Ms. Sreevidya Satish - Aquatechtrade

Sustainable Sanitation and Water 

Management - Linking up Sanitation and 

IWRM 

“Capacity Building for Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management” 

by Ecosan Services Foundation (ESF), India, and seecon international 

gmbh, Switzerland 

Sreevidya Satish 

Ecosan Services Foundation 

Presentation for Curriculum Development at University of Pune 

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2. 6 billion people 

without improved 

sanitation. 

TODAY. 

Source: M. Kropac 


Source: WHO-UNICEF 2010

884 million people 

without access to 

clean water. 

TODAY. 

Source: J. Heeb 


Source: WHO-UNICEF 2010

Lack of 

water. 

TODAY. 

Source: REUTERS 

http://www.kodak.com/US/images/en/corp/1000words/pennyl/DroughtPaddock.jpg 

Presentation for Curriculum Development at University of Pune

Poor 

yields. 

TODAY. 

Source: http://crs-blog.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/afg2008018673.jpg 

http://www.kodak.com/US/images/en/corp/1000words/pennyl/DroughtPaddock.jpg 


Water 

wasted. 

TODAY. 

Source: http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/sickwater/ 



Situation in South Asia?

Source: WHO-UNICEF 2010 


• Groundwater [Depleted] 

• Surface water [Polluted] 

• Rainfall [Wasted] 

• Population [ ] 

• Demand [ ] 

• Consumption [ ] 

INDIA: SCARCITY of WATER 

• Industrial Growth [ ] 

• Industrial Growth [ ] 

• Economy-Industry [ ] 

• Economy-Industry [ ] 

• Water Business[ ] 


• Agriculture [affected] 

• Health & 

Environment [under 

pressure] 

• Future [ ? ]

Why ? 

(Situation Analysis) 


What leads to this situation? 

There are four main reasons that lead to today’s situation: 

• Sectoral thinking 

• Linear approaches to water and nutrient management 

• Current conventional approaches in wastewater management 

• A lack of sense of ownership and participatory approaches 



(1) Sectoral thinking 

Agriculture 

Water 

Sanitation 



(1) Sectoral thinking 

Source: J. Heeb 

Source: K. Conradin 

Providing Water 

But what about the wastewater? 



(2) Linear approach (to water management) 

WATER FLOW 

WATER 

WASTE 

WATER 

GROUNDWATER 

UTILISATION 

DISCHARGE INTO 

SURFACE WATER 

BODIES 

Often, in particular in dry areas, non-renewable or ancient groundwater 

sources are used as a source of water. However, the groundwater is not 

recharged – instead, water is discharged into surface water bodies 

(rivers, sea). This leads to groundwater depletion. 

Source: Own Graph 



(2) Linear approach (to nutrient flows) 

NUTRIENT FLOW 

FOOD 

WASTE 

WATER 

NUTRIENT 

DEPLETION 

NUTRIENT 

ACCUMULATION 

Today, there is a linear flow of nutrients, from soils (via agricultural 

food products) to cities. Nutrients excreted are not recycled, but 

essentially end up in aquatic ecosystems. 

Source: Own Graph 



What links the these two problems? 

N = Nutrients 

H 2 0 = Water 

NPK 

NPK 

N 

N 

N 

N + 

H 2 0 

H 2 0 

H 2 0 

Water management and wastewater management are considered two 

totally different fields. Yet, they are inherently linked. 


Source: WINBLAD and ESREY 2004 


(3) Current approaches: Mixing different waste streams 

Furthermore, we don’t only mix household wastewater with clean 

water. 

What happens at the end of the pipe? 



(3) Current approaches: What happens at the end of the pipe? 

Worldwide, an estimated 

90% of all wastewater does 

not receive any treatment 

at all. 

Two million tons 

wastewater discharged 

untreated – per day. 


Linear approaches 

This pollutes a 1000fold 

amount of water. Two 

billion tons of clean water 

polluted per day. 

