Sustainability can be defined as: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (UN WCED 1987). Viewing water and sanitation through the spectacles of sustainability means to consider more than the pure technical aspects. Water and sanitation must also be connected to institutional, cultural and ecological aspects. This means that sustainable water or sanitary systems are not fixed to any one system, but essentially considers all available systems. In order to design or select a sustainable system for a given situation a holistic systems approach based on ecological thinking is important. This module will familiarise the student with the “Concept of Sustainability in Relation to Water and Sanitation” through lectures, texts, examples and exercises.
Brundtland Report
In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), which had been set up in 1983, published a report entitled «Our common future». The document came to be known as the «Brundtland Report» after the Commission's chairwoman, Gro Harlem Brundtland. It developed guiding principles for sustainable development as it is generally understood today. The Brundtland Report stated that critical global environmental problems were primarily the result of the enormous poverty of the South and the non-sustainable patterns of consumption and production in the North. It called for a strategy that united development and the environment – described by the now-common term «sustainable development». Sustainable development is defined as follows:«Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.»In 1989, the report was debated in the UN General Assembly, which decided to organize a UN Conference on Environment and Development.
UN WCED (1997): Brundtland Report. New York: United Nations. World Commission on Environment and Development (UN WEDC) URL [Accessed: 12.06.2012]Sick Water? The central role of wastewater management in sustainable development
This book not only identifies the threats to human and ecological health that water pollution has and highlights the consequences of inaction, but also presents opportunities, where appropriate policy and management responses over the short and longer term can trigger employment, support livelihoods, boost public and ecosystem health and contribute to more intelligent water management.
CORCORAN, E. ; NELLEMANN, C. ; BAKER, E. ; BOS, R. ; OSBORN, D. ; SAVELLI, H. (2010): Sick Water? The central role of wastewater management in sustainable development. A Rapid Response Assessment. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UN-HABITAT, GRID-Arendal URL [Accessed: 05.05.2010] PDFFrom Crap to Food
Short popular article addressing wastewater resources and future solutions.
JENSSEN, P.D. ; BERGSTRØM, C. ; VATN, A. (2009): From Crap to Food. In: The New Economy, Summer Edition: , 72-73. URL [Accessed: 12.06.2012]Ecological Sanitation and Reuse of Wastewater. Ecosan. A Thinkpiece on ecological sanitation
This paper shows that there are comprehensive experiences and available technologies that meet new and sustainable sanitation requirements. Ecological sanitation constitutes a diversity of options for both rich and poor countries, from household level up to wastewater systems for mega-cities and needs to become recognised by decision-makers at all levels.
JENSSEN, P.D. HEEB, J. HUBA-MANG, E. GNANAKAN, K. WARNER, W. REFSGAARD, K. STENSTROEM, T.A. GUTERSTRAM, B. ALSEN, K.W. (2004): Ecological Sanitation and Reuse of Wastewater. Ecosan. A Thinkpiece on ecological sanitation. Norway: The Agricultural University of Norway URL [Accessed: 19.04.2010]Wasting Water
Short popular article addressing water and wastewater resources and future solutions.
JENSSEN, P.D. ; NYBORG, I. (2009): Wasting Water. In: The New Economy, Autumn Edition: , 54-55. URL [Accessed: 12.06.2012]Compilation of 13 Factsheets on Key Sustainable Sanitation Topics
This factsheet book is a compilation of 13 thematic factsheets which were produced by the eleven SuSanA working groups (WGs): WG1 - Capacity development; WG 2 - Finance and economics; WG 3 - Renewable energies and climate change; WG 4 - Sanitation systems, technology options, hygiene and health; WG 5 - Food security and productive sanitation systems; WG 6 - Cities and planning; WG 7 - Community, rural and schools (with gender and social aspects); WG 8 - Emergency and reconstruction situations; WG 9 - Sanitation as a business and public awareness; WG 10 - Operation and maintenance; WG 11 - Groundwater Protection. What makes these factsheets special is that they are multi-authored by people from different organisations and by free-lance consultants. The factsheets were developed in a long process involving many discussions and review loops which were mostly carried out in public, e.g. at working group meetings, with the working group mailing lists or, since July 2011, also in the open SuSanA discussion forum.
MUENCH, E. von ; INGLE, R. ; MBALO, D ; KAPPAUF, L. (2012): Compilation of 13 Factsheets on Key Sustainable Sanitation Topics. Eschborn: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH URL [Accessed: 26.04.2019]Towards more Sustainable Sanitation Solutions
The vision document of the sustainable sanitation alliance explains the notion of sustainable sanitation in detail.
SUSANA (2008): Towards more Sustainable Sanitation Solutions. (= Version 1 ). Eschborn: Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) URL [Accessed: 21.04.2012]SuSanA Factsheet: Integrating a Gender Perspective in Sustainable Sanitation
This publication gives good background information on the pressing need to integrate a gender perspective into the efforts to promote safe and sustainable sanitation. Most of the information from the text above is taken from this factsheet.
SUSANA (2009): SuSanA Factsheet: Integrating a Gender Perspective in Sustainable Sanitation. Eschborn: Sustainable Sanitation Alliance Working Group on Gender URL [Accessed: 10.10.2012]Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation
There are still 780 million people without access to an improved drinking water source. And even though 1.8 billion people have gained access to improved sanitation since 1990, the world remains off track for the sanitation target. It is essential to accelerate progress in the remaining time before the MDG deadline, and I commend those who are participating in the Sustainable Sanitation: Five Year Drive to 2015. This report outlines the challenges that remain. Some regions, particularly sub- Saharan Africa, are lagging behind. Many rural dwellers and the poor often miss out on improvements to drinking water and sanitation. And the burden of poor water supply falls most heavily on girls and women. Reducing these disparities must be a priority.
UNICEF ; WHO (2012): Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation. Update 2012. New York/Geneva: United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)/World Health Organisation (WHO) URL [Accessed: 19.04.2012]Compilation of 27 Case Studies on Sustainable Sanitation Projects from Sub-Sahara Africa
The Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) publishes case studies of sustainable sanitation projects from around the world to demonstrate the wide range of available technologies for sustainable sanitation systems. This case study book only comprises those project examples which are from sub-Saharan African countries. These case studies are useful for decision makers, planners, researchers, engineers and the interested public. They have compiled descriptions of well-running projects as well as of less successful projects so that we can learn from past mistakes.
INGLE, R. MUENCH, E. von (2011): Compilation of 27 Case Studies on Sustainable Sanitation Projects from Sub-Sahara Africa. Eschborn: Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) URL [Accessed: 29.05.2012]