What is Sustainable Sanitation?

Transcription

1 What is Sustainable Sanitation? Kretsloppsdagen 4. juni 2008, Ås Gunilla Brattberg PhD, Stockholm Environment Institute Elisabeth Kvarnström PhD, Stockholm Environment Institute SEI a non-profit, independent, international research institute with six centres in different parts of the globe

2 SEI - MISSION to support decision-making and introduce change towards sustainable development around the world by providing integrative knowledge that bridges scince and policy in the field of environment and development Lack of Sanitation

3 What is sustainability with regard to sanitation systems? A sanitation system encompasses the users of the system, the collection, transport, treatment, and management of end products of human excreta, grey water, solid waste, industrial wastewater, storm water and the institutions. A sanitation system that is sustainable protects and promotes human health, does not contribute to environmental degradation or depletion of the resource base, is technically and institutionally appropriate, economically viable and socially acceptable The sanitation system in pictures (bar the industrial wastewater). Photos: Kvarnström The Global Sanitation Challenge 2.6 billion people without toilets/latrines 2.7 billion people have pit latrines rapidly filling up More than 1 billion people have WC, where 70% of the sewage is not properly treated

4 The Global Sanitation Challenge children dies every day due to waterborne diseases 60 million DALYs lost every year due to diarrhoea 3,5 million people infected by intestinal parasites 700 million people in 50 countries eat vegetables irrigated with untreated sewage water

5 Is the Sanitation Situation Sustainable? Public KVIP (or shall we call it an open defecation area?) in Damongo. Photo: Kvarnström No! Work for Sustainability is Integrated Perspective System Thinking with Man, Technique, Economy and Environment in Co-operation

6 Urban sanitation system The users The collection The transport The treatment The end use... of human excreta, sludge, greywater, storm water, solid waste and industrial wastewater The Institutions Health gains only accrue if The users adapt to using the sanitation facility 2. The users use the facility properly 3. The users practice KEY HYGIENIC BEHAVIOR! Big behavioral change needed among the 2.6 billion open defecators... Current technical planning and design practices seem to be contributing to service delivery failure too often due to.. Sanitation services start at household level Water services end at household level Thus, the users must be involved in sanitation service planning!!! Not enough recognized!!! GAP... Household focus: -Cleanliness at household level, and the immediate environment Utility focus: -Water management and the wider environment (in the best of cases...) Decisions at utility level too often driven by - Special interests - Not enough understanding of institutional reality and its effects on service delivery - Focus on technologies instead of functions - Fascination for high tech solutions

7 Current technical planning and design practices......seem to be contributing to service delivery failure too often due to.. Sanitation services start at household level Water services end at household level Thus, the users must be involved in sanitation service planning!!! Not enough recognized!!! Capacity demands Regulatory framework GAP... Household focus: -Focus on technologies -Cleanliness at household level, instead and of functions the immediate environment -Fascination for high Utility focus: tech solutions -Water management and the wider environment (in the best of cases...) Decisions at utility level too often driven by -Special interests -Not enough understanding of institutional reality and its effects on service delivery Technical solution User Institution

8 Sustainability and Sanitation? The management perspective Policy Targets Indicators Follow up Int. Comm. Int/ext Feedback Sustainability Economy Environment Social/ Culture Sustain/Modulator Leadership The Organization Social focus Economic focus Environment focus

9 Building a framework for dialogue and understanding towards sustainability Dialogue Social Economic Dialogue Sustainability Dialogue Environment Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at