Innovative Wastewater Recycling in an Indian village: Linking the rural with the urban

Marit Brommer and William Critchley

In: UA Magazine no. 19 - Stimulating Innovation in Urban Agriculture

It is increasingly recognised that in rural areas of developing countries the microenvironment around the household/ home garden is the centre of productive resources (Chambers, 1990; Scoones, 2001; Critchley et al.,in preparation). Not only are people based there, but animals tend to be housed close by and crop production is more intensive and diversified around the homestead. The most common hotspot of fertility and production is thus around the house and compound. From the point of view of water, the home is again a concentration point: not only is water brought there for various domestic purposes (and wastewater thus available after use), but also roof tops and compacted compounds give rise to runoff.