PROGRESS OF THE PROPOSED NEXUS PROJECT

City of Santa Rosa, Philippines

ERLINDA C. CREENCIACity ENRO

4th Regional Workshop on INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ASIAN CITIES : The Urban NexusUlaanBaatar, Mongolia, November 5-7, 2014

An OVERVIEW of the Proposed NEXUS Project

The PROJECT : Housing for the Informal Settlers of Brgy. Labas and City Government employees utilizing the vacuum sewer system

4th Regional Workshop on INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ASIAN CITIES : The Urban NexusUlaanBaatar, Mongolia, November 5-7, 2014

What are the current issues that can be addressed by the proposed NEXUS project?

• Informal settlers locate their shanties along riverbanks which are considered high risk areas vulnerable to flooding

• Both solid and liquid (sewage) wastes from the communities along the riverbanks are the major factors contributing to the pollution of the river and eventually end up polluting Laguna Lake.

• Relocation of 168 families (about 840 individuals) to the proposed site which has area of 1.3842 hectares (2 lots, each with an area of 6,921sqm)

• Provision of housing for 162 families of City Government employees for the proposed three-storey building within an area of 8,305 sqm.

PROJECT UPDATESSite Development Plan had been finalized

Cost estimates for the project is underway with the assistance of GIZ experts

Identified / tagged the families to be relocated

Identified the NEXUS partners from the National Government (National Housing Authority and Home Development Mutual Fund) and the Private sector (Laguna Water Company) 4th Regional Workshop on INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ASIAN CITIES : The Urban Nexus

UlaanBaatar, Mongolia, November 5-7, 2014

PROJECT UPDATESInitial talks have been made

with NHA and HDMF for possible windows to finance the project (i.e.NHA’s socialized housing program and HDMF’s group housing loan program or individual housing loans)

Regular meeting of the Santa Rosa Nexus Team with GIZ and ICLEI technical experts

Integration/Mainstreaming of the NEXUS concept into the updating of the City’s Comprehensive Land Use and Development Plan4th Regional Workshop on INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ASIAN CITIES : The Urban Nexus

UlaanBaatar, Mongolia, November 5-7, 2014

CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED

4th Regional Workshop on INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ASIAN CITIES : The Urban NexusUlaanBaatar, Mongolia, November 5-7, 2014

Introduction of the concept of ‘multi-storey / tenement-style’ housing among the informal settlers (ownership of the property)

Designing the housing units in such a way that it would fit the financial capacities of the beneficiaries with due consideration to the standards set by the National Housing Authority

Mind-shift of the informal settlers; i.e. willingness to embrace new system technology (vacuum system)

Intensive education maybe necessary for the adoption of the ‘new’ community with the integration of the nexus approach

Training of the engineering staff for the operation and maintenance of the system

EXPECTED BENEFITS

4th Regional Workshop on INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ASIAN CITIES : The Urban NexusUlaanBaatar, Mongolia, November 5-7, 2014

Prevent soil and groundwater pollution from leaching sewage from traditional 3-chambered non-concrete/earth-lined and unsealed septic tanks

Abate pollution of surface waters/river systems from pollution caused by indiscriminate throwing of garbage and direct discharge of sewage into water bodies

Reduce water consumption from toilet flushing (vacuum sewer system use less water as compared to manual or automatic toilet flushing)

EXPECTED BENEFITS

4th Regional Workshop on INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ASIAN CITIES : The Urban NexusUlaanBaatar, Mongolia, November 5-7, 2014

Considerable savings in construction costs (only one big three-chambered collecting tank will be constructed for the vacuum sewer system versus the costs that would be incurred for the construction of 168 units of individual septic tanks)

Reduced environmental and health risks from contaminated groundwater and polluted rivers

Transfer of informal settlers from high risk / flood-prone areas to safe and environmentally-sound and sustainable community

LESSONS LEARNT

4th Regional Workshop on INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ASIAN CITIES : The Urban NexusUlaanBaatar, Mongolia, November 5-7, 2014

Completion of the project will promote the efforts of the National Government to intensify the advocacy for the use of alternative and renewable sources of energy

Sustainable use of resources strengthens a wide range of ecosystem services and maintains the human life support

Integrated planning of the different sectors for one particular project saves time, cost and effort

Partnership with the private sector and National Government Agencies is necessary to level the playing field among nexus sectors and actors

THANK YOU!