This online course deals with options for sustainable sanitation in low-income countries, which will contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for sanitation and related fields such as reducing poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality, improving lives of slum dwellers and ensuring environmental sustainability.

The concept of ecological sanitation (ecosan) is presented. Ecosan is not a specific technology but a new approach to sanitation which regards sanitised human excreta and greywater as a resource, e.g. for application as a fertiliser and soil conditioner in (urban) agriculture. Ecosan strives to maximise the sustainability of sanitation systems, taking into account all aspects of sustainability.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of the ecosan course, the participants will:

  • know the short-comings of conventional sewer-based ("flush-and-forget") or pit-based ("drop-and-store") sanitation systems, in the context of developing countries (with a focus on urban or peri-urban areas);
  • understand the need for a paradigm shift in urban sanitation and the relevance for the MDGs;
  • have a good overview of the available technology and reuse options within the ecosan approach (collection, transfer and treatment of excreta and greywater; safe reuse; non-technical aspects; rainwater harvesting).
Target group

The course is designed for mid-career professionals who work in low-income countries or countries in transition, and deal with planning, promoting, designing, operating or managing sanitation systems for residents in urban, peri-urban, slum or rural areas.

Participants are typically employed by government departments, private companies, local or international NGOs, universities, research institutions, aid agencies or international bodies such as WHO or UNICEF.

Course structure

Participants complete the course in part-time, online learning mode over a period of 18 weeks with a total workload of 140 hours (equivalent to a course of 3 weeks full-time). They spend about 9 hours per week on this course by reading, listening to podcasts, watching video clips, participating in asynchronous discussions, asking questions to the teacher and to fellow classmates, and working on the assignments.

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a Course Certificate issued by UNESCO-IHE.

Course content

Subject

Units

Duration

1. Introduction to ecosan approach

The need for and definition of ecosan and MDGs; Characteristics of urine, faeces and greywater; Overview of technologies for ecosan

4 weeks

2. Transfer and treatment of human excreta and greywater

Treatment aspects for urine, faeces and greywater; Conventional on-site sanitation; Storage and transport logistics; Introduction to anaerobic treatment technologies; Constructed wetlands; Composting; Faecal sludge management; Alternative sewer systems; Urban groundwater pollution

6 weeks

3. Reuse of ecosan products

Introduction to productive sanitation systems; Urban agriculture and reuse research results

2 weeks

4. Non-technical aspects of ecosan

Financial aspects and market considerations; Social, institutional, policy and gender aspects

2 weeks

5. Water supply and ecosan

Urban water demand management measures; Rainwater harvesting

2 weeks

Partners

This course has previously been sponsored by Grontmij, the Stockholm Environment Institute, Huber and Vitens.

Course Brochure

Course details


  • M. Ronteltap, PhD, MSc

  • 18 weeks

  • 5

Dates, Fee & Application


  • 05 May 2014 to 05 Sep 2014

  • €700

  • 05 April 2014

  • 01 October 2013

  • Click here to apply for this course

More info