If I tell you there is a way to manage human excrement that is safe, efficient and can also contribute to the solution of deforestation problem in Haiti, would  you believe me?

You wouldn't believe this but this is true. Our excrement that was the source of the Cholera outbreak in Haiti that killed over 4000 people so far has been a wasted energy. This could be the most efficient way to deal with the ongoing problem of deforestation in Haiti.


Biodigester is the mechanism of converting organic waste into biogas. The process is done by transforming the waste into a liquid fertilizer that is rich in nutrients.

This process requires little infrastructure. All you need is a Toilet connected to a bassin. This is done by capturing human excrement. According to Martin Wartchow who is working with the Brazilian nongovernmental group Viva Rio in Port-au-Prince: "Deprived of air, the bacteria thriving in human excrement eat 85 percent of the refuse while producing methane gas"

Using human excrement for fuel can also decrease the use for charcoal and as a result, reduce the ongoing problem of deforestation in Haiti

Since the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a total of seventy of these devices have already been built in Haiti, with another 70 scheduled to be in operation soon.


The engineers involved in this project want to change the reliance of the Haitian population on wood fuel for cooking. They think that by giving them an alternatively cheap source of energy. Not only the engineers from Viva Rio center are currently creating these infrastructures for the population. They are also educating young Haitians on how to build them on their own for the future.