Permaculture Designers Manual

 

CHAPTER 10 –

THE HUMID TROPICS  IN PERMACULTURE

Section 10.8 –

Elements of a Village Complex in the Humid Tropics in Permaculture

Insert Here

Based on traditional and modem villages, a complex can be built from the following checklist:

A well-arranged array of housing, often grouped around a compound;

Insert Here

The compound has processing and storage areas, threshing floors, dancing areas, meeting house, cooperative or retail store, bulk fuel depots, firewood and mulch depots;

A well, piped water, tanks or dam must be sited and integrated for clean water (depends on local skills, resources, water available and site characteristics);

A plant nursery to serve gardens and forest;

At each house, 0.25-1.0 ha of home garden and orchard, based on self-reliance;

At borders of gardens, ranges for domestic species, chickens, guinea pigs, ducks, rabbits, small pigs, pigeons; these are a manure resource for the home garden;

In areas of plentiful water, fish ponds over which some animals are housed;

Sector or zone of fuel wood plantation, potentially integrated with windbreak;

A strong yard and sheds for cattle and pigs at a commercial level;

A careful zoning or tree polyculture as per Figure 10.29;

Insert Here

Special facilities such as a log-trimming or boat­building area, fish net drying racks, canoe or small boat landing, wharf, freezer, solar pond installation, power house, large community drying shed, craft work areas, and vehicle or draught-animal park area;