WISA • Y WP
NSS: sustainable sanitation in light of climate change Access to water and sanitation is a human right yet to be afforded to all. The unprecedented challenge of Covid-19 has emphasised the vital importance of universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services. The lack thereof has a devastating effect on the health, dignity and prosperity of millions. By Tinashe Chipako*
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longside World Toilet Day on 19 November, the WISA Young Water Professionals (YWP-ZA) hosted a ‘Sustainable sanitation and climate change’ webinar to aid in raising awareness about sustainable sanitation technologies suitable for water-scarce countries such as South Africa. The webinar was honoured by seven panellists from government, academia and business. These guests shared their insights on the challenges faced by 14 million people and over 3 600 schools in South Africa that are without safe sanitation. Ashton Busani Mpofu, national lead, YWP-ZA, opened the webinar with a quote from the great Nelson Mandela and posed a question as to why we have not attained universal access to sanitation given the availability of suitable sanitation technologies: “Massive poverty and obscene inequality are such terrible scourges of our times – times in which the world boasts breathtaking advances in science, technology, industry and wealth accumulation – that they have to rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social evils.”
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Sustainable NSS
Lusanda Agbasi from the Department of Water and Sanitation opened the discussion with a presentation on the role of non-sewered sanitation (NSS) systems for sustainable, inclusive sanitation in South Africa. She noted that only 83.4% of households in South Africa have access to sanitation, but that the levels of sanitation vary greatly from province to province, with the Western Cape leading in terms of widespread access, while Mpumalanga still has some way to go. She reminded the attendees about SDG 6 (universal access to water and sanitation by 2030) and emphasised that, in order for us to meet this goal, it is important that we understand the problem from the point of view of all stakeholders and institutions, which must work together collaboratively with #AllHandsOnDeck to effect change.
Sanitation in action
Following on was Lungi Zuma from eThekwini Municipality, who – in responding to a question from the audience – asserted that eThekwini is at the forefront of providing appropriate sanitation facilities, through its
partnership with several public and private institutions, municipalities and technology providers. Within these partnerships, workshops and stakeholder engagement meetings are hosted to promote knowledge sharing. One of the municipality’s successful partnerships was with Gugulethu Primary School, Khanyisa Projects and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Themba Sibaya from Gugulethu Primary School spoke about this successful sanitation project. The school had a significant shortage of sanitation facilities. An innovative NSS system solution that diverts urine, recovers nutrients and recycles water for flushing was installed. In addition, solar panels were installed on the roof of the container that houses water-efficient toilet units and waterless urinals. This, together with water recycling, has helped in reducing the utility bills for the school. She noted that there is immense benefit to the students, particularly girls, who now get to be at school even during their monthly cycles.
Global perspective
Next, Arun Kumar, from UKZN’s Pollution Research Group, provided insights into
