Harada Lab is a laboratory in the Division of African Studies, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, led by Dr. Hidenori Harada. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is one of basic human needs. In Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), universal access to basic WASH is targeted in SDG6. However, it is estimated that about 50% of diarrheal diseases in the world are caused by inadequate WASH. Further, inadequate sanitation results in environmental degradation through the discharge of human wastes or sewage. People in the world live diverse lives, and WASH is affected by these lives and affects their lives at the same time. We need to realize the diversity of WASH, instead of uniformity of WASH. WASH_Env Lab studies WASH and related water environment and waste management issues in Asia and Africa from the perspectives of health risks, material cycles, and WASH-society relations.

In my group, we have been studying WASH and related water environment and waste management in Asia and Africa through a combination of field interviews and observations, chemical, biochemical and physical measurements of the quantity and quality of the environment, and laboratory experiments. The topics cover health risks, material cycles, and the relationship between WASH and society. My original background is environmental engineering, but I have supervised a variety of students with various backgrounds including chemical engineering, civil engineering, agricultural science, health science, geography, international relation studies, etc. We welcome students and young researchers to study with us!

• Kyoto University Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies

• Kyoto University Center for African Area Studies

• CV and Publication of Hidenori Harada

Update! (-> News)

(2022/14/10) Clean Water paper published_Lusaka

(2022/09/07) Harada, appointed as a member of the Strategic Advisory Group member of WHO / UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, and UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water

(2022/08/19) Lusaka Zambia travel report

(2022/07/26) Research Seminar in University of Zambia

(2022/07/15) Zambia Water Forum

(2022/07/05) Global Development Project_Youtube

(2022/06/08)JWH paper published_Zambia

(2022/03/02)The Sanitation Triangle

Theme

Our research topics include sanitation in rural Africa, diarrhea in slums, water quality in rivers and lakes, sewerage in cities, sociocultural impacts of WASH, and disaster-response toilet. Recent research topics are: action research on visualization of diarrhea risk in collaboration with urban slum youth, long-term acceptability of resource-oriented dry toilets (ecological sanitation), autonomous and decentralized WASH and digital innovation, material cycle analysis of urban waste and wastewater, and social allocation of health risk through WASH.

Our research fields and partners are diverse. We work with NGOs in rural areas and slums, and with private companies involved in sewerage and water quality monitoring. Of course, we always work with local partners in Asia and Africa. Our target countries are low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa, mainly Zambia (urban slums), Malawi (rural areas), Uganda (urban to rural areas), Vietnam (large cities to regional cities), Myanmar (urban areas), Bangladesh (urban slums). We also worked in Kenya, Nepal, and Thailand.

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