Greywater use for food security in refugee camps: a guidance note for risk management

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dc.creatorDrechsel, Pay
dc.date2024-12-30
dc.date2025-01-10T05:40:16Z
dc.date2025-01-10T05:40:16Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T18:24:48Z
dc.descriptionIn contexts of forced displacement where freshwater access is limited, greywater reuse offers an opportunity to support small-scale irrigation and improve food and nutrition security. While greywater quality is higher than that of combined wastewater, it still carries microbial and chemical risks, particularly in overcrowded camps with poor sanitation. Safe reuse depends on separating greywater from blackwater, using nature-based treatment methods such as gravel beds or constructed wetlands, and implementing multiple safety barriers ranging from crop selection and irrigation techniques to hygiene education and food preparation practices. Household-level interventions like keyhole gardens and vertical sack farming have proven effective in space-constrained environments, allowing nutrient-rich greywater to be reused while minimizing human contact. Health risks can be reduced through subsurface irrigation, withholding periods, and disinfection, though excessive use of chlorine may harm soils and crops. The report emphasizes tailoring reuse strategies to local housing types, resource availability, and user capacity. Stakeholder engagement, especially among women, is essential for crop choices, risk mitigation, and long-term maintenance. Environmental safeguards, vector control, and context-specific decision tools are needed to ensure that greywater reuse enhances resilience without compromising public or ecological health.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/168811
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/155044
dc.languageen
dc.publisherInternational Water Management Institute
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceDrechsel, Pay. 2024. Greywater use for food security in refugee camps: a guidance note for risk management. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 12p. (IWMI Water Issue Brief 34). [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2024.239]
dc.subjectgrey water
dc.subjectwater reuse
dc.subjectfood security
dc.subjectrefugees
dc.subjectrisk management
dc.subjectwastewater irrigation
dc.subjectrisk assessment
dc.subjectrisk reduction
dc.subjecthuman health
dc.subjectenvironmental health
dc.subjecthealth hazards
dc.subjectpathogens
dc.subjectwastewater treatment
dc.subjectgardening
dc.subjectvertical farming
dc.subjectvegetables
dc.subjectwater scarcity
dc.subjectstakeholder engagement
dc.subjectwomen
dc.subjectinternally displaced persons
dc.titleGreywater use for food security in refugee camps: a guidance note for risk management
dc.typeBrief

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