WATER FOR ALL - GROUP MEETING

Today, me and Laura had another group meeting in which we showed our focused research and any additional ideas we had developed.

While talking through the specifics of our ideas and discussing their feasibility and relevance to the brief, we decided that continuing with the project was going to be counter productive as we could be focusing our efforts on briefs with more relevance to our practice.  

Therefore, during meeting came to a decision to not continue with the brief any further, the final deadlines are fast approaching, the brief is not specifically relevant to graphic design and is essentially asking us to reinvent an existing product. 

WATER FOR ALL - IDEA DEVELOPMENT

Through the collection and analysis of secondary research reviewing the forces exerted upon humans carrying water in sub-saharan Africa, I was able to learn that the current techniques used to transport liquids (on top of the head in a bucket) are detrimental to human health, often causing musculoskeletal disorders to develop. 

With this information in mind, I started to develop a range of products that can help to surpass or solve the physical problems associated with transporting water, splitting my designs into two subsections; 

• On-body transportation. 
• Off-body transportation. 

On-body designs aimed to create ways for people transporting water to do so using their bodies, but in a way in which the force is distributed across a larger surface area than the head, subsequently helping to reduce the force exerted on the body of the carrier. 

Off-body designs aimed to create ways for people to transport water without overly using their bodies, similarly to the Hippo Roller reviewed as part of my initial research. 

DEVELOPED DESIGNS 

Designs created during the design development stage of the project are displayed below; 

ON-BODY TRANSPORTATION 

OFF-BODY TRANSPORTATION 

PROGRESSION

Of the two design classifications I felt that ideas created for the on-body transportation of water were much more effective and plausible than the off-body methods, which were a lot more experimental. 

The problem I encountered when creating off-body methods related directly to the fact that the Hippo Roller already utilises the optimum technique for transporting water. Any ideas I created simply tried to (unsuccessfully) reinvent it. 

Despite this I plan to present all ideas to Laura in our next group meeting. 

WATER FOR ALL - RESEARCH - DOMESTIC WATER CARRYING

Today while completing the research tasks ready for the next group meeting I came across a research paper that reviewed the health implications of domestic water carrying in African provinces.

Compared to the research I have collected up to this point in the project, the research paper presents the most relevant body of information reviewed thus far, as it specifically discusses an aspect of the problem featured on the 'Water For All' brief, reducing the strain put on women and children collecting water. 

The study is very comprehensive and lists the methods used to collect data in detail while also outlining the limitations of the study. For these reasons, I am fairly confident that the information featured in the research paper is reputable, unbiased and therefore an appropriate source of secondary information. 

RESEARCH PAPER 

Images below document the pages from the report. While reading through its content I made note of any important or relevant information, evidence of which can be found underneath each image. 

IMPORTANT POINTS;

• There has been little research into the health effects of frequently carrying containers of water.
• The aim of the study is to identify;
•  How water carrying is performed.
•  Outline the potential health risk factors.
•  Gain an insight into the possible health effects of the task.
• Data was collected from six rural villages in South Africa.
• Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and measurement.
• Water carrying was mainly performed by women and children carrying containers on their head (mean container weight was 19.5kg over a mean distance of 337m).
• The prevalence of spinal pain was 69% and back pain was 38%.
• Of participants who carried water by head-loading, the distance walked by those who reported spinal pain was significantly less than those who did not.  
• Typical water carrying methods impose physical loading with the potential to produce musculoskeletal disorders and related disabilities.
• The study is limited by the small sample size.
• Preliminary finding suggest that the efforts should be directed towards eliminating the need for water carrying, or where it must continue, identifying risk reduction factors for the outlined injuries.  

IMPORTANT POINTS;

• Water filled containers are often carried on the head.
• Transportation with wheelbarrows, animal drawn carts and rolling filled containers are also used.
• Such methods create physical demands on the body and have the potential for adverse physical stress  from regularly carrying loads of water.
• Frequent loading beyond the capacity for adaptation or repair may lead to injury through fatigue failure, accumulation of fatigue damage or degenerative changes in bone and soft tissues. 
• Assumptions, supported with strong evidence, suggest water carrying is detrimental to health and associated with musculoskeletal disorders such as spinal pain and other joint problems.
• Carrying heavy loads on the head by professional porters has been documented to cause catastrophic injury, such as spinal fractures, dislocation and even death.
• There is a higher prevalence of cervical osteoarthritis in porters (91.6%in male porters compared to 6.8% in the control group. 
• Very few studies specifically investigated as it is performed by women & children in developing countries, instead focusing on the health impacts of physical loading of male adult workers. 
• Two recent studies indicate that some people may experience high rates of perceived exertion and physical pain that can limit the amount of water they can carry, which can have serious implications for the health of their families. 
• Water carrying is also a physical activity that can have beneficial health effects in some individuals - It is important to consider the health impacts broadly. 

