The demands of sustainable devel- opment require us to rethink the current approach towards the way in which we dispose of our waste. Considerable progress is being made in the areas of solid waste recycling and renew- able energy production but the sustainable manage- ment of human waste is an area that is still in its infancy. However, the need for sustainable sanitation is becoming critical due to the need to safeguard | A framework for action | A framework fresh water sources from contamination, recycle valuable nutrients contained in excreta for food production, and to conserve energy. Sustainable Sanitation in Cities seeks to define what sustainable sanitation means in the urban context and how this can be achieved within the constraints and complexities of the urban environ- ment. The authors redefine the relationship between sanitary engineering and urban planning and thus contribute to the ongoing debate on urban sustain- ability. The book is dedicated to innovative approaches to sanitation and illustrates what putting sustainable sanitation into action means in practice. Sustainable Sanitation in Cities is a joint open source publication of the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance and International Forum on Urbanism. This book can be downloaded from: www.susana.org and www.ifou.org SUSTAINABLE SANITATION IN CITIES SANITATION SUSTAINABLE The Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) is a loose network of over 120 organisations from 45 different countries working together to promote sustainable sanitation solutions in urban and rural contexts through knowledge sharing and joint publications. The International Forum on Urbanism (IFoU) is a network of universities, research institutes and knowledge centers with the task to strengthen the international and interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of Urbanism. International Forum on Urbanism Christoph Lüthi, Arne Panesar, Thorsten Schütze, Anna Norström, Jennifer McConville, Jonathan Parkinson, Darren Saywell, Rahul Ingle [P.] [P.] Sustainable Sanitation in Cities A framework for action Christoph Lüthi, Arne Panesar, Thorsten Schütze, Anna Norström, Jennifer McConville, Jonathan Parkinson, Darren Saywell, Rahul Ingle Sustainable Sanitation in Cities: A Framework for Action Christoph Lüthi, Arne Panesar, Thorsten Schütze, Anna Norström, Jennifer McConville, Jonathan Parkinson, Darren Saywell, Rahul Ingle (2011) ISBN: 978-90-814088-4-4 First Edition 2011 Published by Papiroz Publishing House | Rijswijk | The Netherlands www.papiroz.com Text editing: Christoph Lüthi & Thorsten Schütze Layout and cover design: Papiroz design | 2011 Foreword Sanitation is usually a forgotten problem in the low-income areas of our fast growing cities, where close to 5,000 children under 5 years old are dying every day because of lack of access to basic sanitation. As the World becomes progressively more urban, most of civilisation, who currently reside in small towns and large villages, will see their living environment change. The pace of urbanisation will impact many areas of their life, their living environment and their access to basic services. The challenges to provide basic sanitation services will play an essential part of the planning and management of these settlements. Without proper approaches, we risk more unplanned slums and the potential threat that the small urban settlements of today will become the haphazard and unplanned mega-cities of tomorrow. Planning sanitation for cities needs to give due attention to the diverse needs of all city residents, rich and poor, old and young. Integrated approaches must be developed where on-site systems and off-site systems work together. The International Year of Sanitation went a long way to raise the level of awareness and to provide a set of key messages, that all could follow in meeting the challenge. However this was a global call to action, which needs practical and realistic interventaions. Much of the developed world relies on piped, centralised sewerage systems, serving mainly the high income residents. These systems have their limitations including that: they need too much energy for transport and treatment of wastewater and; they waste precious elements in wastewater like phosphorus – a limited resource, badly needed as fertiliser. One issue is certain, without sustainable reuse of excreta, we are wasting a valuable resource. As we consider options for urban areas of all sizes, reuse of nutrients must be part of the plan. For urban areas, the challenge will be providing effective sanitary arrangements linked to sustainable collection and transport and treatment of the excreta to the point of re-use. In some smaller urban centres, closer to the rural hinterland, this will be more easily accomplished than in the mega cities. So-called “ecological approaches” to sanitation must be the main solution in a sustainable urban future. This book “Sustainable Sanitation in Cities” prepared by partners of the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) network is a real eye-opener. It takes a look at some of the methods that have worked well in the past, to guide us in solving the problems of the future. By addressing sanitation as a key element of the urban metabolism, and by linking sanitation with urban planning and neighbouring sectors like solid waste management or waste recycling, it allows for a holistic approach. It is only through this comprehensive view that new solutions come to light and there are many opportunities. In the cities of tomorrow, we will need to focus more on recycling energy. A good example being biogas generation from wastewater and sludges. Water will also become an increasingly scarce commodity. Greywater (from showers and sinks) can be treated in urban constructed wetlands or used to water and fertilise urban green spaces. Such examples of productive sanitation systems will form an integral part of infrastructure in sustainable cities. “Sustainable Sanitation in Cities” is a call for action, as we battle against the challenges of an urbanising world, we have to start today to adapt and develop innovative solutions and approaches. This book provides guidance on concepts and sustainable solutions which are tried and tested. I hope this book will kick start a new approach to urban sanitation founded on sound ecological principles. It provides an inclusive approach and helps us to advance up the learning curve faster. Most importantly it reminds us that neglecting ecological approaches to sanitation is a missed opportunity, which will greatly improve the lives of future generations. Dr Graham Alabaster Chief of Section I Water Sanitation & Infrastructure Branch UN-Habitat Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the following peer reviewers who took the time to provide critical inputs and/or original material that greatly improved the quality of the document: • Adrian Atkinson • Barbara Evans • Blanca Elena Jiménez Cisneros • Elisabeth Kvarnström • Duncan Mara • Kevin Tayler • Linda Gaulke • Members of the SuSanA secretariat at GIZ The authors acknowledge support from: • The Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South: Research Partnerships for Mitigating Syndromes of Global Change, co-funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the participating institutions. • The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Disclaimer The authors are responsible for the content of this book. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the reviewers, International Forum on Urbanism, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Eawag, Stockholm Environment Institute, TU Delft, International Water Association or the Swedish Water House. How to cite Lüthi, C., Panesar, A., Schütze, T., Norström, A., McConville, J., Parkinson, J., Saywell, D., Ingle, R. (2011). Sustainable Sanitation in Cities - A Framework for Action. Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) & International Forum on Urbanism (IFoU), Papiroz Publishing House, The Netherlands. Content 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................10 Context .............................................................................................................................................................................................10 Rationale .........................................................................................................................................................................................10 Vision ................................................................................................................................................................................................12 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................................................12 Target Audience ............................................................................................................................................................................14 Structure ..........................................................................................................................................................................................15 2. STATE OF URBAN