buckets, a series of black water tubes are attached to the tank, securing a
distribution based on gravity. This produces foreseeable results. Along the
tubes laying in rows on the dry ground, condensation will quickly lead to the
growing of some grasses. This humidity could lead to a basis for some small
garden projects, which as soon as compost arrives, from other processes
described below, then there is a minimum basis for farming.
One
issue of conflict between the local population and the refugees is access to
ground water, either surface wells or aquifers. The local population will
object to excessive pumping of their dwindling ground water resources. And if
this water is accessed, it could certainly become a point of contention even
when it is not overused. Sometimes the piece of land alloted by the local
government does not have potable water in the ground, it may be salty,
over-mineralized and thus unsuitable for drinking. In either case, the water
could be pumped up from one side, run through these black pipes, cause a
condensation and quickly flow back into the ground. Since contaminated water
does not actually leave the pipes, but rather only provides a mechanism for
condensation, it serves a purpose which was not noted before. A hidden asset
has been unearthed. This is an interesting tool, especially when the point of
release into the aquifer is lower than the point of entry, then there will be
an unlimited flow thanks to the physics of pressure known under the law of
communicating vessels.
This
technique is simple to implement, takes only a couple hours to put into
operation, and could even lead to a small generator of energy by adding a
microturbine to the pipe. Now the water is already a producer of energy,
sufficient perhaps to light a lamp at night, one of the simplest ways to offer
a sense of security to the people in the camps. The creation of septic tanks
and the construction of small digesters will further ensure that there are
multiple resources of water for reuse in the community.
Water
sanitation and digestors
Water
sanitation is mainly guaranteed through chlorinating water. There is insufficient energy to boil water. Ozone or
ultra-violet treatments are too expensive and fragile to operate under such
harsh conditions. The most obvious solution would be a simple three stage
anaerobic digestor. The advantage of this three stage system is that it
guarantees the elimination of pathogens from human waste, which could survive
in a two stage one which is the standard on the market. When refugees arrive,
or generally prior to their arrival the main work on site is the construction
of latrines, which is basically moving earth and digging holes with heavy duty
equipment. While this is a pragmatic approach, seldom time and money is
available to provide the lining so that - just in case this sanitary solution
were to necesary long term option - does not risk contaminating the ground
water.
The
following approach may suggest a more flexible solution. Using simple plastics
and reinformcements. Small digesters can be installed which could serve say 4
households. These small digesters can be installed under the supervision of one
local expert for every four families. Once the family understands the concepts,
knows the construction technique and starts mastering the operations thanks to
a hands-on experience how to maintain the system, they can assist others doing
the same. The first four families have one, once they know enough, they can
assist another four families (i.e. 16 families), and another four (i.e. 64, 256
then 1,024 ....), and as such the necessary experience can be shared on “an
exponential basis”.
The
advantages of a decentralized system is that this plastic-based digestor is
fast to install, taking just a couple hours, opposed to a cement construction
which would take weeks. The concept per family of four avoid a major investment
in tubes and sewage. It is modular, and as more people arrive, more systems are
set-up, and if they were ever to be dismantled, then there is no heavy duty
equipment needed. The content is sanitized through a retention time of 21 days,
and the by-products are biogas which can be used to light a few lamps, and even
to cook a warm meal a day.
A
biodigestor operating on human waste only will not have sufficient organic
content to generate sufficient energy for light and cooking. But if there are
central shower systems with small ponds and wetlands where water hyacinth would
thrive, then the excess plants could be added to the digestor boosting biogas
production.
Once
this digester is in place, the processing of waste could expand to the
inclusion of some animal waste, perhaps even some additional biomass from
farming and food residues. Apart from generating biogas, this unit will also
generate a slurry which may be of the right type to secure further
mineralization with algae. These algae are nutritious and are welcome additives
to any animal feed that would be available locally. The residual water which is
finally recovered at a rate of 1 to 5, is then useful for all types of
secondary water use, including irrigation of the small gardens. Taking care of
the toilets, leads us to additional water sources.
One
of the simple techniques for the efficient distribution of water is actually packaging it in small bags.
