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dam-l Sustainable systems meeting in Africa/LS

>From The Namibian today. Note the ref. to recycling water hyacyths, which
plague many of Africa's dams.

       Let's get Zeri with-it

       ZOE TITUS

       THE Fourth Annual World Congress on Zero Emissions, which starts at
       Unam today has been hailed by local academics as a "major event of
       international significance".

       Approximately 170 participants, representing five continents, will
present
       breakthrough research findings which are said to represent "major
       contributions to the development of sustainable livelihoods in the world,
       especially in Africa and Namibia in particular".

       Founder of the Zero Emissions Research Initiative (Zeri) and Director of
       the Zeri Foundation, Gunter Pauli, said the Zeri concept provided simple
       innovative approaches for eliminating all categories of wastes.

       For Africa, in particular, Zeri stood for innovative approaches for
       addressing problems of ignorance, poverty, preventable diseases,
       unemployment and environmental issues.

       Pauli noted that a special effort was made, through funding from the
United
       Nations Development Programme in Namibia, to secure the presence of
       representatives from municipal and regional authorities in Namibia.

       "(Delegates will) see how concrete (scientifically researched)
examples may
       be implemented to create employment and reduce waste. New and novel
       ideas will be copyrighted, not by large industrial powers, but by
Zeri for use
       by everyone," he said.

       Launched in Tokyo in July 1994 by the Rector of the United Nations
       University (UNU), Professor Dr Heitor Gurgulino de Souza, Africa was
       accorded a high priority in the global Zeri agenda. As a result, the
first
       application of the Zeri concept in industry in Africa took place at
Namibia's
       Ohlthaver & List's new Sorghum Brewery industrial plant at Tsumeb.

       Many African countries produce millions of tonnes of agricultural and
       industrial wastes which are not only considered valueless, but also
pollute the
       environment. The Zeri concept advocates cost effective and
environmentally
       friendly ways of disposing of "waste" materials.

       Pauli mentioned, among others, that the Water Hyacinth plant, found in
       abundance in Africa's dams and rivers, and regarded as a useless
weed, had
       the potential of being used for development.

       "If used as a biosource, the hyacinth weed permits the recovery of
lost top
       soil minerals, the generation of high protein food for human consumption,
       the production of biogas and humus."

       He added that when Zeri methodologies were used, people working at a
       minimum wage, harvesting water hyacinth, could generate up to 10 times
       more income and secure many new useful jobs.

       "It is hoped that Zeri will lead people into increasing their
standards of
       living without damaging their environment," Pauli concluded.

       October 14, 1998

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      Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
        and Editor, World Rivers Review
           International Rivers Network
              1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
                  Tel. (510) 848 1155   Fax (510) 848 1008
                        http://www.irn.org
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