Sustainable sanitation in emergencies

Emergency solutions needs to become more sustainable

In the immediate emergency (<1month) - The most important priority is to contain excreta as quickly as possible, for example, trying to avoid open defecation with the help of biodegradable plastic bags etc. New innovations are emerging on the market suitable for both emergencies and urban slums.

When emergency agencies arrive with their assistance they often help to install communal water and sanitation solutions, which they also manage. Following the immediate emergency, these practices are often transitioned to household solutions, managed by the people themselves. This can also be a phase where people stay in camps, using the services and provisions in the camp and at the same time trying to build up and reconstruct their homes and livelihoods again.

In the short term (3-6 months) and during the reconstruction phase of an emergency -Agencies have an opportunity of putting in more sustainable water and sanitation system including hygiene promotion which can be used for a long time. In the worst case scenario the immediate emergency phase is prolonged and the sanitation solutions aimed at short term interventions are in use for a long time. This causes human and environmental hazards in terms of contamination of groundwater, surface water and ecosystems and contributing to unhygienic conditions and risks for human health.

In the long term / development phase - Systems installed in the emergency phase may last for many years and therefore need to be sustainable. In the subsequent development phase, good systems put in place utilize the funding available after an emergency should provide sustained benefits in terms of human health and wellbeing.

Reconstruction is equally about reconstruction of the local economy as well as sanitation facilities. The reconstruction of a society could also be helped by support to local entrepreneurs involved in constructing sanitation facilities who can make a living and contribute to the economy.

Need for innovation in sanitation system design - This situation urgently calls for innovation in sanitation system design for emergencies that are highly adaptive to context and at the same time provide for increased sustainability over the long term. We therefore need to improve our understanding about which technologies are good for the immediate emergency and how we provide for the transition to more permanent and sustainable alternatives.

Ongoing projects

IWA is working with partners such as to encourage progress in this field such as Oxfam, IWA, GTZ, WASTE, SEI, Peepoople, CARE International in product development, sustainable sanitation promotion and capacity building for local manufacturing. To learn from past experiences in the field, IWA is collecting case studies on sustainable sanitation experiences in emergencies in collaboration with Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and dedicated Master students.

Relevant events

IWA, Oxfam and WASTE held a workshop on sustainable sanitation in emergencies in Stoutenberg, The Netherlands in 12-13 Feb 2009. This workshop brought together the emergency community and the sanitation/development community to discuss more sustainable solutions. Read more about it here.

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