Transcript EWB – Who we are

What are engineers ?
What are engineers ?
Biomedical
Mechatronics
Aerospace
Civil
Electrical
Chemical
In General, Engineers….
Respond to the needs of society by
providing technological solutions to
every day problems in order to
improve the quality of life.
Engineers in Australia
Respond to the needs of society:
• e.g. Better computers, more roads,
faster cars? iphones?
Engineers in South East Asia
Respond to the needs of society:
• e.g. Access to clean drinking water
International Development
Finding solutions to the
problems of access to
basic human rights in
order to improve the
quality of life.
So Who Are Engineers Without
Borders...?
Engineers Without Borders
Australia works with
disadvantaged
communities to improve
their quality of life through
the education and
implementation of
sustainable engineering
projects.
What are the problems ?
3 billion live
on less than
$2 per day
1 billion lack
access to
clean water
2 billion lack
access to
sanitation
High Prevalence of Water Borne Diseases
• Cholera
• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Ringworm (Tinea)
• Guinea-Worm Disease
Waterborne Diseases
• Unsafe drinking water
causes 80% of diseases
in the world
• Diarrhoea kills 1.8 million
children each year
• Diarrhoea is caused by
harmful bacteria, viruses
and parasites in the water
• Bacteria are unicellular
organisms (made of 1
cell)
Escherichia coli bacteria
Source:
http://www.thebacteriabusters.com/eColi.html
Cholera Pandemic In Zimbabwe
What is Cholera?
Toxin of bacterium Vibrio cholerae
causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
From contaminated food, water or other
cholera patient.
Why is there a pandemic?
No clean water supply
Contamination of wells with sewerage
No medical aid
Food is not affordable
Mortality rate of 20%
Haiti Earthquake
• 7.0 scale
• 200 000 deaths
• 1.5 million people
homeless
• Buildings including
parliament, schools,
prisons and hospitals
collapsed
• $562 million appeal
by UN
Problems?
• Poverty
• Damage to Infrastructure
• Overcrowded Hospitals
• Lack medical supplies
• Violence
• Damaged sewerage system
• Lack of food and water
supplies
• Disease
What about solutions ?
Bio Sand filter
• Water passes
through layers of
sand, gravel and
charcoal
• After repeated use,
a “biofilm” layer
forms on the sand
• This sticky layer
traps bacteria and
“eats” them.
Activated Charcoal
• Activated charcoal has
been treated with
oxygen to open up
millions of tiny pores
between carbon atoms
• Huge surface area to
trap organic (carbon)
compounds.
Source: user:Ravedave, Wikipedia
Solar Radiation
• Cover half of a PET
plastic bottle in black
paint and lay in the sun
• UV Radiation kills
bacteria in water
• If water is heated to 65
degrees for 6 minutes all
bacteria that harm
humans are killed
Ceramic Water Filters
Resource Development International Cambodia (RDIC)
• Clay pots are made from
82% powdered clay, 18%
rice husks
• Since clay is naturally
porous, the water will pass
through leaving particulates
in the pot
• The inside of the pots are
coated with colloidal silver
to kill bacteria
Resource: Development International Cambodia http://www.rdic.org/waterstart.htm
Activity:
Make your own water filter
In country groups,
• Decide what to do
• Buy materials
• Make filter
• Test filter
• Present to class
How does the activity relate to the real world?
Activity
Real World
Different amounts of
money per group
• Based on actual country’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP)
Illegible instructions
• Based on actual country’s illiteracy rate
• Lack of education and access to information
Resourcefulness of
groups with little
money
• People in poorer countries have their own
coping mechanisms
Collaboration between
countries
• North-South co-operation
• Richer countries formed the G8 and OECD
• Poorer countries formed the Group of 24
What you can do?
• Get informed
• Think about international
development – we can help
others
• Get involved in science and
technology – create new
solutions