The purpose is to save more water by making it available through polipropylene
(PP) bags. If one were to use bottles, then massive waste is generated (PET +
PP). If on the other hand a small water bagging operation were operated
locally, consumption would be much lower, wastage would be nearly eliminated,
and most important now the plastic (PP) can be reused. Whereas the PET
packaging system claims that containers are recyclable, these are in fact not
easy to recycle. First the cap is of PP which can be removed easily, though the
ring holder causes a problem. It is a tricky process to remove paper from the
plastic and this job is not ideal for a refugee camp. The alternative option is
bagging with PP with the simple condition that who ever wants a new bag, must
bring the old bag back.
PP
is an excellent quality plastic but too expensive, even for the industrialized
world. That why its use is limited to only the cap only. But if we were to
secure a full recovery of the plastic, which never has to be separated, then
the PP can be recovered and used as a raw material for pipes ... which are in
abundant demand locally anyway. This program has been tested and implemented
with success in Las Gaviotas (Vichada, Colombia).
Whereas
these ideas do not suggest that it can eliminate the need of water, it can
certainly offer an avenue which permits the generation of additional water, and
increase the effective use of the available resources, relying on simple
technologies. Some will save water, and generate activities which make sense,
and reduce overall consumption while increasing the amount available for input.
These processes even generate a few jobs, start a couple industrial activities,
modest and small, but considering that the refugees will have learned how to
operate this, it will be of use nearly anywhere in the world.
Producing
food sustainably
It
does not happen very often that a site provided by the host government offers
rich soil for farming. It is more the rule than the exception that the area is
characterized by soil erosion, deforestation, and water shortage. The site will
be fenced and the residents are often restricted from moving outside the camp
even when the international convention on refugees foresees that all residents
of that area have equal freedom to move around. Ideally, each family should
have 200 to 300 sqm available. Most of the time, it is not even half of that
amount.
To
imagine that under these circumstances, and with very small plots it would ever
be possible to farm veggies and hold cattle is a pipe dream. It will never
work. But, if one is prepared to trigger a process whereby one is not in the
first place searching for food from animals and plants as is usually the case,
but rather from two other kingdoms of nature which are in abundance and so much
faster in production, i.e. mushrooms and algae, then a successful alternative
can be seeded.
Mushrooms
are remarkable indeed. Some species only need 10 days between inoculation and
fruiting, which is problably the fastest turnaround of a waste into a rich
source of essential amino acids, a core component in the food intake. If there
were a bit of planning, packaging
materials are shipped to remote places like the camps and could become ideal for mushroom
farming. Cardboard is one, some local grasses, but even hair and finger nails
are readily degraded by mushrooms into nutrients. And if the water hyacinths
start thriving on the water treatment systems, one could even have a miracle
occur. As has been demonstrated by Mrs. Margaret Tagwira, in a peer reviewed
article in 1997, ‘100 lbs of dried water hyacinth could produce of to 240 lbs
of fresh mushrooms[1]’.
Mushrooms
are not only nutritious, several ones are recognized as medicinal. Unlike most
medicines known to modern pharmacologies, mushrooms do not attempt to kill a
virus or eliminate a toxin, these merely strengthen the immune system thus
rendering the detrimental activities of toxins less or ineffective. A
nutrients’ base which is complemented with the terpinoids and polysaccharide
proteins (PSP) will strengthen the immune system against virus. This reduces
the need for antibiotics. The farming of mushrooms is thus more than just the
provision of healthy food, converting some waste into an edible product, it can
also be considered preventive medicine. This is another example of how it is
possible to combine very diverse agendas into one system.
There
are numerous techniques to prepare a substrate for farming. Traditionally one
has to sterilize or pasteurize, which requires a large energy input and some
capital investments. But as has been demonstrated on remote sites in Africa and
Asia, several mushroom species are quite content with a substrate which is
fermented. Since this would bring the pH down, competing mirco-organisms are
eliminated, leaving a solid basis for mushroom enzymes to degrade the
substrate.
