An approach to optimise nutrient management in environmental sanitation systems despite limited data.
The material flow analysis method can be used to assess the impact of environmental sanitation systems on resource consumption and environmental pollution. However, given the limited access to reliable data, application of this data-intensive method in developing countries may be difficult. This paper presents an approach allowing to develop material flow models despite limited data availability. Application of an iterative procedure is of key importance: model parameter values should first be assessed on the basis of a literature review and by eliciting expert judgement. If model outputs are not plausible, sensitive input parameters should be reassessed more accurately. Moreover, model parameters can be expressed as probability distributions and variable uncertainty estimated by using Monte Carlo simulation. The impact of environmental sanitation systems on the phosphorus load discharged into surface water in Hanoi, Vietnam, is simulated by applying the proposed approach.
Montangero
Agnès
A
Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Eawag, P.O. Box 611, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland. montangero@gmx.ch
Belevi
Hasan
H
D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003906:Developing Countries; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012498:Sanitary Engineering; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D035501:Uncertainty; D014744:Vietnam