Assessing Wastewater Management in the Developing Countries of Southeast Asia: Underlining Flexibility in Appropriateness

Abstract

The majority of the Southeast Asian region is composed of developing countries with urban, peri-urban, and rural areas whose anticipated change in wastewater treatment demand necessitates improvement in wastewater management. The narrative relating to the present scenario has been constructed via a rapid review structure using various literature concerning the state of wastewater management in the Southeast Asian region. Existing wastewater technology systems in the region have been studied in order to identify challenges in improving wastewater management. Several barriers across technology systems have been identified which shows that offering either centralised, decentralised, or cluster technology systems as one solution is not enough to address changing future demands for wastewater treatment. Thus, flexibility has been identified through the discussion as a key concept for proposing technology systems in regions where future demands require solutions in the present. We propose that investments in wastewater management in the developing countries of Southeast Asia require a perspective that focuses not only on what is appropriate for the present demand but also for the future.

Contamination of Bisphenol A, Nonylphenol, Octylphenol, and Estrone in Major Rivers of Mega Manila, Philippines

“…Untreated and partially treated sewage and wastewater from substandard septic tanks commonly drain into the water bodies. Unlike in other countries where centralized wastewater systems are common, the low‐technology and low‐cost decentralized wastewater treatment facilities typically used in the Philippines are unable to comply with environmental discharge limits (Sotelo et al, 2019). More cleanup efforts, effective regulations in wastewater treatment, and sustainable water resource management policies are needed to improve the water quality of the rivers in Mega Manila.…”

Microplastic Removal in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) by Natural Coagulation: A Literature Review

“…The wastewater facilities in Southeast Asia are currently dominated by decentralized wastewater technologies (DWTs), with cluster wastewater technologies (CCTs) in the urban areas. Only a few centralized wastewater technologies (CWTs) were observed [ 60 ]. The different systems can be defined based on the treatment capacity and the proximity to the wastewater source.…”

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Blackwater Septic Systems

“…Septic systems are one of the major onsite sanitation facilities that were used by 1.5 billion people in 2017. 1 They are widely used in urban and periurban areas of many low- and middle-income countries; 2 for example, the proportion of households with septic systems in Hanoi, Vietnam, 3 Hue, Vietnam, 4 Mandalay, Myanmar, 5 and Kota Surakarta, Indonesia, 6 are 84, 80, 90, and 86%, respectively. The design of septic systems can differ depending on the region, but they typically consist of a septic tank and soil absorption field, also known as an infiltration field or a soil treatment unit, while septic systems in urban areas of low- and middle-income countries often have no soil absorption field and the effluent discharges into leach pits or open drains.…”