Algae next to
mushrooms
But
while mushrooms are attractive, and quickly taken as a core component of the
food supply, algae have also demonstrated their capability to respond to basic
people’s needs. Algae are often associated with environmental problems caused
by the blue-green algae. But the generation of algae in water which contains
already a 60% mineralized organic matter, like the one pouring out of a
digester, could produce a wide variety of algae, and aquatic plants such as
spirulina, lemna and chlorella. These are notoriously nutritious. Whereas
spirulina could be used as a food addititve, in particular in fighting
malnutrition amongst children, the other biota will be ideal as a feed
supplement for animals, from cattle, goats, chickens and turkeys, to pigs.
All
these animals of course generate manure, which should not be laying around in
such an intense environment. These excrements could best be channeled into
digestors where they are prized for their capacity to further enhance the
production of biogas. The five kingdoms of nature will slowly but steadily
combine their efforts to alleviate the suffering of these refugees.
Provding more
feed than what is available
Keeping
herds has been a typical problem at refugee camps. The local food base is
certainly not enough to respond to the feed required of the animals, let alone
of the people. The lack of space has exacerbated the problem, which may lead to
the decision to prohibit any type of animal husbandry in the camp. This would
be a pitty, since keeping animals could be a core component in bringing
refugees to a lower degree of dependency on donor aid. The soil will likely
suffer from overgrazing, and if this has not already happened, it would occur
quickly once animals are permitted unless some alternative feed options are
taken into account. One such option is the thinning of the local forests
through the harvesting of small diameter woods.
Any
forest has large amounts of small diameter wood. This is defined in North
America as any tree with a diameter less than 6 inches. As a matter of safety
it makes sense to remove some small diameter wood which is a major cause of
forest fires. But this wood should not be used as a fuel, it should give rise
to a rich cascade of valuable products. The first one would be the production
of animal feed from the foliage through an intensive fungal treatment. The goal
here is not to farm mushrooms, the main purpose is to convert this foliage into
a rich and easy to digest feed. Leaves and twigs are often devoured by sheep
and goats, though digestion is not so easy and the nutrient content is limited.
If one were to first treat this biomass with fungi, from the local biodiversity
made available through tissue culture, then lignin and cellulose would be
broken down. Even better, the substrate will be enriched with fungal proteins
which will include several of the essential amino acids (e.g. lysine) that are
growth stimulants for animals.
When
the ecosystem is under stress, it is necessary to secure that people have the
right reflexes. If there is not enough feed, then overgrazing may result.
Instead of running the risk of overgrazing, the opportunity of converting
grasses, leaves and twiggs into rich animal feed will not only divert
attention, but will permit to respond to local needs with a productivity which
is a multiple of what is now actually digested. When refugees learn that
grasses which have been treated with fungus are actually richer than mere
grasses, then this “natural intelligence” will remain with them forever.
Rebuilding
topsoil
Overgrazing
by animals is one side of the problem. A second side is soil erosion. Once the
grasses have lost their grip on topsoil, there may well be a loss of moisture,
and the subsequent degradation of
insect, algae and fungal activity leading to widespread soil erosion.
This land will be barren sooner than one can ever imagine. Desertification is
looming. Though in some cases, and this needs to be confirmed by geologists,
there is a way around. Better even, in some circumstances it will be possible
to actually unleash a series of micro-organisms’ activities in that top soil.
As a result top soil is not only warranted to stay, it is even guaranteed to be
rebuilt.
Several
rocks are rich in minerals, especially those needed to build up top soil. After
all, top soil has been created through the erosion of rocks, which accumulated
in the ecosystem thanks to a rich mineral
diversity. A wealth in minerals stimulates a rich mix of
micro-organisms. Take the case of basalt, present in most mountainous regions
of the world. Basalt is rich in magnesium, the core mineral in chlorophyll. If
basalt were around, it should be granulated and depending on the thickness of
the present layer of soil, it should be put on as a dust when there is top soil
left, or granules of maximum a quarter inch diameter when there is little left
over. This will subsequently catalyze a major dynamic development leading to up
to one yard of top soil over a decade.
