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marcus mangeot

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Research for the Sustainable Development of Megacities of Tomorrow - Energy- and Climate-Efficient Structures in Urban Growth Centres

Waste, if it is understood and treated as a recourse, can be a source of income and at the same time contribute to global climate and local environmental protection.
I've made a project documentation about the work of one pilot project (IGNIS) within a research program that covers currently nine projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The research is conducted by inter- and transdisciplinary teams in reference to model cities and regions. The program faces matters of urban agriculture, waste management, waste water, energy-efficient resources, environmental planning, climate protection and urban development.
The IGNIS project is funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through its Future Megacities program. By implementing the project in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, one hopes to gain a deeper insight into the resource recovery from wastes in large urban centres in developing countries.

Are these approaches sustainable? What do you think? Please state your thoughts.

Here you can watch the documentaion: http://vimeo.com/39391806

Topics: climate education environment future science sustainability waste
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    Kevin Tinholt

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    Apr 4 2012: I assume this is all related to application of megacities? Then it goes without saying that more innovation is necessary in the field of waste processing, this approach might work for countries in Africa where wages are far lower, but I wouldn't be so sure about the West. The approaches I have seen in this video are quite labor intensive, of course you'll need to scale it up so that automatization is possible, which will require more centralization, infrastructure and as a result more investment.

    This noble, and above all necessary, approach has to be supported by scientific efforts to help create more efficient ways for processing waste. Because I presume that these projects only cover a small part of the overall waste, if you want to scale it up you need some more effective equipment to "play" with. Which requires money.

    These projects could however create a stronger initiative for development, as there are already people to supply to.

    16:20 - Charcoal, why not use the fire/heat to produce electricity?
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      Katharins Panse

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      Apr 5 2012: I would claim the total opposite. Since most megacities are located in developing or emerging countries, the waste management needs to be adapted to the local situation. A high a level of unemployment, a large number of low-skilled people, low electrification rates and minimum investment aren’t the best preconditions for automatization. To me, any approach that requires a higher level of technology isn’t thought trough properly. These countries are not (jet) comparable to developed countries, so the methods of resolution can’t be transferred.
      “16:20 - Charcoal, why not use the fire/heat to produce electricity?” Ethiopia is producing more than 90% of its energy through hydropower and at the same time suffers from the impact of deforestation. Even today most food is prepared by using wood, dung or charcoal and the average family can’t afford an electric cooker.

      Regarding the film my question would be, in which way the local partners are involved or how much had been suggested/executed by foreigners. And how many of these projects will sustain once the project has finished.
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