Frederick DreerTravel AwardThe vetiver system around the world

6 months of research abroadOctober 2010 - April 2001

I Maria Calderon

: guatemalaCHILE

indonesia

Guatemala, Lake AmatitlanGreen Movement Against Green water

Guatemala, Lake AmatitlanWatershed 281km2

Green Movement Against Green WaterCornell Honors Thesis May 2010

PROBLEM: Dentritic gullies whichwere once riparian corridors deliveringfresh water to Lake Amatitlan are nowbarren as people encroach this delicateecosystem causing tremendous erosionand dumping their waste into the rivers.

source: AMSA

source: AMSA

Guatemala, Orthodox Monastery

Pontoons to lter Tilapia sh ponds

PROBLEM:

2005

2008

Dreer Travels

Grey Infrastructure vs

The Vetiver System

http://www.bhavikpatelunlimited.com

photo-Paul Truong

Vetiver Origins and CharacteristicsChrysopogon zizanioides

Southern India - essential oils

Tall grass with varying height from 0.5 to 3.0 m tall

Pioneer species

Dense root system without rhizomes, can grow up to 3.6 m deep in a year “A Living Soil Nail” – Average tensile strength of 1/6 of mild steel

Flowers are sterile and plant is therefore non-invasive

Tolerance: High concentrations of nutrients (N and P), heavy metals; acidic, alkaline, or saline soils;Herbicides & plagues; Fires

Temperature range -15o to 60oC (5o to 140o F),

Complete saturation or drought(xerophyte & Hydrophyte thanks to aerenchyma development)

Intolerance: Shade, Complete fl ooding of foliage for an extended period of time, Animal grazing (rabbits)

When used in civil works its cost is about 1/20th the cost of the traditional grey infrastructure.

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Ecopark [your name here]43 hectares =108 acrespotentially service 219,600 people

Constructed wetlands for polishing wastewaterAustralia, Incitec- Pontoons for absorbing N + PAustralia, Gelita- Horizontal fl ow Reedbeds and irrigated fi eldsAustralia, Toogooloowah- subsurface fl ow fi eldsAustralia, Loganholme- Macrophyte screening for sludge drying bedsIndonesia, Java - Citarum river septic tank

Slope stabilizationFlood and erosion controlLandscape architecturePoverty Alleviation

Slope stabilizationFlood and erosion controlLandscape architecturePoverty Alleviation

SLUDGE

Holding Tank

Raw Septage

Screen

Drying bed 1 GeobagDrying bed 2

Ree

d be

d 1

Ree

d be

d 2

Ree

d be

d 3

Purified Water Tank

Discharge

Macrophyte Screeningfor a Stand alone biologicalTreatment plant for residentialSeptage

Which macrophyte works best? Conventional sludge drying bed

56 wheelie bins used ofscreening Macrophytesto be used in sludgedrying bed

Construction process

56 wheelie bins 6 species (+old Vetiver)1 control X 4 replicates1 trial X 4 replicates

Trial to test N + P removal of different species

Construction phase.amanda butler

Three Horizontal Sub-surface fl ow reedbeds - PILOT SCALE for treating wastewater from a gelatin factoryGlita Australia

Healthy Vetiver in Summer 2008 with outlet pipes on right. paul truong

Abandoned horizontal fl ow reed beds with Vetiver grass brown after winter.paul truong

Total N removal 49%

Pontoons For nutrient absorbtionIncitec fertilizer Factory, Australia

$$$!

