<p>This seven-month-long project was recently awarded USD 20,000 from funds raised during the Zeitz Foundation fundraiser in July 2010 - a sum that will be at least matched by the Long Run Destination.</p> <p> </p> <p>Following the Zeitz Foundation’s intention to demonstrate that sustainable ecosystem management – and ultimately steps towards a healthy planet - can be achieved by balancing conservation, community, culture and commerce, Monte Azul’s project has a community focus, but also a conservation edge as treating wastewater clearly improves ecosystem wellbeing by avoiding the discharge of potentially damaging nutrients and pathogens, and also reduces water use.</p> <p> </p> <p>The project will ultimately support rural community-based tourism in the area and is divided into two segments. First, natural filtration systems will be built with plants and gravel for the treatment of grey water. This step will result in safe, non-potable water for use in agriculture and domestically. Then composting toilets will be installed in ecologically-sensitive areas and their by-product will be used as natural and safe fertilizer.</p> <p> </p> <p>The project will also build the capacity of at least 200 people through information events on the use and benefits of alternative wastewater treatment technologies and will establish partnerships with two communities with a view to replicate the project elsewhere.</p> <p> </p> <p>This initiative is one of the three proposals that received funds from the Zeitz Foundation fundraiser. Other than this project in Costa Rica, the Zeitz Foundation is supporting Nihiwatu Long Run Destination in Indonesia for work on alternative cooking methods that will reduce deforestation and curb health problems associated with smoke inhalation and Tahi Long Run Destination in New Zealand as it addresses the loss of native biodiversity through efforts to remove alien invasive species and a planting programme for indigenous species, coupled with the re-flooding of dried up wetlands. Lessons learnt from these projects will be shared at the local level and amongst the different Long Run Destinations to promote best practice and stimulate similar initiatives elsewhere.</p>Deep in the mountains of Costa Rica, sewerage systems or septic tanks do not exist and neither do filtration systems for grey water. In a bid to improve health and sanitation in a sensitive and fragile ecosystem, Monte Azul Long Run Destination put forward a project to establish alternative technologies in these two fields with the rural community of Chimirol.
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