Granted,
refugees cannot wait for ten years. But, by the same token the local population
will consider the situation much different if there were notable evidence that
there is no pillaging of the soil, no massive erosion. If after the first 2
years signs are apparent that the top soil is not degraded to the bone, the
host nation will be surprised. Soil fertility has been over-simplified to
“NPK”, refering to the nitrogen, potassium and calcium content of the soil as
defined by the 19th century scientists Justus von Liebig, the founder of the
fertilizing industry. Since magnesium is at the core of a plant’s capacity to
capture energy from the sun, this process could once more provide a fertile
learning ground for refugees who after having been exposed to this practice
would be in an ideal position to actually bring this top soil rebuilding
technique back home wherever welcome.
From rocks to
more rocks
If
the terrain where the refugees are granted the right to stay is rocky, and
often this is the case, then these rocks may not be suitable for repleneshing
top soil, but are rather an outstanding source to build a series of “rock
ovens”. The development of some local activities is gratifying and necessary at
the same time. The construction of an oven to bake bread of whatever style,
would be an ideal pasttime, while responding to a sheer need. If the camp has
600 or 10,000 persons, more than one bakery is evidently required. The construction
of simple rock ovens, like the ones which witnessed at some US rock concerts
designed, built and operated by George Schenk could be quickly introduced. Once
more, rocks are rocks but they do have a good use, and the technique of
operating a rock oven is one that will always remain with anyone who learned
this. It provides food, but it also offers the insights in building techniques
for which no cement, no steel and not even plastics are needed. A tool for life
has been offered and will be useful in many new circumstances, at the camp or
at home. How many can claim they learned how to make over-fresh flatbreads at a
refugee camp?
Ovens and
fuel
The
challenge may not be to just build the rock ovens, the major question is how to
fuel these. The idea of relying on wood is likely to be self-defeating. Areal
pictures of regions around refugee camps all too often demonstrate massive
deforestation. The supply of diesel, propane gas or even solar panels is not
always practical. Once again, there is a desire to search for a much more
efficient source of energy which is locally available, and which serves more
than one purpose. As the ZERI methodology prescribes: the waste of one activity
must be an input for another one.
If
there are surrounding forests, then the foliage of small timber wood can be
harvested for its now well-known potential conversion to animal feed. But, wood
itself will not be used as a fuel, it would rather be converted to charcaol.
Charcoal has a bad image in this era of climate change. Indeed the fumes from
the production, and the use of this renewable energy source, prefered by many
poor, is noxious to the environment. But instead of releasing these gases into
the atmosphere, they should be captured and condensed.
This
technique was originally developed in China and later perfected in Japan as a
way to preserve bamboo and small diameter wood. The gases generated in the
production of charcoal are caught through a simple system based on cooling
water, and then re-evaporated under a slight pressure to impregnate fibrous
materials. This technique converts a problem into an opportunity. Indeed, the
gases are now a substitute for arsenicum-based preservation agents, which are
toxic and should be avoided at all cost in the first place.
The
small wood chips can now help preserve the larger ones, which can be integrated
into constructions of a longer useful life. Whereas construction is considered
temporary, this does not mean that the building materials should be of cloth
(tents) and steel bars only. This technique has been proven in Colombia with
the support of a team of construction engineers who were exposed to the
preservation techniques of Japan. They did not simply copy the high technology
from Japan, but rendered this approach much cheaper, using scrap metals and
even old metal barrils in order to prove that this technique is useful. The
cost of operation is a fraction of the high tech solutions from Japan. The
cheapest version can be put into operation for less than US$ 50.-.
Raw Earth and
Straw
Living
in tents is attractive during a summer holiday. But the thought of having to
reside for years in a mere tent is hardly appealing. There are numerous
construction techniques which could replace tent structures, which are an ideal
short term solution, with whatever local alternative which can be found. Raw
earth has been used to build houses for millennia, and adobe bricks have proven
their value. Though whatever is available locally it should be considered over
canvas, steel, cement and aluminum which is so easily chosen but which neglects
the local materials which could be sustainably harvested. Apart from raw earth
which has been studied in great detail by the French-based Earth Building
Research Institute located at the University of Grenoble, attention should also
be given to straw-bale housing and bamboo structures. The last one being of
particular interest when earthquakes are imminent, and when bamboos are in
abundance in tropical areas which could range from sea level to + 2,000 meters
altitude. But even if bamboo were not available, it is endemic to over 100
countries and could easily be planted permitting to “harvest” a home on every
100 sqm each year! Now we are really starting to think out of the box.
