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Economics of Liquid Waste Management in Funafuti, Tuvalu

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Economics of Liquid Waste Management in Funafuti, Tuvalu ISSN 1818-5614 Economics of liquid waste management in Funafuti, Tuvalu By Padma Lal, Kalesoma Saloa and Falealili Uili IWP-Pacific Technical Report (International Waters Project) no. 36 Global United Nations Pacific Regional Environment Development Environment Facility Programme Programme SPREP IRC Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Lal, Padma Economics of liquid waste management in Funafuti, Tuvalu / by Padma Lal, Kalesoma Saloa and Falealili Uila. – Apia, Samoa : SPREP, 2006. vi + 31 p. ; 29 cm. IWP-Pacific Technical Report (International Waters Project) no. 36 ISBN: 978-982-04-0356-7 ISSN: 1818-5614 1. Waste disposal in the ground – Sewage disposal – Tuvalu. 2. Waste minimization – Tuvalu, 3. Conservation of natural resources – Tuvalu. 4. Underground waste management – Cost effectiveness – Tuvalu. 5. Septic tanks – Waste disposal – Tuvalu. I. Saloa, Kalesoma. II. Uila, Falealili. III. International Waters Project (IWP). IV. Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). V. Title. VI. Series. 333.713 7 This report was produced by SPREP’s International Waters Project (IWP), which is implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the International Waters of the Pacific Small Island Developing States, with funding from the Global Environment Facility. This study was funded by IWP. The views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the publisher. Cover design by SPREP’s Publication Unit Editing and layout: Mark Smaalders Printed by: Marfleet Printing Co. Ltd., Apia, Samoa SPREP PO BOX 240, Apia Samoa Email: [email protected] T: +685 21 929 F: +685 20 231 Website: www.sprep.org © Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, 2006 All rights for commercial/for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. SPREP authorises the partial reproduction of this material for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided that SPREP and the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the document and/or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial or non-profit purposes, must be requested in writing. Original SPREP artwork may not be altered or separately published without permission. ii Contents Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................iv Acronyms............................................................................................................................v Executive summary ...........................................................................................................1 Method............................................................................................................................... 2 Results ............................................................................................................................... 2 Conclusion......................................................................................................................... 3 Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 5 1 Introduction................................................................................................................6 International Waters Project–Tuvalu................................................................................. 8 2 Overview of human waste management in Tuvalu...............................................10 Institutional management ................................................................................................ 12 Impacts............................................................................................................................. 13 3 Economic analysis—methodology ..........................................................................14 Benefit–cost analysis ....................................................................................................... 14 With-and-without cost estimation ................................................................................... 15 Feasibility assessment...................................................................................................... 16 Data collection.................................................................................................................17 4 Economic costs of poor sanitation ..........................................................................18 Human health effects....................................................................................................... 18 Preventative measures: alternative water sources ........................................................... 19 Coastal fisheries and coastal ecology .............................................................................. 20 Total economic cost associated with current sanitation status ........................................ 21 5 Economics of alternative sanitation systems .........................................................21 Management options........................................................................................................ 21 Comparison of economic costs........................................................................................ 23 Feasibility considerations and choice of technology....................................................... 24 6 Conclusion and policy recommendations ..............................................................26 References ........................................................................................................................29 Annex 1: Data collection methodology .........................................................................31 iii Acknowledgments Many people in Tuvalu made it possible to complete this study in the short time available. Dr Stephen Homasi, Deputy Director of the Department of Health was most helpful in answering the many questions we had regarding the link between human waste pollution and human health effects. Ms Nese Conway Mr Tene Laupepa (acting pharmacist), Mr Irata Pulusi (pharmacist), and Kilimasi Setoga (statistician), all of Princess Margaret Hospital, assisted in obtaining relevant unpublished data and information. We wish to also acknowledge the assistance given by Ms Nese Conway (Acting Director of Health), Mr Nikolasi Apinelu, (Acting Director of Fisheries) and Mr Tupulaga Poulasi (Fisheries Officer). Mr Filipo Taulima (Director, Public Works Department), gave us access to their raw data on desalination plant and its operations. Mr Gunter Koepke (Water Resource Officer, PWD), Uatea Salesa (Water Civil Engineer, PWD) and Stanley Iona (plumber, PWD) patiently answered many questions that the research team had. To one and all, we say Fakafetai Lasi. To the staff of SPREP (Paula Holland, Steve Menzies and Rosanna Galuvao-Ah Ching), the team expresses their appreciation for taking care of all the administrative and logistical matters. iv Acronyms AUD Australian dollar AusAID Australian Agency for International Development BCA benefit–cost analysis IWP International Waters Project MDG Millennium Development Goal SPREP Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme v Map 1: Location of Tuvalu vi Executive summary Tuvalu faces real challenges in relation to the management of its human wastes (fekau o tino). This is despite decades of promotion of the use of water sealed flush toilets and septic tank systems as the most hygienic and safe way to dispose of human wastes. These systems were promoted as an alternative to the use of the beach for human waste disposal. The Tuvalu Millennium Development Report (Tuvalu 2005) notes with respect to Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, Target 10 (regarding access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation) that “Tuvalu is on track to achieve the target for access to sanitation, although progress has been slower in the outer islands than on Funafuti”. Ninety two per cent of households have access to basic sanitation, and 97% have access to safe drinking water. These figures are, however, deceptive since these performance assessments do not reflect effectiveness of the facilities used or their suitability to the Tuvalu conditions.1 Most households have basic sanitation system, but unfortunately the septic tank based system — the most common form of sanitation in Funafuti — was introduced without regard to the geophysical characteristics of the atoll system. The Tuvaluan environment is characterised by small coral atoll islands, where the groundwater table is generally within 1–1.3 metres (m) of the surface, and even lower in some parts of Funafuti. Only in limited areas can groundwater be found at depths greater than 2 m. As a result, any pollutants from leaking septic tanks and soak pits can easily move into the groundwater and from the groundwater lens into coastal lagoons. Pollution problems in Funafuti are further exacerbated by poorly constructed septic tanks; during high tides and heavy rains the septic tanks and soakage pits overflow into adjacent areas. Adding to this problem is a lack of an integrated water and sanitation plan for Funafuti and other islands in the country, a lack of monitoring and enforcement, and an absence of coordination and harmonisation of “management” of water and sanitation between national government agencies (Departments of Health, Public Works and Environment) as well as the local government (the Kaupule). In addition, there is a rapidly growing population
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