On March 9th, our Biology class, others from ESS class, and a couple DP 2 lads visited the International Water Management Institute for an informative presentation by senior advisor Pay Drechsel about sustainability and the growing popularity of the use of natural fertilizer with the use of faeces in Sri Lanka. The talk included topics such as the filtration of wastewater and the production of liquid fertilizer as part of a circular economy. We also had the opportunity to see samples of the different fertilizers made sustainably: some of these included the pellet fertilizers made from the faecal sludge, and the liquid fertilizers.

As DP1 kid studying Biology, our key takeaway was the role of anaerobic respiration in producing the nutrient rich nitrogenous fertilizer. We also briefly touched upon the process of Methanogenesis and how it generates methane from anaerobic respiration.

Learning outcomes

LO6 – Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance. We identified a global issue of waste management and ill effects of using chemical based fertilizer, and narrowed them down to its application in Colombo, Sri Lanka.