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Members of WASHTED have been actively involved in several research activities, including the following: Lately, WASHTED has teamed up with Michigan State University Center for Water Sciences to develop an innovative Madzi for Malawi (M4M) menu approach to the provision of clean water practices and technologies, and to provide training and capacity building through hands on workshops on M4M approaches. Also, WASHTED has been co-opted by East African Great Lakes Observatory (EAGLOnet) partners in developing a research proposal to study impacts of environmental change on the dynamics of the African Great Lakes. This study will complement WASHTED’s effort in developing remote sensing tools to understand management of Lake Malawi. Climate Change As a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Malawi is required to submit to the Conference of the Parties (COP), on a regular basis, a Country Report on the Inventory of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and results of Vulnerability Assessments and Adaptation of the various sectors of the economy, namely: - Water resources,
- Agriculture,
- Forest resources,
- Wildlife, and
- Fisheries.
Although the onus to produce the Country Reports rests with the Department of Environmental Affairs (EAD), WASHTED personnel are actively involved in carrying out initial studies and the production of sector reports, as well as in the compilation and editing of the final report. The strong link that WASHTED has developed with EAD has proved vital in capacity building in climate change issues. The 2nd Country Report was completed in 2008 and will be ready for submission to the COP soon. Active members in the Climate Change Research are Professor Victor Chipofya (Civil Engineering Department), Mr. Kenneth Gondwe (Mechanical Engineering Department), and Dr. Geoffrey Chavula (WASHTED, and Civil Engineering Department) Application of MODIS Satellite Imager in Monitoring the Trophic State of Lake Malawi Although methods that use satellite-based remote sensing data to infer clarity of water bodies (lakes, oceans, etc) and chlorophyll levels have been developed in recent years and are beginning to become widely used, the Malawi Government has not yet adapted these technologies for monitoring the trophic state of Lake Malawi. Dr. Geoffrey Chavula of WASHTED has developed algorithms for estimating chlorophyll-a concentrations in Lake Malawi from MODIS satellite imagery using SEADAS software. Information on the distribution of chlorophyll concentrations in Lake Malawi could aid the Malawi Government to accurately map potential fishing grounds in the pelagic and coastal zones, as well as monitor eutrophication of the lake. Estimating the surface temperature of Lake Malawi using remotely sensed data acquired by AVHRR and MODIS satellite sensors The ability to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of surface temperature over Lake Malawi offers an opportunity to obtain vital information about the nature and extent of the existing thermal structure, and also aids in locating upwelling areas in the lake where primary productivity might be taking place. Such areas are considered ideal for the development of the fishery industry. In a country like Malawi where 70% of the animal protein uptake by its people is derived from fish, such information is crucial. Dr. Geoffrey Chavula has developed an algorithm for estimating lake surface temperature using MODIS satellite imagery. Maps of temperature distribution over the lake have been developed using ER Mapper and are being used to make inferences about circulation patterns in the lake and the location of upwelling zones. This is an ongoing study as the next step is to ascertain if the areas identified as upwelling zones over Lake Malawi are home to abundant fisheries resources. This study is an extension of the work done Dr. Martin Wooster of Imperial College (London) who developed temperature estimation algorithms using AVHRR satellite imagery. Effect of land use and land cover (LULC) change and water levels of Lake Malawi Assessments of land use and land cover (LULC) change in the drainage basin of Lake Malawi over the period 1982-2005 have been carried out using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Moderate Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery, with NDVI as a LULC classification parameter. Results show that the relationship between LULC change and lake level fluctuation is not very significant. This may be explained by the fact that 60% of the water inflow into Lake Malawi is derived from rainfall that falls directly on the lake surface. The role of religion on the general health and well being of women in developing countries in Malawi, with emphasis on HIV/AIDS. Religious beliefs may have profound effect on the behavior of people, and may be a key determinant in the way individuals view health related messages. In this study Mrs. Chritable Kambala, a lecturer in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the Polytechnic and a member of WASHTED, explores the crucial role being played by religion on the general health and well being of women in developing countries, particularly in Malawi, in regard to the HIVAIDS pandemic. The significance of Christabel’s research cannot be overemphasized considering the deadly repercussions the pandemic is having on Malawi’s population as well as on the country’s agrobased economy. Impact of water and sanitation component of the NUFU project in Lungwena, Mangochi District In Lungwena, Mangochi District, only 1.7% of the population has access to improved sanitation while 73.3% has access to potable water. The study, being done by Mr. Chikondi Mwendera, a Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Health and a member of WASHTED, attempts to assess the impact of water and sanitation interventions being provided to the community through the Agriculture and Environmental Health project funded by the Norwegian