IMPORTANT POINTS;

• Mixed methods were used to collect information, utilising both quantitive and qualitative data to understand the task.
• The report focuses on the analysis of quantitive data, combined with specific findings from content analysis of qualitative data generated from semi-structured interviews.
• The approach was used to to evaluate the relationship between physical pain and potential risk factors observed to occur during water carrying. 
• Data was collected from six individual villages in South Africa with high levels of poverty and suboptimal water supply.  

IMPORTANT POINTS;

• Children that took part in the study were weighed, had their height measured and also the weight of the filled containers they intended to carry .
• 43 people were included in the study for collection of observational data and/or semi-structured interviews. 
• Participant demographic table featured in the bottom right hand corner of the page.  

IMPORTANT POINTS;

• Borg scale was used to gain insights into the intensity of work performed by participants. 
• The modified Borg scale is a twelve grade category rating scale with ratio properties, which combines both verbal and numerical descriptors that can be used to measure a persons rating of their perceived exertion during a specific task.
• Content analysis of participant interview responses was used to identify regions of the body where pain was occurring and was used to calculate the prevalence of spinal pain, back pain and neck pain. 
• It was also used to determine subgroups of participants who did and did not report pain.  

IMPORTANT POINTS;

• Two techniques were used to gain insight into the intensity of work participants engaged with.
• Firstly, participants rated their level of perceived exertion using the Borg scale.
• Secondly, the weight of water carried was calculated as a percentage of body weight for all carrying methods in Newtons of force.  
• Force in Newtons is equal to mass multiplied by gravity.
• Linear regression modelling was used to identify significant correlations between variables and self reported pain. 
• Three methods of carrying water were observed;
• Head loading of water filled containers (N = 30)
• Rolling a water filled drum (N = 2)
• Pushing a wheelbarrow weighted with water filled containers (N = 7)
• Women most commonly used head loading to carry water - 82% of female participants chose the method compared to 40% of the males.
• Potential Health Impacts;
• Pain was commonly reported as an effect of carrying water in the semi-structured interviews.
• 69% of study participants reported spinal pain - defined in this study as pain reported or indicated through gesture by participants to be in the head, neck, thoracic or lumbosacral region. 

IMPORTANT POINTS;

• 
  

LINK

WATER FOR ALL - RESEARCH - MANUAL HANDLING

As part of the research exercises set at the end of our first group session I was tasked with collecting research into the physical health implication of carrying weights. 

Collecting the research had multiple benefits, most of which had relevance to the design of our outcome. By researching into the health impactions of carrying weights we can consequently design a product that places the least strain on the people carrying it. 

Some of the benefits I could identify have been listed below.

• Ascertain the best way to carry weight.
• Identify how our product could reduce strain on carrier. 
• Common ways people are injured. 
• Techniques for lifting weight.

MANUAL HANDLING 

Due to the tight timescale to which I am working I collected the research from secondary internet sources to save time. I believe that the decision to collect information from internet sources is appropriate as information on lifting and carrying weights is well researched and freely available.

While looking for relevant information I came across a website called 'Health and Safety Executive' which is in fact a subsidiary aspect of the gov.UK online resource. Such information helped to confirm the reliability of the information featured onsite.  

Although the information featured on the site is specifically geared towards the workplace environment, information that deals with lifting has relevance to our brief.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - 

• To avoid injuries from manual handling you should avoid lifting tasks wherever possible.
• If you are unable to avoid lifting tasks there are certain techniques and safety measures that can help to reduce the chance of injury.
• For any lifting activity take into account;
• Individual capability.
• The nature of the load.
• Environmental conditions.
• If you need to lift something manually;
• Reduce the amount of twisting, stooping and reaching.
• Avoid lifting from floor level or above shoulder height.

