EWB and International Development

At EWB Victoria, we are proud of the many Local Projects undertaken here in our fine state. These include:

• Spokes in The Wheel with SAIL 
• The Sages Cottage Water Program
• Blazeaid

These programs are a fantastic way to assist developing or hard-hit communities to get back on their feet. Furthermore, the EWBers involved (who may be full-time Collins Street workers or university students) an opportunity use their engineering skills for a good cause, within their own community.

On a wider scale, EWB Australia assists and develops numerous sustainability initiatives within developing communities. With a focus on grass roots programs, partnerships with the local communities, and an emphasis on sustainability - EWB Australia has undertaken fantastic initiatives, with wonderful results: one such program has been the Floating Toilets for a Cambodian community in the Tonle Sap region.

The Tonle Sap floods each year during the monsoon season, when the water expands by up to five times. Floating villages move up to 10km with the expanding and receding flood waters, while stilted villages remain stationary, with vastly changing water levels. One of the significant environmental management issues is the lack of toilets in the floating and stilted communities. An EWB Australia project assisted with the design and implementation of latrines suitable for use in both floating and stilted communities.

Please view the following video from Robert Hughes, who is currently working with the floating communities of Cambodia as a field water and sanitation engineer for EWB Australia and Live & Learn Environmental Education Cambodia. He's developing and trialing appropriate low-cost sanitation options for communities who spend most or all of them their time living on the water.