Government under NUFU. The study focuses on diarrhoeal morbidity and bacteriological quality of stored water in both the intervention and controlled villages. Preliminary findings show a significant difference in improved sanitation coverage in form of sanitation platforms in the intervention villages compared to control villages. Also, there is a significant difference in the occurrence of diarrhea between the intervention and control villages. Developing simple and affordable water purification methods using powder derived from seeds of Moringa Oleifera. Moringa Oleifera is a multipurpose tree. Its seeds are used a coagulant, and the husks are used as activated carbon. Moringa is also a medicinal plant. The Malawi Polytechnic has been conducting experiments of water purification using Moringa Oleifera since the early 1990s when Dr. Robert Young was the Head of Civil Engineering Department. The studies were done in collaboration with the University of Leeds, and the Forestry Research Institute of Malawi (FRIM). Experiments on the suitability of Moringa as a coagulant were done at Thyolo Water Supply Treatment Works. Currently, studies on water purification are being done on shallow wells by Mrs. Theresa Mkandawire, a Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering and the Deputy Director of WASHTED, under the supervision of Dr. Martin Pritchard of Leeds University. The technology that will be developed from this study will go a long way in providing potable water to the rural communities in Malawi, thereby helping the government to achieve the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The advert of technologies that use Moringa Oleifera will promote household water treatment. Water collected from protected sources oftentimes gets polluted during storage in homes and also during the time when it is transported from the point of collection. Assessing the hydrochemistry of groundwater resources in Malawi Notable studies on the hydrochemistry of groundwater in Malawi were done by Dr. Bath of British Geological Survey in 1980, the Water Department/UNDP in 1986 when the Water Resources Master Plan for Malawi was being developed, and by Dr. Geoffrey Chavula in 1989 when he was studying for his M.Sc degree in Groundwater Engineering at the University of Newcastle (UK). Groundwater mineralization in Malawi is a direct result of carbonate weathering, gypsum dissolution, matrix diffusion (chemical filtration), cation exchange, and dissolution of evaporite minerals. The current study will be carried out under the leadership of Professor Kalin, Head of Civil Engineering Department at University of Strathclyde, with the assistance of Dr. Geoffrey Chavula of WASHTED, and will commence as soon as funds become available. The study will among other things map the chemistry of groundwater in Malawi, and identify hot spots, e.g., in terms of fluoride and sulphate concentrations. An assessment will also be conducted on the temporal change in groundwater quality that might have taken place since the 1980s in the sampled water points. Development of a transportation model as framework for sustainable accessibility to healthcare facilities in the rural communities of Malawi Accessibility to healthcare facilities has been identified as a major indicator of development. The importance of adequate healthcare facilities in providing sustainable rural development cannot be over-emphasized. However, most local governments and politicians lack information on travel choices and patterns to healthcare facilities. This lack of information threatens to lead to inappropriate transport policies, with dire consequences on the economy. In the light of the above, Mr. Witness Kuotcha, the current Head of Civil Engineering Department and a member of WASHTED, seeks to build a transport model with a focus on accessibility to rural health facilities for a rural community in Malawi. From the study it will be possible to determine policy options and strategies for sustainable accessibility to rural healthcare facilities. The model will help improve the livelihood of the rural communities through better access to healthcare facilities. Developing guidelines for the use of urine as fertilizer for maize production in rural communities in Malawi The need to achieve sustainable agriculture and household food security in a world where commercial fertilizers are beyond the means for the majority of the poor and where top soils are often leached out and infertile is an enormous global challenge. However, the use of compost manure is one realistic possibility and the great wealth of nutrients known to be present in human excreta is another. Urine is a particularly high quality, low-cost alternative to commercial fertilizers. It is especially rich in nitrogen and also contains substantial amounts of phosphorus and potassium. Unfortunately, its value has not been maximized in present agriculture in many tropical developing countries. Nutrients in human excreta often find their way into deep pit latrines or into sewer pipes or septic tanks – and have little chance to add new agricultural life to the topsoil where plants grow. Fortunately, the world of ecological sanitation (EcoSan) is rising to meet this immense global challenge, where the nutrients available in human excreta are recycled and processed in such a way that they can have enormous potential to benefit agriculture and food production, especially in developing countries such as Malawi. There are no standard guidelines on the use of urine in crop production. The existing guidelines need to be adapted to local conditions as agricultural systems vary, as does human nutrition and behaviour in different cultures; hence this study. The aim of this research is to develop guidelines for the use of urine as fertilizer for maize production in order to promote sustainable subsistence farming and household food security in rural communities in Malawi.
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Research Projects 
