Multi-criteria assessment of community-based fluoride-removal technologies for rural Ethiopia.
Elevated concentrations of naturally-occurring fluoride in groundwater pose a serious health risk to millions of people living in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. In the absence of low-fluoride water resources of sufficient capacity, fluoride removal from drinking water is the accepted mitigation option. To date, five different community-level fluoride-removal technologies have been implemented in Ethiopia, although only a few units have been found in a functional state in the field. Which technology should be promoted and up-scaled is the subject of controversial debate amongst key stakeholders. This paper describes a multi-criteria decision analysis exercise, which was conducted with the participation of stakeholders in Ethiopia during a one-day workshop, to assess in an objective and transparent manner the available technology options. Criteria for technology comparison were selected and weighted, thus enabling the participants to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the different technologies and hear the views of other stakeholders. It was shown that there is no single most-preferable, technical solution for fluoride removal in Ethiopia. Selection of the most suitable solution depends on location-specific parameters and on the relative importance given to different criteria by the stakeholders involved. The data presented in this paper can be used as reference values for Ethiopia.
Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland. Electronic address: lars.osterwalder@gmail.com.
Lars
L
Osterwalder
Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
C Annette
CA
Johnson
Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland; Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland.
Hong
H
Yang
Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
Richard B
RB
Johnston
D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods; D005002:Ethiopia; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis*; D060587:Groundwater; D012424:Rural Population; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D005459:Fluorides
Ethiopia; Fluoride; Multi-criteria decision analysis; Rural; Technology; Water treatment