Link

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - 

• Things to do before lifting;
• Remove obstructions from route.
• For a long lift, plan to take breaks.
• Keep the load close to the waist.
• The load should be kept as close to the body while lifting.
• Adopt a stable position and keep feet wide apart. 
• At the start of the lift, slight bending of the back, hips and knees is better than fully flexing the back (stooping) or hips and knees (Squatting).
• Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways, especially when the back is bent. 
• Shoulders should be kept facing in the same direction as the hips - turn by moving the feet.
• Keep your head up while lifting - look forwards.
• Move smoothly.
• If you need to readjust how the load is carried, put it down first, then move to the appropriate position. 

WATER FOR ALL - GROUP MEETING ONE

Today me and Laura had our first group meeting for the RSA 'Water For All' brief we are collaborating on. 

TIME MANAGEMENT 

The deadline for the project is the 4th of March, which does not leave us with a huge amount of time to complete research and have an informed, well produced outcome. Therefore, it is essential that we manage our time appropriately if we are going to submit an outcome we are happy with in time for the deadline. 

To ensure that we are meeting such requirements we decided to both collect some research in preparation for the meeting so that we can have an informed discussion and outline some direction to help us progress with the project. 

DISCUSSION

The session was started with me and Laura taking turns to briefly talk through the research we collected in preparation for the meeting. Despite not specifying areas of focus for the research we luckily had both collected information on different issues and subjects. 

Notes taken during the session are displayed below;

IMPORTANT POINTS - 

• The brief is very open and lists multiple areas participants could focus on, as a consequence of this we have identified various directions the brief could be taken in -  before progressing we need to define a solid direction.
• Interview Michaela (she works for a charity in Africa every summer).
• Review the current schemes and products that exist to help with water collection.
• 3D Digital mock-ups and animations can be created by Laura's boy friend.
• Divide workload - Have research tasks finished for Thursday.

IN SESSION RESEARCH 

After briefly discussing some initial ideas and research directions we decided to devote the second half of our meeting to reviewing some exiting products that have been created with the specific purpose of transporting water in sub-saharan Africa. 

Completing the research task had two main benefits;

• Allowed us to assess existing products used in the environment specified by the brief.
• Subsequently, we were able to assess aspects of the products that could be improved.
• Allowed us to see what products already exist to help avoid developing an idea that already exists. 

MATHIEU LEHANNEUR - CELLBAG

Inspired by the way in which biological cells transport water and nutrients, the CellBag is an innovative way of transporting water, in optimal environmental conditions, for small and large volumes. 

Link

GABRIELE DIAMANTI  - TERRACOTTA OVEN 

Designer Gabriele Diamanti designed this simple terracotta oven to solve a problem that’s plagued humans for ages. Users pour salt water into the basin in the morning. Then, as the temperature rises over the course of the day, steam moves downwards and is condensed into fresh, drinkable water.

Link

QUNXI HUANG & TOLEGMMA MARQUEZ - WATER ROLL

Water Roll, with features aimed at lessening the manual effort required for water transportation, can be used by a single user or by a group. While a caving on the surface helps fit the container snugly on the head, a hole through the center of the interlocking containers allows multiple loads to be transferred using a rod.

Link

WATERWEAR BACKPACK

In many developing countries women and children are tasked with fetching water and carrying it considerable distances in containers - often on their heads. Aside from the strain this places on the neck and back, these containers can be discarded jerry cans and buckets that originally carried fuel, oils, pesticides, paints and other chemicals that you wouldn’t want mixed with your drinking water. The WaterWear is a collapsible backpack designed to overcome these problems.

Link

Q-DRUM 

The Q Drum is the simple, durable, effective and user-friendly solution to the water collection problem faced by millions of women and children on a daily basis. the device is designed to ease the physical burden and reduce the time spent collecting water; thus ultimately improving the lives and well-being of countless people around the world.

Link

CONCLUSION 

While assessing some of the exiting products that have been created to ease the problem of water collection I was able to identify that products can be categorised into two main groups.

• Off body water transportation (Q-drum & Water roll).
• On body water transportation (cell bag & waterwear backpack). 

The product distinction is important as both varieties have their own benefits which can be identified and assessed to help inform the direction of our designs. 

INITIAL IDEAS 

After reviewing some of the existing products available to help the collection of water in sub-saharan Africa we decided to progress with the project by getting down some of our initial ideas. 

We initially decided to focus on off body transportation techniques as we ascertained that the methods will allow people to transport more water without putting too much physical strain on their bodies. One problem with carrying water on body is that the weight of the water that is being transported is exerted onto the persons body.

