The garden above is a collaboration with the Biosphere Foundation in Bali, Indonesia.
Wastewater Gardens International ® aims to address the global challenges associated with wastewater management. We focus on three key issues: the contamination of drinking and freshwater supplies in countries lacking sewage treatment, leading to high disease-rate, poverty and death, the contamination of coastal areas leading to rapid eutrophication, rendering those key areas for fish reproduction no longer available and finally the waste of resources, high cost, fragility and environmental impact that ‘conventional’ sewage treatment plants represent.
Abundant research demonstrates the immense negative consequences of sewage contamination on human societies, economies and overall ecosystems health, causing massive overall environmental degradation to freshwater resource, water bodies and ocean coastal areas. To tackle these problems, WWGI promotes the adoption of constructed wetlands systems as a means to recycle organic nutrients, return water into the natural biospheric cycle and reduce water resource demands by creating additional (or feeding existing) vegetation zones. Wetlands are also increasingly being identified as important carbon and nutrient sinks, contributing to mitigate climate change.WWG systems have been installed in 16 countries: Algeria, Australia, Belize, Europe (France, Poland, Portugal, Spain), Bali and Sulawesi, Indonesia, Mexico, the US, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Cape Eleuthera, the Bahamas
Eden in Iraq
The Wastewater Garden® features locally significant design details and will engage with local craftspeople, using local materials, and ancient crafts e.g. reed structures, earthen (adobe) brick, ancient cylinder seal patterns for ceramic tiles, and a floral design layout that is inspired by Mesopotamian embroidered wedding blanket patterns. Treated water will be reused to irrigate beautiful shrubs and fruit trees, creating a beautiful public garden/park. This first demonstration Wastewater Garden® will create a green space that can be scaled up and down throughout Iraq and the region, where adequate sustainable sewage control is lacking. It will be a hub for a community-centric culture to continue to manifest, allowing for local trade and cottage industries to bolster the regional economy. In addition, this nature-based solution will help to mitigate climate change by providing additional green areas for carbon sequestration.
The project will be realized in two stages. In the first stage, construction involves perimeter wall building, pipe connections and planting of reeds and other marsh plants which begin the sewage treatment. In the 2nd stage, the vegetation grown in the project nursery will be planted and cultural elements and shade structures built. Design features will involve local craftspeople, to make the garden an important Cultural Heritage Site and Learning Center.
