What are engineers What are engineers

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/e. Coli. 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 G 8 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