Despite the sustainable development goals to increase access to improved water there are still 884 million people in the world without access to an improved water source (WHO, 2017). One method to improve access to water in rural, mountainous areas, is through construction of gravity fed water distribution systems. These systems should be designed based upon fundamental principles of hydraulics. One method of doing so in a time efficient manner with minimal engineering knowledge is to utilize a downloadable computer program such as Neatwork, which aids in design of rural, gravity fed water distribution systems and has been used by volunteers in Peace Corps Panama for years. It was the goal of this research to validate the results of the Neatwork program by comparing the flow results produced in the simulation program with flow results measured at tap stands of a rural gravity fed water distribution system in the community of Alto Nube, Comarca Ngöbe Bugle, Panama. The author measured flow under default Neatwork conditions of 40% faucets open in the system (in the field an equivalent of 8 taps) to have an initial basis as to whether the Neatwork program and field conditions yielded corresponding flows. The second objective would be to vary the number of taps open if the default condition did not produce comparable results between the field and the simulation, to pinpoint if under a certain condition of open faucets in the system the two methods would agree. The author did this by measuring flow at varying combinations from 10-100% of the open taps in the system (2-20 taps). Lastly the author observed the flow differences in the Neatwork program against the field flows, when the elevation of water in the water reservoir is set to the Neatwork default, where elevation of water is the tank outlet (at the bottom of the tank) versus when the elevation is established at the overflow at the tank (at the top of the tank) for the case of two taps open. The author used paired t-tests to test for statistical difference between Neatwork and field produced flows. She found that for the default condition of 40% taps open and all other combinations executed between 30-80% taps open, the field and Neatwork flows did not produce statistically similar results and, in fact, had the tendency to overestimate flows. The author also found that the change in water elevation in the storage tank from outlet to overflow increased the flow at the two taps measured by 0.140 l/s and 0.145 l/s and in this case, did not change whether the flows at these taps were within desired range (0.1 -0.3 l/s). Changing the elevation of the water level in the tank in the Neatwork program to correspond to a “full” tank condition is not recommended, as assuming an empty tank will account for seasonal changes or other imperfections in topographical surveying that could reduce available head at each tap. The author also found that the orifice coefficients, θ, of 0.62 and 0.68, did not demonstrate more or less accurate results that coincided with field measurements, but rather showed the tendency of particular faucets to prefer one coefficient over the other, regardless of combination of other taps open in the system. This study demonstrates a consistent overestimation in flow using the computer program Neatwork. Further analysis on comparisons made show that between field and flow results across each individual faucet, variations between Neatwork and the field were a result of variables dependent upon the tap, such as flow reducers or errors in surveying. Flow reducers are installed before taps to distribute flow equally amongst homes over varying distances and elevations and are fabricated using different diameter orifices depending on the location of the tap. While Neatwork allows the user to simulate the effect of these flow reducers on tap flow, it may not account for the imperfect orifices made by the simple methods used in the field to make such flow reducers. The author recommends further investigation to be done on the results of field flow versus Neatwork simulated flow using other methods of flow reducer fabrication which produce varying degrees of accuracy in orifice sizing. The author also recommends executing these field measurements over a greater sample size of faucets and more randomized combination of open/closed taps to verify the results of this research. More work should be done to come up with a practical solution for poor and rural communities to fabricate and/or obtain more precisely sized flow reducers. A full sensitivity analysis of the input variables into the Neatwork program should be performed to understand the sensitivity of varying each input.

