More than a quarter of the world’s population has no access to electricity and rely on wood, charcoal or biomass materials for their energy needs. It is also recognised that there is a considerable overlap between regional energy scarcity, lack of sanitation and ongoing population growth. A new approach that recognises human excreta and wastewater as an important energy and nutrient resource creates new options to address this issue. In this context, integrated sustainable sanitation systems produce either biogas in anaerobic treatment processes or biomass in wastewater-fed short-rotation plantations (here groundwater protection plays an important role) which will provide renewable energy sources to cover the basic energy needs. Furthermore, by producing renewable energies and thus avoiding CO₂ emissions, these sanitation systems have the potential to alleviate climate change.

The objective of this working group is to general awareness for the energy potential of the sustainable sanitation approach and its prospective contribution to reduce dependence on imported or fossil energy sources. The working group prepares publications (fact sheet, comprehensive major publication) ideally flanked by a collection of case studies and a practical guide on how to implement sustainable sanitation solutions for energy production.

Leads

The lead of this working group is Rahul Ingle:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it GIZ Germany

 

How to join the working group?

Individuals who are not yet registered, but are interested in joining the thematic working group, are very welcome. Please register as a member and choose the respective working group(s) you wish to join: http://susana.org/index.php/lang-en/component/register/?view=member If you are already registered, but wish to join another or more working group(s), you can easily change the details by logging in here: http://www.susana.org/lang-en/your-details Why become a member of a working group? You can work with other experts on several issues to promote sustainable sanitation You will gain access to information on working group processes You can be active by hosting SuSanA meetings and/or by organising activities/events to promote sustainable sanitation You can take part in discussions within the working group by using the e-mail mailing list This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   Note that this e-mail list is moderated in order to avoid spam. You can join and take part in stimulating discussions on the SuSanA Discussion Forum in the WG 3 section