Haiti Fund / Boston Foundation / January 21 deadline

“The Haiti Fund at the Boston Foundation was created in the wake of the January 2010 earthquake to provide support to human rights and reconstruction efforts in Haiti over the long-term.”

Those of you active with longterm WASH (and able/willing to pursue grants of $30k or below) might be interested in the Haiti Fund’s recent RFP.

From their website:

“The Haiti Fund has just released its next Request for Proposals which are due January 21, 2011. Please follow the below link for instructions on how to apply. Should you have any questions about your candidacy please contact Laura McConaghy at laura.mcconaghy (at) tbf.org or call 617-338-2676.”

More details here:

Haiti Fund Request for Proposals

Haiti / Port au Prince / Water System Map

I have just received an updated version of USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) water system map for Port au Prince. This map has been compiled from multiple water sources including GoH/CAMPED, International Action, Metcalf & Eddy. IDP location points were created by UNOSAT and have been verified over satellite imagery from various dates in late January. The base map layers were created by MINUSTAH.

It is a handy tool for those of you active in PauP, including camps, operational and non-operational (i.e. could be repaired) water points, lines, junctions, etc.  Let me know if you need it as I technically can't post it here and don't have a weblink. 

Haiti / WHO / WatSan specialist (French-speaking) needed urgently

This is a call for a French speaking Water Sanitation generalist to urgently (before 7th February) take up at least 3 months service, preferably longer, with the WHO in Haiti. The task will be to ensure that the water and sanitation activities are implemented with a focus on WatSan in health care settings, and also on water quality monitoring with the WASH cluster lead by the national WatSan institution supported by UNICEF. Experience in low income countries and emergency & reconstruction situations would be of an advantage.


If you or some one who you know speaks French and is a WatSan generalist, we would need your reply as soon as possible to forward to WHO in Haiti. Please send us a CV of a person suitable and available, and when the approximate starting date of that person can be. Please respond urgently to Yves Chartier chartiery@who.int and Dominique Maison, maisond@who.int.

Please see below detailed description:

Urgent request for a French speaking WatSan generalist from WHO for a minimum 3 months contract (paid by WHO) – deadline 7th February.

Responsibility will be to ensure that the water and sanitation activities are implemented with a focus on WatSan in health care settings, and also on water quality monitoring with the WASH cluster. (Posted 28th Jan 2010)

Description of the type of person needed

• The person needs to be a WatSan generalist, and not a (high) technical specialist
• Experiences in low income countries is very desirable
• A knowledge of WHO would be a best, but the person can be briefed while arriving in Haiti

Description of the type of work requested

• The person will work as a water and sanitation engineer
• Responsibility will be to ensure that the water and sanitation activities are implemented with a focus on WatSan in health care settings (lead cluster is WHO for health) and also on water quality monitoring with the WASH cluster lead by the WatSan national institution with support from UNICEF
• The person will be under WHO contract and paid by WHO
• There will be a hand over on site
• The person will work with a WHO Haiti environmental health technician. She is full time coordinating the emergency response but will be a strong support to the staff coming. She knows the work that is needed, knows the right people to talk to for the task, and is knowledgeable about WHO working procedures and structure.

Proposed activities for 3 months

Work area 1: Health care settings

Activity 1 - Water

Activity 2 - Hygiene

Activity 3 - Sanitation

Activity 4 - Health care waste

Activity 5 - Vector control

Expected result: Environmentally safe health care settings allowing access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene to prevent and control the transmission of disease.



Work area 2: Internally displaced people WatSan activities

Activity 1 - Water quality monitoring

Activity 2 - Sanitation

Activity 3 - Water and sanitation equipment and others

Expected result: Water quality delivered to Internal Displaced People is safe and public toilets are available to respond to the needs of the IDPs.

National Ground Water Association - Developing World Projects Fund

** March 1 2010 deadline

From our friends at the National Ground Water Association:

The Developing World Projects Fund provides small assistance grants to benefit the quality of life for people around the world without access to plentiful supplies of potable groundwater. (View a map of where these NGWREF-funded projects are taking place.)

Read the Grant Making Evaluation Criteria (PDF).* (Please note that while the PDF states the grant proposal deadline as January 15, in light of the Haiti earthquake, NGWREF is extending this year's proposal deadline to March 1, 2010 in order to also entertain proposals from groups* considering equipping small community [village] water well systems in Haiti with either replacement components or for equipping entirely new wells.)

Proposals may be mailed to:

Kevin McCray, Executive Director
National Ground Water Research and Educational Foundation
601 Dempsey Rd.
Westerville, OH 43081
USA

Proposals may also be sent via e-mail to kmccray [at] ngwa.org.

