This course module intended for Xavier University outreach communities and partners is a 2-day training course that combines the imparting of knowledge on:

• basic concepts and principles of the reuse-oriented ecological sanitation approach
• linkages to health and agriculture
• available low-cost sanitation technologies
• newly developed TPS technology and its potential to create lasting and highly fertile soils, and
• basic organic farming practices

Participants will receive an introduction into the current sanitary and health situation in Mindanao and the Philippines and its impact on health and environment. It will specifically focus on the link between sanitation and agriculture and the enormous potential that proper ecological sanitation systems can offer to improve sanitary conditions and to bring back urgently needed nutrients back to the soil. Low-cost dry sustainable sanitation technologies will be presented which are easily applicable and affordable even for poorer households. It will also introduce low-cost techniques that can produce highly fertile soils with huge potential for increased agricultural production and the local food security situation. Organic practices in farming will also be included. The course will consist of short lectures with discussion, a field exposure visit and several hands-on training exercises.

The SSWMNA (Sustainable Sanitation and Water Resources Management Network Asia) project is a public private partnership between GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) and Seecon International as well as respective country partners from India (Ecosan Services Foundation – ESF), the Philippines (XU SUSAN Center) and Nepal (Environment and Public Health Organisation – ENPHO).

The 2-year project officially started in August 2009 with a kick-off meeting in Pune India. The aim of the SSWRMNA project is to improve local capacity for sustainable sanitation and water resource management in Nepal and the Philippines and to consolidate and mainstream the efforts in this area in India. In order to do so, the project will establish a Sustainable Sanitation and Water Resources Management Network and provide necessary capacity building at the individual, institutional and inter-institutional levels.

The overall idea of the SSWRMNA project is to bring together and share knowledge on sustainable sanitation and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and compile the existing knowledge in an interactive online learning tool and conduct corresponding SSWM training courses in the partner countries.

During the course of the project a comprehensive toolbox (SSWM toolbox) has been developed that compiles existing information on sustainable sanitation and water management helping to get an overview on sustainable sanitation and water management issues and guide to respective information and open source material that has been prepared and published by a large number of organizations worldwide. The SSWM toolbox helps to develop capacity for sustainable sanitation and water management at the local level and is designed to to get ideas on how one can improve the local sanitation and water management system and make it more sustainable. It considers the entire water cycle from source to sea, and back. It focuses on human influence on the water and nutrient cycle, and presents ideas on solutions for a sustainable use, treatment and reuse of water resources on the local level, thereby linking water management, sanitation and agriculture.

The SSWM toolbox will be officially launched in October 2010. Corresponding training modules have been developed and tested in the 3 partner countries (Philippines, Nepal & India). The training courses comprise a comprehensive 2-week expert course, a 1-week training of trainers module and individual hands-on modules.

Xavier University in collaboration with the Sustainable Sanitation and Water Resources Management Network Asia (SSWRMNA) and the Southeast Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute (SEARSOLIN) recently offered 2-week expert training courses on Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management (SSWM) complemented by 1-week SSWM ‘training of trainers’ courses.

The 2-week SSWM expert training course module gives an overview on Integrated Water Resources Management (IRWM), its basic concept and linkages to the reuse-oriented sustainable sanitation approach including a comprehensive overview on existing technology options and planning approaches. The course focuses on the human influence on the water cycle, the linkages to agriculture, and the sustainable use, treatment and reuse of water resources. It enables participants get a holistic view on the water cycle and to identify more sustainable and locally appropriate technology solutions in relation to sanitation and water resources management.

The 1-week training of trainers course module prior focuses on teaching methods and the design of target group oriented SSWM modules. It will enable participants to design and conduct their own SSWM courses utilizing the philosophy and principles of adult learning.

The European Commission funded ACCESSanitation (Accelerated City-to-City Exchange on Sustainable Sanitation) project is a 3 year-project that started in November 2009, aiming to tackle inadequate sanitation in cities within three regions where the problem is at its most acute, namely South and Southeast Asia and Southern Africa. The focus of ACCESSanitation will be on making tangible improvements to sanitation services and facilities in the ten participating cities in India and the Philippines. This will be achieved through the development of local capacity to plan, design and implement sustainable sanitation systems and by launching campaigns to raise awareness on improved hygiene practices.

The project partners include the ICLEI European Secretariat as the project coordinator, the local ICLEI offices in India (ICLEI South Asia Secretariat), the Philippines (ICLEI Southeast Asia Secretariat) and Africa (ICLEI Africa Secretariat) as well as the Ecosan Services Foundation (ESF), the Sustainable Sanitation Center of Xavier University and Seecon International.
 
The 10 identified cities in India and the Philippines comprise of the following:

The project partners will support the participating 10 cities in carrying out an integrated and cyclical management process for sustainable sanitation. As a first step in this process, each of the local governments involved – together with a group of key stakeholders – will identify the main sanitation issues and priorities in their city. Based on a review of different options to achieve more sustainable sanitation, an action plan will be drafted and implemented following endorsement through the local council. National workshops, online exchanges and individual coaching for cities will help build the capacity of the actors involved.

The project is being overseen by an Advisory Board composed of selected experts from the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (www.susana.org) and in particular from the working group on ‘Sustainable Sanitation in Cities’.

The SUSAN Center of Xavier University serves as the local partner in the Philippines, providing its expertise on sustainable sanitation related issues and the Center is co-organizing national training, coaching and knowledge exchange activities.