Abstract
Next to the challenges of paramount importance represented by water
scarcity, food security, energy transition, and environmental protection
issues, the obstacles faced on the matter of water, sanitation, and
hygiene (WASH) are immense. WASH interventions are essential to support
human health, prosperity, and dignity, as they provide the base for an
adequate standard of living. In many low- and middle- income countries,
especially in rural and low-income areas, decentralized wastewater
treatment systems (DEWATS) can offer a solution to convey, treat, and
dispose of or reuse wastewater closer to the source and through smaller
conveyance networks. In Indonesia, and as such in the Brantas basin on
East Java, focus area of this study, the government has recognized
DEWATS as their best available option for improving sanitation in dense
low-income urban settings. Although the percentage of households with
access to proper sanitation in the province of East Java has been
increasing steadily, service coverage and the quality of sanitation
systems still need to be increased to reach the desired coverage by
2024. Similar to other fields of application, within WASH and concerning
DEWATS, stakeholders engagement, ethics and gender dimension are key
topics to develop and strengthen integrated approaches. It is
challenging to formulate targeted interventions in the watershed since
they depend on the willing support of various stakeholders who may have
different priorities (even within their own institutions), having
diverse (and sometimes conflicting) viewpoints. This may result in
stakeholders strongly contesting the appropriateness of various
solutions. An exploration of stakeholder priorities is therefore needed
to facilitate the application of wastewater treatment technologies. Due
to its participatory approach and the type of interpretation that the
method allows, Q-methodology was selected to explore this situation.
Q-methodology is a set of techniques which allow for the study of
‘subjectivity’, combining statistics with the depth provided by
qualitative data. It is composed of the data collection technique
(called Q-sorting) and a data analysis step via correlation and factor
analysis. In this contribution, we explore the perspectives and
priorities of various stakeholders regarding decentralized wastewater
treatment solutions to assess the applicability and acceptability of
DEWATS in the Brantas river basin. This allows us to identify
context-based criteria and challenges to the implementation of DEWATS in
the Brantas watershed. As such, we propose the Q-methodology as a
strong methodology to further develop the required transdisciplinary
scientific efforts to promote relevant insights and solutions through
meaningful, pertinent, and effective stakeholder engagement.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2024 |
Event | EGU General Assembly 2024 - Austria Center Vienna, Bruno-Kreisky-Platz 1, Vienna, Austria Duration: 14 Apr 2024 → 19 Apr 2024 https://www.egu24.eu |
Conference
Conference | EGU General Assembly 2024 |
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Abbreviated title | EGU24 |
Country/Territory | Austria |
City | Vienna |
Period | 14/04/24 → 19/04/24 |
Internet address |