At the end of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) period in 2015, 2.3 billion people, 31% of the global population, still did not have access to even basic sanitation services. Of these people, 892 million still practice open defecation, and 856 million people use unimproved facilities such as pit latrines without a slab or platform or hanging latrines or bucket latrines (JMP 2017). Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 6.2 now aims to achieve adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and sets the ambitious target of eradicating open defecation by 2030. While the number of people open defecating was reduced from 1229 million to 892 million between 2000 and 2015, that pace must accelerate to be achieved (JMP, 2017). In Panama, it is estimated that countrywide sanitation coverage is 71%, and rural coverage 54% (WHO/UNICEF, 2013). Even so, in indigenous areas like the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, only 25% of the population has adequate access to basic sanitation (ANAM, 2006). This research builds upon the research presented in (Hurtado, 2005, Kaiser, 2006, Mehl, 2008, and Wilbur, 2014). These theses researched double vault urine diverting (DVUD) latrines, or composting latrines, in indigenous communities in the province of Bocas del Toro and the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé in Panama. Hurtado, Kaiser, and Mehl researched the design, construction, and pathogen destruction capabilities of composting latrines. Wilbur studied how human attitudes and perceptions serve as incentives or barriers to composting latrine use. In this research surveys, interviews, and observations were recorded in 6 indigenous Ngäbe communities in Bocas del Toro and the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé. The study quantifies usage of ventilated improved pit (VIP) and basic pit latrines in these communities, assesses positive and negative perceptions of composting latrines, and determines perceptions of feces and the reuse of composted human excrement. The results reveal that of n=103 latrines 88.3% were completed and in use, but only 35.2% were properly covered. To promote proper usage of latrines, continued education and trainings need to be carried out in these communities. Respondents were also favorable to the use of composting latrines, with 61.2% of respondents saying they would be interested in building a composting latrine for their households. The main perceived benefit of composting latrines is the compost, and the most identified barrier to use was lack of prior experience. Other main barriers included user disgust and the amount of work it takes to own and operate the latrine. There were more identified incentives (12) than barriers (11) to composting latrine adoption. Respondents also reported they would react more favorably to their neighbor implementing the technology and using compost than their neighbor would react should the respondent do the same thing. These results indicate the importance of pilot projects in communities, allowing people to see the benefits of the technology and how it works before implementing a larger scale project. These projects would also reduce the stigma associated with being a first adopter. Statistical analysis revealed that the demographics of community, sanitation classification, gender, and primary occupation were significantly linked to survey statements used to measure perceptions on composting latrine use and the use of composted human excrement as a fertilizer. Age, gender, and household size were not found to have a statistically significant link to user perceptions on the same survey statements. Logistic regression analysis was then performed using SPSS statistical analysis software (version 24). The results of this research indicate the importance of setting up follow up trainings as many respondents had forgotten how to properly maintain their latrines. It also suggests the setup of pilot projects for composting latrines, as many respondents were favorable to the technology but did not want to try to own and operate a composting latrine without seeing a successful composting latrine first.

The Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development is expected to result in the launching of a process to devise a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2015. Whilst indicators are perceived to be a good vehicle of monitoring progress, currently there is no universally agreed method of measuring sustainable development. This thesis addresses this issue through assessing whether the capabilities approach can be adopted for a global framework in measuring sustainable development. In order to determine this, both theoretical and practical implications will have to be understood. The former is addressed through reviewing the compatibility between the key concepts of sustainable development and the capabilities approach. The latter is addressed through obtaining empirical evidence on the key drivers in selecting indicators via focus group discussions and a quantitative survey with key individuals involved in the Sustainable Development Indicators (SDIs) project in Malaysia. It was found that a weak conceptual basis can be attributed as the major challenge for establishing global sustainable development indicators. Whilst recognising that a range of mechanisms are required for operationalization, it was concluded that the capabilities approach provides a sound conceptual basis, framed on the basis of justice and equity in expanding and sustaining the capabilities of current and future generations to pursue their needs.

The Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development is expected to result in the launching of a process to devise a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2015. Whilst indicators are perceived to be a good vehicle of monitoring progress, currently there is no universally agreed method of measuring sustainable development. This thesis addresses this issue through assessing whether the capabilities approach can be adopted for a global framework in measuring sustainable development. In order to determine this, both theoretical and practical implications will have to be understood. The former is addressed through reviewing the compatibility between the key concepts of sustainable development and the capabilities approach. The latter is addressed through obtaining empirical evidence on the key drivers in selecting indicators via focus group discussions and a quantitative survey with key individuals involved in the Sustainable Development Indicators (SDIs) project in Malaysia. It was found that a weak conceptual basis can be attributed as the major challenge for establishing global sustainable development indicators. Whilst recognising that a range of mechanisms are required for operationalization, it was concluded that the capabilities approach provides a sound conceptual basis, framed on the basis of justice and equity in expanding and sustaining the capabilities of current and future generations to pursue their needs.