Both me and Laura agreed that the wheel barrow was the strongest concept from the initial ideas we created. However, as a concept it still needs much development, and so we decided to list concept development as one of the tasks that need completing before we meet for our next session. 

PROGRESSION 

To progress from the initial session we set ourselves a number of tasks to be completed before our next group meeting. 

Tasks;

• Complete primary research. 
• Continue developing concepts.
• Collect secondary research on the health implications of carrying weights. 
• Prototypes if applicable.

WATER FOR ALL - BRIEF ANALYSIS

At the start of this week Laura approached me to remind me that the deadline for one of the briefs we decided to collaborate on; 'Water for All' was fast approaching. The decision to work together on the brief was made at the start of the year when we were defining the eight third year briefs. However, we have yet to make any sort of start on the project leaving us with just over two weeks to create our response. 

To start the project I read back over the brief to remind me of its specifics, highlighting information that I perceived to have importance to the response created;

IMPORTANT POINTS - 

• Brief - Lighten the burden of water collection for women in the developing world.
• Sub-Saharan Africa alone spends over 40 billion hours a year collecting clean drinking water - an undertaking that is mainly completed by women.
• Water collected serves a number of purposes from cleaning laundry to personal hygiene - would be beneficial if response could measure/divide collected water for individual jobs.
• Response could be a new brand, product, service or entirely new business model - Brief has the potential to be taken in multiple directions. 
• Water scarcity is increasing world wide, people are not always aware of the value of water. 
• Increases in water scarcity will amplify the value of water collected by families. 
• It is estimated that 1.8 billion people will be living in absolute water scarcity by 2025. 
• Idea lead brief.
• Judging Criteria - Social & environmental benefit 20%, Research 10%, Design Thinking 10%, Commercial Awareness 25%, Execution 15%, Magic 20%. 
• Deadline - 4th March 2015.  

WATER FOR ALL - RESEARCH - SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA WATER USAGE

In preparation for our first meeting, which will take place on this Wednesday, Laura and I agreed to collect some initial secondary research to help form a base platform of project relevant knowledge. By doing so, when we have our meeting our initial decisions and progression will already be informed, subsequently helping us to progress with the brief much quicker. 

RESEARCH AREAS 

Secondary information was initially collected from the internet due to the vast amount of relevant material there is freely available. To start the process of gathering the initial body of research I read back over the brief and outlined individual areas the research should focus on.

AREAS OF FOCUS -

• Sub-Saharan water collection.
• Water as a resource in Africa - facts & figures. 
• Water management.
• Reducing water usage.
• Carrying water - most efficient/harmless way.

IMPROVING APPROACHES TO AGRICULTURAL WATER USE FOR IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

After browsing through the depths of the internet for around half an hour I came across the 'Innovative Approaches to Agricultural Water Use for Improving Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa' a report which provides an overview of the options for developing and using water for food production in Africa. 

The report does not specifically cover any of the areas of focus in any great depth but does provide information and insights on topics such as;

• Water Resources in Africa - Facts (very detailed).
• Increasing and managing water supply.
• Water harvesting.
• Sustainable management of ground water.
• Water demand management.

Despite having a focus on the agricultural aspects of water usage and management in Africa I believe, after skim reading some of the reports contents, that there is information included in the paper that has relevance to the 'Water for All' brief and potential outcomes. Furthermore, as the report was produced under a number of organisations including the 'International Water Management Institute', facts, data and opinions featured in the study will be well researched and reliable. 