* NGWREF will only consider grant proposals received from United States of America-domiciled organizations filing 990 informational tax returns with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Haiti: Creole-speaking medical professionals needed urgently

This just in from the White House - please forward widely if you know of Creole-speaking doctors/nurses.

__

Dear Friends,

We need to identify Creole-speaking medical professionals to deploy to Haiti in the next few days.

Depending on specialties, there will be opportunities to work in existing hospitals, on the hospital ship USNS Comfort and at emergency field hospitals.

The call is for all Creole speaking personnel (doctors or nurses). However, the specialties most relevant to the crisis (such as general surgery, family, orthopedics, infectious disease, pediatrics, nutrition) will be prioritized.

Volunteers will need to be able to report to Miami .
Any medical professionals who speak Creole can sign up in one of two ways:

1) Individuals can go online and fill out a form here, ignoring the SEIU specific questions:
http://action.seiu.org/helphaiti?source=haiti&subsource=whitehouse

2) Organizations can submit multiple names by entering information into the attached Excel template and emailing the completed spreadsheet to volunteerhaiti@seiu.org. Be sure to write WHITE HOUSE in the subject line.

We recommend you sign up immediately, given the large number of people interested in volunteering.

There has been such incredible interest in helping our brothers and sisters in Haiti that there is no guarantee that everyone will be chosen for this particular opportunity, but the information will be saved by the Administration for future requests. As you know, there will be need for medical help not just in the coming days, but over the long term. This will not be the last call for help.

Thank you for your help and dedication.

Haiti / Water / Steven Solomon / Book signing and NYT oped

I recently had the pleasure of attending a Politics and Prose lecture and book signing by Steven Solomon, author of Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power and Civilization.

His lecture was great, as was the Q&A as is typical at that bookstore. Then I saw his brief and RIGHT-on-the-money NYT oped about Haiti and water (thanks waterlines.org for bringing that to my attention).

A Recovery Built on Water

It makes all the rights points about water being not only the most important response to an emergency, but being the foundation of sustainable development.

To quote: "Water poverty is the main reason for Haiti's abysmal illness and early mortality rates." and "Local water management both inside and outside the cities is a necessary condition for rebuilding all of Haiti."

My hope is that the crisis in Haiti - after the proper response has been taken to save as many lives as possible in the short term - can be leveraged, can be an enabler of efforts to address the development deficit that existed in Haiti long before the earthquake, starting with safe drinking water and sanitation.

Haiti / Water / Sanitation / How to Help / Background Information

A few resources for those of you interested in what happens with respect to drinking water and sanitation in an emergency like Haiti:

Peter Gleick: Water for Haiti, Now

And a list of resources (thank you Dan Campbell at USAID/CDM) for those of you who really want to get into it:

Lantagne, D and Clasen T (2009). Point of Use Water Treatment in Emergency Response<http://www.ehproject.org/PDF/ehkm/lantagne-pou_emergencies2009.pdf>

WHO Technical Notes for Emergencies

1. Cleaning and disinfecting wells <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_01_Cleaning_and_disinfecting_wells.pdf>
2. Cleaning and disinfecting boreholes <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_02_Cleaning_and_disinfecting_boreholes.pdf>
3. Cleaning and disinfecting water storage tanks and tankers <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_03_Cleaning_and_disinfecting_water_storage_tanks_and_tankers.pdf>
4. Rehabilitating small-scale piped water distribution systems <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_04_Rehabilitating_small-scale_piped_water_distribution_systems.pdf>
5. Emergency treatment of drinking water at the point of use <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_05_Emergency_treatment_of_drinking_water_at_the_point_of_use.pdf>
6. Rehabilitating water treatment works after an emergency <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_06_Rehabilitating_water_treatment_works_after_an_emergency.pdf>
7. Solid waste management in emergencies <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_07_Solid_waste_management_in_emergencies.pdf>
8. Disposal of dead bodies <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_08_Disposal_of_dead_bodies.pdf>
9. How much water is needed <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_09_How_much_water_is_needed.pdf>
10. Hygiene promotion in emergencies <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_10_Hygiene_promotion_in_emergencies.pdf>
11. Measuring chlorine levels in water supplies <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_11_Measuring_chlorine_levels_in_water_supplies.pdf>
12. Delivering safe water by tanker <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_12_Delivering_safe_water_by_tanker.pdf>
13. Planning for excreta disposal in emergencies <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_13_Planning_for_excreta_disposal_in_emergencies.pdf>
14. Technical options for excreta disposal <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_14_Technical_options_for_excreta_disposal.pdf>
15. Cleaning wells after seawater flooding <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_15_Cleaning_wells_after_seawater_flooding.pdf>
16. Complete: all 15 notes in one file <http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/who_notes/WHO_TN_ALL.pdf>

And a quick Q&A from Water.org:

Q&A on Response to Haiti Earthquake

Q1. How is water affected during a disaster like this?
A. Underground water and sanitation pipelines and concrete water storage tanks are highly susceptible to damage from earthquakes and will likely need to be repaired or replaced.

