The Serra das Araras Mnts

Mato Grosso, Brazil near the Araguaia river

This area was turned into a national park in 1939, and so is not as ecologically damaged as other areas of Brazil

The mountain region hosts peaks over 6,000 feet tall, so the flooding problems

from rising sea levels and the nearby river is avoidable

The area is host to fresh water

springs and the nearby Araguaia river, which will

provide water for drinking, cooking

and hygiene.

The Serra das Araras Mnts

The Araguaia river is also currently a popular river to fish on

FoodMany crops could be grown, including but not limited to corn, tomatoes, potatoes,

sweet potatoes, avocadoes, peppers,

strawberries, peanuts, squash,

beans, pineapples, and spices.

Terrain Farming

Terrain farming was

invented during the

Incan civilization

It is created to get maximum use of sloped land such as mountainsides

AqueductsAn aqueduct system is

designed to deliver water to the farmland

This design would use the rain water and

transport it downhill in a safer way so erosion is slowed down and the

water can be directed as needed.

How will we get fresh water?We will build irrigation channels through the

foothills that siphon rainwater & melt runoff to our civilization for collection. These will be

supplemented by recharging aquifers.We will… …build a community well that collects

groundwater.… use Rainwater Catchment Systems (RCS) to

supplement & dilute collected runoff.…use Bio-Sand Filters (BSF) to filter harmful

pathogens out of our water.…equip each household with a SOLVATTEN unit

for disinfection & storage.…supply stores/outposts with Iodine & Chlorine

solutions for small-scale disinfection

Irrigation channelsAncient irrigation

channels in the foothills of mountains can be

found in parts of Southeast Asia, such as

Nepal and the Philippines.The channels will be

built with burnt watertight clay (to be harvested in the silty areas of the Araguaia floodplains) and wood

to prevent leakage.

The advantage to living in the foothills of mountains is that we may use irrigation

channels to collect groundwater flowing down

the mountain without extracting/pumping it from the areas where we live and

grow our food.

Recharging Aquifers

Several small ponds will be built that connect with the channels, in order to catch rainwater and runoff to supplement the channels when flows get low. These will also be insulated by

clay from the floodplains.

One Community

WellConsolidated or rock wells are

drilled 250 feet into rock, rather

than dug into collapsible sand

and soil.

We use one well as a community because over construction of private wells in a

disorganized fashion would cause groundwater contamination.

Rainwater Catchment SystemsWater can be collected

in RCS in two ways. The tank can be

situated on the ground (pictured right), and

rainwater will flow from the gutters through the pipes, through the Bio-Sand Filter, and into the

collection tank. The tank can also be placed on top of the dwelling,

with a single pipe flowing out of it, through the filter.

Rainwater in RCS may be used to drink or to

mix will runoff from the irrigation channels to

dilute any concentration contaminating

chemicals or pathogens.

Bio Sand FilterThe BSF is incredibly

easy to build: simply make a mold, insert a

PVC pipe as pictured, and pour cement.

Then insert a diffuser plate on top.

After the cement sets, insert a thin gravel layer,

a thin layer of coarse sand, and fill the filter

halfway waith very fine sand.

BSF: How it Works

Mechanical trapping: Suspended solids & pathogens are trapped in the physical spaces

between the sand grains.Predation: Pathogens are consumed by other

microorganisms in the sand layer.Adsorption: Pathogens become attached to

each other, furthering the process of mechanical trapping.

Natural Death: Pathogens die because there’s no nutrients or oxygen for them to survive on

in the sand.

First, the water hits the diffuser plate, and is spread evenly on the layer fine sand.

Second, the water flows slowly through the fine sand layer. Pathogens are killed via

four processes:

SLOVATTEN Per HouseholdIt uses sunlight to disinfect

water from disease-causing pathogens. It serves multiple functions: collection, heater,

disinfection and clean storage.

SOLVATTEN is a portable water

treatment device, developed by

Solvatten AB, a Swedish company.

Things we must NOT do to maintain non-contaminated water

Open defecation: We must have designated privies in which we bury our excrement—VERY far

away from any water system components. Otherwise, fecal coliform will contaminate our

groundwater and thus our runoff. Bad.

Deforestation: Large-scale deforesting will disrupt the delicate ecosystem of the Araguaia River

floodplains, causing us to lose our “wash load,” or fine sediments (clay & silt) that help us insulate our water conduits & prevent leakage into the

ground.

Rampant groundwater extraction/over construction of wells: Or else we will kill our fertile

soil and contaminate our groundwater.

Iodine and Chlorine Solutions

These solutions are an easy way to purify water in one’s bottle or

other small containers. People can carry these in their pockets and purchase them at stores or outposts.

For small-scale purification

Run of the River Hyroelectricity

is a type of hydroelectric generation whereby little or no water storage is

provided. The limited storage areas in these plants are referred to as pondage.  a plant without pondage has no storage and is therefore subject to seasonal river

flows and serves as a peaking power plant while a plant with pondage can

regulate water flow and serve as a base load power plant.

Why This Works Here

Elevation of the Araras Mountains ranges from 80-150m (260 -490 ft) above sea level. Annual rainfall over the flood basin is between 1,000-

1,500 mm (39 and 59in), with most of the rainfall occurring between November and March.

The nearby rivers water levels rise between 2-5m seasonally and the flood waters tend to flow slowly- 2-10cm/s (0.79 -3.9in/s) due to low gradients & high resistance offered

by dense vegetation.

floodplain ecosystems such as these are defined by their seasonal inundation and desiccation. The shift between phases of

standing water and phases of dry soil, when the water table can be well below the root

region. Soils range from high levels of sand in higher areas to higher amounts of clay and silt

in riverine areas.

Mosquitoes & Malaria

A 3° C global temperature rise by 2100 could increase the number of

annual malaria cases by 50-80 million.

The largest changes will occur in areas adjacent to current risk areas, at both

higher altitudes and latitudes. A temperature increase can convert areas

that are malaria-free into areas that experience seasonal epidemics

The effects of warmer weather on malaria might be threefold:

-Higher metabolic rates shorten gestation periods boosting the numbers of

mosquitoes as generations hatch more frequently;

-Longer periods of warmth would allow the mosquitoes to be active for longer;

-The metabolic rate of malaria parasites might increase as well leading to higher

parasite numbers carried by the mosquitoes.

Bed nets treated with an appropriate insecticide (ITNs), or manufactured with a long-lasting wash-

resistant insecticide preparation (LLINs) have been highly effective in reducing malaria transmission.

Drastic Times, Drastic Measures

Population control will be necessary due to limited

resources.

According to an article entitled "Global Swarming" by Daniel Engber, each family

would have to cut back by one child in order to live in these changing climate

conditions. Thus we came to the conclusion that two children are an appropriate

amount to have to help farm the land as well as maintain survival rates.

We will be implementing a "two child policy."

Penalties for Excessive OffspringIf a family has more than two children there will be a high tax that will have to be paid

and the family will receive no extra land nor food for the extra children.

Each family will have to survive with the sixty acres of land provided to them along with the roots, vegetables, and food that they make.  Likewise, we will enforce a mandatory education on the effects of greenhouse gases, pollution & other harmful environmental conditions to each

family and their offspring. Everyone will be tested on the subject matter once a year to ensure the

material is being taught.