Effectiveness of wastewater management in rural areas of developing countries: a case of Al-Chouf Caza in Lebanon.

Alike many developing countries, Lebanon lacks a national wastewater management strategy that can effectively protect public health and environmental quality. This has led the local communities and municipalities to plan and implement their own arrangements for wastewater treatment systems. However, most municipalities still lack the human and financial resources, management capabilities, and environmental awareness necessary to implement wastewater management in an environmentally sound manner. As such, the effectiveness of these systems, particularly with regard to the quality of the treated effluent, warrants evaluation. Accordingly, a performance evaluation of the treatment/disposal systems, taking three villages in Al-Chouf Caza in Lebanon as a case study, was carried out. The conducted field work, visual assessment, and laboratory analyses of effluent discharges revealed that the existing systems for wastewater treatment in the three villages are either not properly functioning or operational but ineffective and, consequently, hardly achieve any treatment higher than primary. Although developing countries are being encouraged to implement wastewater treatment systems with the promise of financial aid from developed nations, it is important that local conditions are considered carefully to make full use of any aid. It is very crucial to take into account the economic status of the community and the municipality in question. There is no point in adopting the most advanced technology for wastewater treatment if there is no mechanism to ensure maximum efficiency.

Decentralized approaches to wastewater treatment and management: applicability in developing countries.

Providing reliable and affordable wastewater treatment in rural areas is a challenge in many parts of the world, particularly in developing countries. The problems and limitations of the centralized approaches for wastewater treatment are progressively surfacing. Centralized wastewater collection and treatment systems are costly to build and operate, especially in areas with low population densities and dispersed households. Developing countries lack both the funding to construct centralized facilities and the technical expertise to manage and operate them. Alternatively, the decentralized approach for wastewater treatment which employs a combination of onsite and/or cluster systems is gaining more attention. Such an approach allows for flexibility in management, and simple as well as complex technologies are available. The decentralized system is not only a long-term solution for small communities but is more reliable and cost effective. This paper presents a review of the various decentralized approaches to wastewater treatment and management. A discussion as to their applicability in developing countries, primarily in rural areas, and challenges faced is emphasized all through the paper. While there are many impediments and challenges towards wastewater management in developing countries, these can be overcome by suitable planning and policy implementation. Understanding the receiving environment is crucial for technology selection and should be accomplished by conducting a comprehensive site evaluation process. Centralized management of the decentralized wastewater treatment systems is essential to ensure they are inspected and maintained regularly. Management strategies should be site specific accounting for social, cultural, environmental and economic conditions in the target area.