As I read through the report, any important or relevant information was listed underneath the page it was featured on.  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• The water scarcity map (featured on the next page) shows that all countries in Africa are projected to be either physically or economically water scarce by 2025.
• Imports are expected to increase to account for more than 10% of total cereal consumption in Africa. 
• In SSA, imports are expected to triple from 9million metric tons in 1990 to 29million tons in 2020.
• Countries that are physically water scarce may not have adequate water resources to meet their projected needs by 2020.
• More of a quarter of the worlds population live in a region that would be affected. 
• Economically, water scarce countries potentially have the power to meet their future needs, but will not be able to make additionally investments needed to harness the resources. 
• Agriculture accounts for more than 70% of the worlds water usage. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• 80-100 liters of water needed per person per day for drinking, cooking and washing. 
• With growing populations agriculture will soon need to start competing with urban water needs.
• Water allocation for agriculture often gives way to high value urban developments which harshly affects food production. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• Water needs are directly proportional to population growth.
• Concerns for sustainability and possible adverse environmental and health impacts of wasteful water use and poorly planned development 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• There are two main ways to seal with the physical scarcity of water and the rising costs of developing new sources to meet the increasing demand - Managing supply and managing demand. 
• Managing supply - includes developing new sources of surface water and groundwater, monitored and regulated use of waste water in urban agriculture, promotion of water harvesting & reuse of agricultural drainage.
• Managing supply - includes incentives thorough policies and mechanisms, new technologies that promote efficient water use and water and soil conservation. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa face 'economic water scarcity' meaning they do not have the financial or human resources to address the water scarcity problem.
• It is imperative that African countries find innovative, cost affective solutions to improve water and land management.
• Some promising options under supply are - rainwater harvesting, wetland development, tapping of shallow aquifers, conjunctive use of water and groundwater, recycling liquid and solid waste from urban irrigation. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• The potential contribution of water-harvesting techniques in rain-fed areas include; reduced pressure to invest in conventional water augmentation (such as dams, river diversion), cheap technology available to farmers, Reduced pressure on groundwater resources. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• Overuse of groundwater tables runs the risk of overabstraction and deelining groundwater tables. 
• Optimal usage of wetlands is expected to have benefits for small farmers as well as for the conservation of the wetland environment.
• Wetlands have a wide range of uses such as;
• Cropping.
• Livestock grazing.
• Livestock watering.
• Soil for domestic use.
• Domestic water (including water & bathing).
• Brick molding.
•  Harvesting plants.
• Medicinal plants.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• In countries with high levels of rural poverty groundwater development offers major opportunities for promoting food production and improving livelihoods. 
• The capital requirements needed to develop groundwater irrigation are usually low and productivity is high.  
• Shallow aquifers refer to groundwater that is accessible using indigenous methods of well construction - low cost technique.
• Where a hand-dug well are not appropriate, a tube well can provide an alternative.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• Groundwater sourcing of water makes it unnecessary for farmers or farm workers to convey water over long distances. 
• A benefit of using groundwater sources is that they are replenished by annual rains and flooding. 
• Conjunctive use of both groundwater and surface water can minimise environmental and economic effects and optimise the water demand & supply balance.
• Surface water storage in a reservoir can supply water for most annual requirements, however groundwater storage can be kept as reserves for years, even through periods of below-average rainfall. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• In Sub-Saharan Africa most wastewater used for irrigation is not treated.
• For agriculture, wastewater can offer a stable source of supply especially during drought periods - Water management. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• There are high environmental and health risks associated with the use of wastewater for farming. 
• Water demand management can help save water, increase economic efficiency of use and improve water quality and even promote sustainable water use.
• Irrigation technologies and water management practices can improve land and water productivity and contribute to better rural livelihoods. 
• Technologies like micro or drip irrigation make use of low-cost plastic piping, sprinklers and even computerised control systems (often used in developed countries) have a potential application in Africa.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• Precision irrigation, something that would vastly reduce the amount of water used in agriculture and increase crop productivity, can be practised with existing conventional technologies - Reduces demand on water supply. 
• Recent evidence suggests that the role of the private sector in expanding the use of water for agriculture has great potential. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION -

• Managing land and water in Sub-Saharan Africa provides opportunities to escape poverty and achieve water and food security.
• Given the high degree of physical and economic water scarcity and the growing demand and competition for water means there are fewer opportunities to expand irrigation areas. Therefore, our focus much shift to improving the productivity of water and access to water by poor people.
• Some techniques that can be used to overcome the problem are;
• Harvesting of rainwater.
• Development of wetlands for agriculture.
• Exploitation of shallow groundwater aquifers.
• Recycling of liquid and solid waste.  

CONCLUSION 

Although the study was focused on water usage for agricultural purposes within the report there was still a vast body of information included that had direct relevance to the problems outlined in the brief. Information included on the initial brief distributed by RSA detailed how an aspect of the project was increasing the sustainable use of water, a concept that the report covers quite extensively. 

As well as providing me with relevant and applicable information, the report also helped me to form a base knowledge of water scarcity and usage in Sub-Saharan Africa, something that before reading the paper I completely lacked. By reading the report and analysing its contents I feel more informed on the subject and problems that people living in harsh sub-saharan environments are facing. I believe that with this platform of knowledge my initial concepts and directions for the brief will be much more informed and applicable.