Poor sanitation is a huge problem in third world countries today; every year 1,5 million children die due to diarrheal diseases caused by poor sanitation. International policies such as The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which will be replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015, have been set by the international community as tools to decrease the poverty in the world today, and problems that emerged from it such as poor sanitation. Participatory methods are emphasise to receive the goals as well as new working methods to shift the development paradigm from marked oriented towards sustainable development, which means that also the Earth’s well-being must be included in the SDGs. Ecological sanitation (Eco-san) is a system that reuses the human waste back to grooving activities, and can improve the situation in all three areas of sustainable development, i.e. economical, environmental and social development with it’s reusing approach. Participation in implementation of Eco-san system is important for enabling sustainable projects as well as receive better acceptance for the reuse approach. The research presented in this thesis had the aim to improve the sanitation situation by introducing and implementing Eco-san in a rural area in the Northern part of Tanzania by using an action oriented research approach. The participants together with the researcher developed the project to further see the interpretations of Eco-san and possibilities to implement Eco-san in the area as well as if the action research was a convenient way to introduce such a project. The study was conducted in two cycles were critical theory and diffusion of innovation were used as analysis tools for the introduction and implementation of the toilets. The findings from the first cycle showed that the participants were willing to learn about Eco-san by observing the idea through a demonstration toilet. Therefore the second cycle lead to implementation of Eco-san in a school of the area. These toilets are today in use and managed by the students at the school. Participating approach has therefore been a successful working method were the participants gained the knowledge they needed to develop and improve their situation. This can further be argued as a valuable approach for other development projects and to meet the upcoming SDGs. However, further action and education to other village members outside the school and up scaling possibilities in the community are needed.

abstract: Through critical discourse analysis, this thesis explores the construction of poverty and development within and across the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the proposed post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals texts. The proposed post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals frame the international development landscape for the next 15 years, therefore it becomes imperative for civil society to understand their dominant economic schemes for poverty alleviation in order to adopt or oppose similar methods of poverty abatement. Deductively, this thesis investigates Keynesianism and neoliberalism, the dominant economic discourses whose deployments within the goals have shaped transnational frameworks for interpreting and mitigating poverty. It assesses the failures of the Millennium Development Goals, as articulated both by its creators and critics, and evaluates the responsiveness of the United Nations in the constitution of the proposed post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals in relation to these critiques through the lens of liberal feminist and World Social Forum discourses. These activist and oppositional social discourses embody competing values, representations, and problem-solution frames that challenge and resist the dominant economic discourses in both sets of goals. Additionally, this thesis uses an inductive approach to critically analyze both sets of goals in order to identify any emergent discursive frameworks grounded in each text that assist in understanding the problems of, and solutions to, poverty. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Communication Studies 2015

