GHTC 2016 Presentation_DR HE with notes

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Humanitarian Engineering

Opportunities and Challenges in Rural

Dominican Republic:A Case Study of El Cercado

Katie Kuwahara and Danford Jooste

October 14, 2016 2016 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference

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Dominican Republic


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Community Partnership


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Top Priorities• Affordable and efficient wood-burning stoves for

residential houses

• Disinfected water for household drinking

• Affordable water heating solution for sanitation and hygiene purposes

• Affordable and environmentally-friendly biofuel to be used in a women’s co-operative factory

Response: Rocket stove

Response: Highly adaptable chlorinator

Response: Solar water heater

Response: Grinder and press for local crop wastes


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Rocket Stove


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Water chlorinator

Community

Reservoir

Household

Faucets

ChlorinatorSource


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Water Heater


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Grinder and Press


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Community Acceptance and Organization Community Acceptance

• Increased awareness for potential improvements and desire for more project installations


Community Organization• Provided an opportunity for

partnership and social acceptance

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Challenges and OpportunitiesAwareness

• Community perception of a problem

• Measured qualitatively through community prioritization and attitude

Implementation Challenges• Language barrier• Onsite physical constraints• Accessibility of tools and

materials


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Challenges and OpportunitiesSelf-Sufficiency

• Potential for independent iteration

• Project specific training and understanding

• Simplicity of maintenance and repair

• Appointment of installation specific manager

Finance• Challenge to implementation• Community organization• Volunteers• Community-funded projects• Project ownership


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Conclusion1. Projects identified and prioritized by community2. Organized group of community leaders3. Community liaison4. Collaboration5. Projects to meet end-user requirements6. Transfer of ownership


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Acknowledgement Co-authors:

• Savanna Blair, Devyn Bryant, Christopher Ashkar, Sam Burt, Truc Ngo (Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, University of San Diego)

• Deanna Wolf (Mulvaney Center for Community, Awareness & Social Action, University of San Diego)

• Joanne Peterson (San Pedro Parish, El Cercado, San Juan, Dominican Republic)

All DR trip participants between 2014 and 2016. Special thanks to financial supporters:

• University of San Diego• Father Sylvester Kwiatkowski of Saint Patrick Parish, California• Mr. James Shea, Grass Valley, California


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Questions


Documents

GHTC 2016 Presentation_DR HE with notes