Current International Projects

Kratovo, Macedonia

Team Leader: Vlad Pascu, vpascu@ufl.edu

The University of Florida - Engineers Without Borders Macedonia Team was assembled to assess and modernize the current solid waste management system in the municipality of Kratovo, Macedonia. Kratovo, a city of approximately 10,000 people, and Macedonia as a whole has suffered environmental, administrative, and economic problems since independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

The team consists of University of Florida students, graduate students, faculty advisors, and professional engineering mentors. The team completed two assessment trips in 2006 and one implementation trip in the summer of 2007.

The goal of this project is to work with the community to enhance current solid waste management practices and, thus, improve the quality of life for the citizens of Kratovo and while helping Kratovians promote their town for tourism. The primary objectives of the team are to:
1) identify solid waste management issues in Kratovo;
2) provide achievable technologies and methodologies designed to improve the solid waste management system in the town;
3) work with residents to implement solid waste management programs; and
4) educate the community about the benefits of a sanitary waste management system.
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EWB in the Florida Engineer

Cambodia

Team Leader: Taylor Norrell tnorrell@ufl.edu

In a partnership with Sustainable Cambodia, a Gainesville based NGO working to promote sustainable development of rural Cambodian villages EWB-UF began a project in 2006 to design appropriate technologies capable of being manufactured in the country. These technologies are centered on increasing educational opportunities by reducing the manual workload on Cambodian children.

Currently the project is focused on the design of inexpensive anaerobic digesters to produce biogas. Biogas is a gas mixture similar to natural gas that can be used to replace firewood as a cooking fuel. By decreasing the use of firewood, communities will drastically improve air quality while cooking. In addition, communities will be able to return their investments on the digesters quickly, leaving extra funds to improve the local economy. Also, animal waste and possibly human waste can be treated effectively with the digester, leaving a safe fertilizer as the end product.

All resulting designs will be made public domain and published on the web. An assesment trip to implement these technologies as well as to educate local communities on their manufacture and use is planned for the fall of 2008.

Cachitambo, Bolivia

Team Leader: Max Krause maxjkrause@gmail.com

Bolivia is EWB-UF's newest International Project. The supporting NGO, Engineers in Action, has charged EWB-UF to design greenhouses and an irrigation system for a village of approximately 100 families. There is currently no vegetation in the area around Cachitambo, so food must be imported from the larger village of Potosi. The lack of crops could be caused by contaminated irrigation water due to a long history of mining in the area.

If greenhouses and an irrigation system are built in this village, there will be more opportunities for the locals to find work without having to migrate to Potosi. A sense of ownership can be created for the infrastructure built in Cachitambo; this will allow for a more seamless integration of these new resources.