With 663 million people still without access to an improved drinking water source, there is no room for complacency in the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 6.1: “universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all” by 2030 (WHO, 2017). All of the current efforts related to water supply service delivery will require continued enthusiasm in diligent implementation and thoughtful evaluation. This cannot be over-emphasized in relation to rural inhabitants of low-income countries (LICs), as they represent the largest percentage of those still reliant on unimproved drinking water sources. In that lies the motivation and value of this thesis research- improving water supply service delivery in LICs. Manually operated suction pumps, being relatively robust, low cost, and feasible to manufacture locally, are an important technology in providing access to improved drinking water sources in LICs, especially in the context of Self-supply. It seems widely accepted that the water-lifting limit of suction pumps as reported in practice is approximately seven meters. However, some observations by our research group of manually operated suction pumps lifting water upwards of nine meters brought this “general rule of thumb” limit into question. Therefore, a focused investigation on the capabilities of a manually operated suction pump (a Pitcher Pump) was conducted in an attempt to address these discrepancies, and in so doing, contribute to the understanding of this technology with the intent of providing results with practical relevance to its potential; that is, provide evidence that can inform the use of these pumps for water supply. In this research, a simple model based on commonly used engineering approaches employing empirical equations to describe head loss in a pump system was used to estimate the suction lift limit under presumed system parameters. Fundamentally based on the energy equation applied to incompressible flow in pipes, the empirically derived Darcy-Weisbach equation and Hydraulic Institute Standards acceleration head equation were used to estimate frictional and acceleration head losses. Considering the theoretical maximum suction lift is limited to the height of a column of water that would be supported by atmospheric pressure, reduced only by the vapor pressure of water, subtracting from this the model was used to predict the suction lift limit, also referred to herein as the practical theoretical limit, assuming a low (4 L/min) and high (11 L/min) flow rate for three systems: 1) one using 1.25-inch internal diameter GI pipes, 2) one using 1.25-inch internal diameter PVC pipes, and 3) one using 2-inch internal diameter PVC pipes. In all considered cases, with an elevation equal to sea level, the suction lift limit was estimated to be over nine meters. At a minimum, the suction lift limit was estimated to be approximately 9.4 meters for systems using 1.25-inch internal diameter pipe and 9.8 meters for systems using 2-inch internal diameter pipe, with essentially no discernable effects noticed between pipe material or pipe age. Additionally, laboratory (field) trials using a Simmons Manufacturing Picher Pump and each of the aforementioned pipe specifications were conducted at the University of South Florida (Tampa, FL, USA) to determine the practical pumping limit for these systems. Results from the pumping trials indicated that the practical pumping limit- the greatest height at which a reasonable pumping rate could be consistently sustained with only modest effort, as perceived by the person pumping- for a Pitcher Pump is around nine meters (9 meters when using 1.25-inch internal diameter GI or PVC pipe and 9.4 meters when using 2-inch internal diameter PVC pipe). Therefore, results from this research present two pieces of evidence which suggest that the practical water-lifting limit of manually operated suction pumps is somewhere around nine meters (at sea level), implying that reconsideration of the seven-meter suction lift limit commonly reported in the field might be warranted.

Although development organizations agree that reliable access to energy and energy services-one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals-is likely to have profound and perhaps disproportionate impacts on women, few studies have directly empirically estimated the impact of energy access on women's empowerment. This is a result of both a relative dearth of energy access evaluations in general and a lack of clarity on how to quantify gender impacts of development projects. Here we present an evaluation of the impacts of the Solar Market Garden-a distributed photovoltaic irrigation project-on the level and structure of women's empowerment in Benin, West Africa. We use a quasi-experimental design (matched-pair villages) to estimate changes in empowerment for project beneficiaries after one year of Solar Market Garden production relative to non-beneficiaries in both treatment and comparison villages (n=771). To create an empowerment metric, we constructed a set of general questions based on existing theories of empowerment, and then used latent variable analysis to understand the underlying structure of empowerment locally. We repeated this analysis at follow-up to understand whether the structure of empowerment had changed over time, and then measured changes in both the levels and likelihood of empowerment over time. We show that the Solar Market Garden significantly positively impacted women's empowerment, particularly through the domain of economic independence. In addition to providing rigorous evidence for the impact of a rural renewable energy project on women's empowerment, our work lays out a methodology that can be used in the future to benchmark the gender impacts of energy projects.