Source: CORCORAN et al. (Eds.) (2010): Sick Water? The central role of wastewater 

management in sustainable development. A Rapid Response Assessment. No location: United 

Nations Environment Programme, UN-HABITAT, GRID-Arendal. 


What we do to deal with it today? 

(3) Current approaches: Mainly technical & expensive approaches 

We are currently dealing with these issues with highly technical 

approaches: 

- State of the art sewage treatment plants – who pays for them? 

- Transport of water over large distances. 

- Who can afford it? 

- And is it sustainable? 


And what about 

tomorrow? 


WOULD YOU CALL 

IT COMON SENSE? 

To mix each day 2 million tons 

of highly polluted water with 

the 1000-fold amount of clean 

water, every day? 





To spend billions of dollars to 

clean this water up again? 

Source: www.es-makler.de 





To discharge this water, when it 

would be dearly needed in 

agriculture? 


NO, IT IS NOT 

COMMON SENSE! 


WHAT WE WOULD NEED… 

…IS A 

HOLISTIC 

APPROACH. 

Source: www.sswm.info 


Let’s try to link water, sanitation and agriculture and 

look at it as one issue! 

Water 

Sanitation 

Agricultur 

e 


Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management (SSWM)… 

… is a holistic 

approach. 

… links sustainable 

sanitation with 

water 

management and 

agriculture. 

… considers the 

water and the 

nutrient cycle 

together. 


Source: PHADKE 2009 

Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management (SSWM)… 

… starts simple, 

and locally. 

… gives equal 

importance to 

hardware and 

software. 

… is not a specific 

technology, but 

about all measures 

that aim at making 

sanitation and water 

management 

sustainable. 


Why SSWM Training 

courses? 


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Why Concept should be disseminated? 

The lack of trained professionals is particularly problematic, as water 

management and sanitation involves multi-disciplinary issues. 

to enlighten decision and policy makers, planners, engineers, 

instructors, the private sector and users. 


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Our approach 

follows a participatory cross-institutional and interdisciplinary approach 

great emphasis is laid on participants’ interaction: besides face-to-face 

lectures, group works and case studies, visits to existing projects and roleplays 

reveal creativity and make participants think in a holistic way. 

In addition to technology, socio-cultural aspects, institutional frameworks, 

health & hygiene and the safe application of products derived from 

sustainable sanitation facilities are also important parts of the training. 


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The SSWM Toolbox: Online and Offline 

Concept 

Guided 

Exercise 

Process & 

Planning 

Tools 

Implementation 

Tools 

Background 

SSWM 

Courses 

Open 

Source 

Library 

Glossary 

Links to 

other 

Tools 

Training 

of 

Trainers 

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Target Groups 

Practitioners from the 

water, sanitation and 

agricultural sector 

The “middle level”. Those 

who take the lead in projects 

on local level 


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What will course participants gain? 

Fully exploit the benefits of the SSWM Toolbox 

Develop a thorough theoretical and practical understanding of 

Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management 

Build a strong and international network of partnering organisations 

working in the same field. 

Gain the knowledge to meet the challenges of successfully implementing 

socially, economically and ecologically viable water management and 

sanitation projects. 


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Participants taking part in course will gain: 

Initiating or implementing SSWM projects in their homes, 

neighbourhoods or communities, or with their own institution. Advisory 

support by seecon international or other course partners can be sought 

Joining national or international institutions in need for local SSWM 

experts. 

Raising awareness with different target groups (from policy makers to 

students) on the need for sustainable solutions and the range of 

available options. 

Depending on the course chosen, organise and/or conduct own trainings 

on sustainable sanitation and water management. 


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Courses overview 


36

Courses done so far 


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“Linking up Sustainable Sanitation, 

Water Management & Agriculture” 

SSWM is an initiative 

supported by: 

Created by: 


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Ms. Sreevidya Satish - Aquatechtrade

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