Energy
systems
Biogas
from biodigesters is perhaps the most abundant but poorly tapped source of
energy. But one good old technology which has not been used extensively is the
crancking systems. Ever since Freeplay Radio from South Africa has reintroduced
the cranck radio to the world market, reinventing a system which was prominent
before batteries started polluting our world at a rate of 6 billion units per
annum, the North has looked the other direction: the easy lazy solution of
polluting batteries. Crancking up the radio, or a generator using human force,
instead of solar, diesel, or gas, is very simple and yet unused. Just imagine
the health effect of those stationary bicycles.
The
logic behind crancking is simple. It requires little physical effort, could be
no more than a simple swing of the arm, or a ride on a stationary bike, but its
result is predictable, and its efficiency high. Programs which offer such a
small unit to refugees, actually equips them with a technique which they can
simply take with them afterwards, bringing home a renewable energy based on
human muscle power while reducing that need for access to the grid.
From Fairy
Tales to Reality
The
biggest challenge in a recently established refugee camp is how to secure that
people have hope? How to engender a feeling of belonging? How to look at their
predicament as an opportunity? It is understandable that anyone who has
survived such an ordeal would cheat and lie in order to get back home. And, if
they believe it is impossible to ever get back home, how to channel their
bountless energy into positive energies and ascertain that it will not
degenerate in anger, frustration, aliniation and agression, even against
volunteers who work to alliviate their situation.
This
requires an educational strategy. This approach is not based on presenting
fairy tales and creating many dreams which will never be realized, but rather
stimulate the whole community to consider fairy tales, which they can actually
convert into reality. This will be the biggest challenge in the construction of
a refugee camp, but ultimately it will be the most rewarding one. It is the one
the ZERI Foundation is most interested in.
Table 1 : Immediate Needs, Available local
Resources and External Aid
Need Technology Local
Resource Necessary
Aid
Water condensation humidity in the air flex pipes
closed loop wells aquifers water tanks
making of pp pipes wells polipropylene
irrigation septic tanks
over the ground pipes waste PP
Food rebuilding top soil local rocks emergency
natural fertilizer compost food supply
miniature gardens food residues mycellium
mushroom farming cardboard/paper
algae farming waste water from digestor
hydroponics hair and finger/toe nails
animal feed small herds
phytorodents foliage of small wood
rock over bakery
Sanitation 3-stage biodigestor human waste EPDM plastics
water hyacinth e.a.
animal waste
Health care balanced EAA balanced food intake
mycomedicinals immune system boost
betacarotene, Vit E algae production
pressure cookers biogas
Shelter pyrolitic acid waste paper
pressure smoking straw
earth
construction debris
Energy closed loop wells aquifers and wells
digestor biogas
charcoal production waste small diameter timber
cranking energy
Security night lighting systems biogas
Waste separation
techniques solid household waste
management aluminum recovery
Education fairy tales
learning by doing
Jobs all above generates jobs and builds the skills needed
© 2002, Gunter Pauli
The
Integrated Design of a Refugee Camp
water rocks
ovens
basalt
imported aquifers humidity
by tanks wells in
the air
replenish
top
soil
water packaging
gardens earth
black
water tubes
fertilizer
PP-bags
condensation
septic
tanks
techniques
forest
water savings baking
lights
foliage housing
mushrooms
charcoal
waste
water
treatment algae
water
hyacinth cooking
digester animals
biogas
Generating Jobs Providing
Hope
Sustainable Local Partnership
Gunter Pauli (1956)
trained as an economist, known as an innovator, working as an educator, Gunter prefers to describe himself as an enzyme, someone who makes it easier for others to do the job. He has written 12 stories and his educational strategy “from fairy tales to reality” has been adopted by schools around the world. In 1994 he established ZERI, a network of scientists with the objective to redesign our production and consumption system based on what people have, operating in co-evolution with nature.