Q2. What is the response plan to get people safe water?
A. The short term response typically includes bottled water and the use of high volume purification equipment. While this is expensive, it can be quickly deployed as a short-term solution. There are many relief agencies involved in these types of efforts. The response of organizations like Water.org involves the rehabilitation and expansion of sustainable water and sanitation infrastructure.

Q3. What is Water.org doing to help?
A. We will provide assistance to our local partners so that they can restore and expand water and sanitation infrastructure.

Q4. How is Water.org coordinating with other agencies?
Before the earthquake, Water.org was already coordinating with the Clinton Global Initiative, the United Nations, and other agencies. On the ground, Water.org will work with local NGO partner organizations, consistent with our approach over the past two decades.

Q5. How has this affected Water.org's work in Haiti?
A. It had made the need for safe water and sanitation even more urgent and will likely mean our focus will initially be rehabilitation, and then expansion of water services.

Q6. Is Water.org's staff safe?
A. Four of our staff members returned from Haiti on Saturday. We're in touch with our local partner but do not currently know the status of its staff members.

Q7. Where can I get additional information and what can I do to help?
A. If you are interested in supporting efforts to restore and expand water and sanitation services in Haiti, you can donate at: http://donate.water.org. If you would like to donate to immediate relief efforts in Haiti, you’ll find more information at: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact.

Water.org is hiring - DC and Kansas City

It seems like this blog is turning into a job-posting site, but I imagine that's a proxy indicator for a growing water and sanitation sector so no complaints.

Two more from Water.org (Gary White and Matt Damon's shop):

Program Manager. We are looking for an experienced and highly skilled Program Manager to work with our International Programs team and manage our Haiti program, among other duties. Master’s or Ph.D preferred, as well as knowledge of French, at least two years of relevant work experience in Haiti, and at least five years of relevant experience with development, water and sanitation, microfinance, and/or nonprofit organizations. This full-time position will be based in Kansas City, MO, with significant travel to Haiti and Central America. Open until filled. Read the full job announcement.

Partnership Manager. We are also looking for a highly-qualified Washington, D.C.-based Partnership Manager that will be responsible for the overall development, implementation, and promotion of relationships with U.S. government and other large-scale institutional donors, among other duties. Master’s level degree highly desirable, with at least 5-10 years in public or private nonprofit environment, including proposal development and writing for significant international projects as well as private and public grants. Relationships with U.S. government and other bi/multi-lateral institutional donors active in international development essential, and 1-2 years overseas experience in a developing country desirable. This position is full-time and will work with our International Programs team. Open until filled. Read the full job announcement.

When are toilets the best way to save endangered fish?

What do you do if there is no traditional environmental solution to an environmental problem? You find a non-environmental solution.

Exhibit A: Lake Miragoâne in Haiti, currently featured in an insightful piece by Conservation International's Alex MacLennan:

It's in the Water

If the most effective way to protect fish biodiversity in an endorheic lake is to prevent untreated human waste from flowing into that lake's waters, then build latrines, build a community-level treatment plant.

As Mr. MacLennan writes:

"Whether you are an advocate for people, fish or both – fresh, clean waters must be restored in Lake Miragoâne. Due to its impoverishment, the local community depends too much on the lake to ignore it once waste has washed in. Drinking water comes from the lake. Laundry is washed in the lake. Gourds filled with water and even freshly laundered clothes carry bacteria into people’s homes."

His colleague researcher Mike Smith adds:

"...species conservation and alleviating human misery are not only compatible, they are the same."

The links between safe drinking water for people, sanitation facilities for human waste, and biodiversity conservation haven't been fully explored on the ground. Philosophically, there is little challenge: it is easy to agree at a high level that environmental sustainability initiatives should account for the impact of and on homo sapiens, and it is easy to agree that initiatives providing safe water and sanitation for humans should be implemented in a fashion that impacts positively on the environment. The trick is on the ground - what happens when you have a country manager of a safe drinking water organization who is paid to get water to people, and the country manager of an environmental organization who is paid to protect frogs and trees, and neither is incentivized to broaden the scope of his/her already-challenging work?

The Haitian lake is a good example of where this is playing out on the ground. Daryl Hannah's work with gorillas in Africa is another interesting example. Many groups are undertaking payment for ecosystems services programs. A lot of progress in the right direction, and a lot of creative opportunities still to be explored.