Subsurface ow wetland

http://www.nosoloviajeros.com/citarum-river-indonesia-el-rio-mas-contaminado-del-mundo/

Citarum River - Java, Indonesia

2 months after plantinginitial planting

SOLUTION:

PROBLEM:

Constructed wetlands for polishing wastewaterSlope stabilization

Chile conference- SWAT stabilizationIndonesia, Bali- soild buildup in farmlandChile conference Colombia- eco mortarAustralia, Brisbane fl oods Powerlink- Stabilizing an electricity towerIndonesia, Bali-Road works in volcanic soils

Flood and erosion controlLandscape architecturePoverty alleviation

Constructed wetlands for polishing wastewater

Flood and erosion controlLandscape architecturePoverty alleviation

Bioengineering Principlesfor planting on slopes

SCRAPED BATTER AND SEDIMENT CARRIED BY RUNOFF IS TRAPPED BY VETIVER HEDGES, WHICH BUILDS UP THE TERRACE HEIGHT

SOIL BUILDUP

FORCE

15-25cm

Farmland in Citarum River Basin - Java, Indonesia

Soil buildup

Coal mining rehabilitation

East Bali Poverty Project - Consulting Services

April 2009 March 2011

3 months later

SWAT stabilizationOswaldo LuqueVenezuela

EcomortarPinto Peanut + Vetiver + Ecomortar provide a a light, envronmentally friendly and hygrospoc retegreen retention wall

Colombia

Powerlink - save the tower!Scouring caused during the Brisbane fl oods

fl ood level

original slope

planting completed

After 1 monthʼs growth

Constructed wetlands for polishing wastewaterSlope stabilizationFlood and erosion control

Australia, Laidley- dissipating fl ash fl oods at drainage channelsAustralia, Loganholme Motorway- Pioneer plant for inhospitable alluvial soils

Landscape architecturePoverty alleviationLandscape architecturePoverty alleviation

Constructed wetlands for polishing wastewaterSlope stabilization

Flash Flood controlVetiver Hedges cause water to back up behind the rows and increase infi ltration at this intersecion where two major drainage paths intersect - Laidley Australia

Vetiver Hedges for Flash Flood control -Laidley, Australia

Constructed wetlands for polishing wastewaterSlope stabilizationFlood and erosion controlLandscape architecture

Australia, Woodlands- Stormwater drainage basinAustralia, Springfi eld- BioswalesAustralia, Incitec- rain garden design

Poverty alleviation, g g

Poverty alleviation

Constructed wetlands for polishing wastewaterSlope stabilizationFlood and erosion control

Woodlands Development, Brisbane Australia

Multifunctional LandscapingWoodlands Development, Brisbane Australia

Australia, Brisbane - Springfi eld Lakes, Bioswales “Billabongs”

Mainenance...Springfi eld Development, Brisbane Australia

Constructed wetlands for polishing wastewaterSlope stabilizationFlood and erosion controlLandscape architecturePoverty alleviation

East Bali Poverty ProjectCommunity involvement in establishing infrastructure (roads, water collection)Agriculture enhancementHandicrafts

NGOʼs main source of income = vetiver consulting services

Constructed wetlands for polishing wastewaterSlope stabilizationFlood and erosion controlLandscape architecture

East Bali Poverty Project

Over 80% were malnourished and had goitre due to iodine defi ciency; 70-100% were illiterate in the 1,000+ families highest up the mountains.

Only source of water for over 400 familiesafter 2-3 hours walk

Funded by Rotary Club

Funded by Vetiver consulting services

Permanent Spring ProtectionStabilizing infrastructureCommunity involvement in building road stabilized by Vetiver

Stabilizing SchoolsVetiver Stabilizes fi rst schools built on Complete fi ll embankments

Organic Farming- Facilitated by Vetiver hedges which hold back otherwise erodable sandy soil

Kids teach their parents

First Carrot Harvest and First Potato Harvest

School Garden stabilized by Vetiver

Integrated Pest Management?attract the insect to lay eggs where there is little chance of survival

90% larvae mortality rate

Dr. Van den Berg, Can Tho University, South Africa

Consulting Services $$$Provided by the East Bali Poverty Project to help fund their programs

HandicraftsHelping people help themselves - East Bali Poverty Project, Indonesia

THANK YOU!!! Dreer Committee

Nina BassukJeremy FosterMarvin Pritts

Asian coordinator of the Vetiver NetworkPaul Truong

East Bali Poverty Project

David BoothArdika AdinataJulita Mekaria

Other Johannes Biala Isai Calderon II Isabel Ayau Olga Ayau