Goal 6 of the United Nations Development Program’s new Sustainable Development Goals aims to ensure availability of clean water and sustainable management practices to all by the year 2030. Peace Corps Panama partners with communities in order to help provide sustainable water solutions to communities in need. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Volunteers spend at least two years living in a community to identify and implement solutions to water problems and train local water committees on how to maintain their improved systems. A common solution for unequal distribution of flow in the distribution network of a gravity flow water system is through the installation of flow reducers before each faucet. These can be sized with the help of NeatWork, a free, downloadable compute software. In Panama, flow reducers (also referred to as orifices) are manufactured to create a perforated plastic diaphragm fitting placed in the distribution pipe or union section upstream of a faucet. They help ensure longevity of the aqueduct by balancing the flows between houses, thus, enabling continuous water flow for all users. An important characteristic of flow reducers is that while they can be installed in new water sys-tems, they can also be installed in existing systems to fix inequalities from inadequate original designs or extensions to the systems. However, little guidance exists for volunteers or commu-nities to ensure the sustainability of these projects. Accordingly, the object of this thesis was to investigate how adding houses to existing aqueducts would affect its serviceability and how to determine a way for communities to size the flow reducers for future houses. The existing gravity flow water system in Santa Cruz, Panamá was surveyed including all the potential houses which were then analyzed using NeatWork. The results demonstrate that while it is better to include all potential locations during the initial survey, if it expands at an average growth rate, additional houses may decrease serviceability, but in a negligible way that will not affect the overall reliability of the distribution system. Utilizing NeatWork, this research showed it is able to determine ideal sizes of flow reducers for additional houses that could be added. Patterns were identified and used to simplify flow reducer sizing so that community members could do it themselves. While most of the time, the ideal flow reducer size for a new house will be the same size as the flow reducer size that is installed in the closest house that is already connected to the aqueduct, sometimes this is not the case. This typically occurs towards the end of branches and in areas where not all flow reducer sizes are present. These areas are clearly identified to the water committee on a map of the distribution system that was provided to various water committee members. With this map and simple instructions, the Santa Cruz water committee can continue correctly adding flow reducers to new houses. Through the research of this thesis, fabricating and installing flow reducers in the Santa Cruz water distribution system, and working alongside community members many lessons were learned about flow reducers and best practices. This knowledge has been converted into a guide about sustainable flow reducer projects. It has been left with current volunteers and the director of training for the WASH sector of Peace Corps Panama so that the volunteers can adapt the developed tools in their own communities.

In Peru, lack of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) results in 6,600 deaths per year that represents approximately 3.9% of total deaths. Three thousand and nine hundred of these deaths were due to diarrheal diseases (Prüss-Üstün et al., 2008). Systematic reviews suggest that interventions to improve microbial quality of drinking water are successful in reducing diarrheal diseases (Fewtrell et al., 2005; Clasen et al., 2007; Fry et al., 2013). Interventions for household water treatment and safe storage to ensure safe drinking water reduce diarrhea by 31-52% (WHO/UNICEF, 2013). The SAWYER PointONE filter, a portable and adaptable membrane filtration device as small as the hand, is one point-of-use (POU) technology option for populations that rely on unsafe water from an improved source, or for areas that still rely on unimproved water sources for drinking and cooking. The filter functions strictly through mechanical exclusion accomplished by a hollow fiber membrane. The filters are certified for 0.1 μm as the largest pore size; therefore preventing diarrhea-causing bacteria such as E. coli, cholera, and typhoid to pass through the membrane. This research focuses on SAWYER water filter users who use a filter purchased through a sales agent in Independencia, Ica, Peru. Fifteen households in 9 communities and a total of 39 individuals were surveyed with the overall goal of better understanding the adoption of the SAWYER water filter as a POU water treatment technology in relation to three themes of: 1) household socio-economic factors 2) water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) related characteristic and behaviors of users, and 3) Health Belief Model factors. The results showed SAWYER water filter users to have higher socio-economic status on average. All households had a high Progress out of Poverty Index® (PPI®) score. The heads of households, both male and female, were found to be more educated than the national average. Female heads of house were more educated than the male heads of house. There was a significant difference in the education levels of the female heads of house as compared to the national levels (p =0.006), with the female heads of house in the study having superior university degrees at three times the national percentage. The heads of house were also married at a higher percentage than the national average. SAWYER water filter users also have greater access to media than the regional average. All homes were equipped with at least one TV with cable. Results showed a significant difference in households having a computer within the home as compared to the regional percentage (p < 0 .001) and also in having Internet in the home as compared to the regional percentage (p < 0.001). Most houses (13/15) have running water all the time and all have a sink, shower, and toilet. Indoor connection and sewage type were not found to be statistically different from national average. Most people (67%) reported to always use soap and several participants mentioned liquid handwashing soap. Users reported handwashing after going to the bathroom (64.1%) more than before eating (38.5%) or cooking (46%). The Health Belief Model survey revealed that SAWYER water filter users perceive diarrhea as more severe for children, even though they do consider themselves susceptible. Clear benefits of adopting the filter include saving money, improving water quality, and saving time, but the barriers to filter adoption were unclear. Most users had contact with another person who demonstrated or recommended the filter prior to adopting the filter, highlighting the importance of interpersonal contact for promoting filter use. Turbidity during rainy season was also found to be an important cue to action.