March 2014: Sustainable sanitation is possible and can be replicated and scaled up, according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report, titled ‘From Toilets to Rivers: Experiences, New Opportunities and Innovative Solutions.’ The report contains project briefs on case studies of good practices and models on sanitation and wastewater management from around the world.

Addressing sanitation and water management challenges can help achieve positive results on climate change, energy, environmental sustainability, food security, health and water security issues, according to the report. It highlights proven results in, inter alia: increasing access to sanitation among poor communities through decentralized wastewater treatment systems, low-cost sewerage and on-site sanitation facilities; improving service delivery through appropriate technologies, innovative contracts and financing mechanisms; policy reforms; and public-private partnerships (PPPs).

The report aims to encourage learning from experiences and applying innovative approaches. It includes case studies from Armenia, Indonesia, Kenya, India, the Philippines, Viet Nam, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Honduras, Singapore, Australia, the US, China, Japan, Cambodia, Kuwait, South Africa, Fiji, Sweden, Iran and Mauritius, on, inter alia: on-site sanitation; decentralized wastewater treatment systems for public markets and peri-urban areas; constructed wetlands with reuse applications; low-cost sewerage systems; innovative and multidimensional approaches; wastewater as a strategic part of economic development; rethinking financing options; PPPs; protecting water resources and coasts; creating synergies for energy and nutrient recovery; wastewater and septage treatment and reuse for agriculture; wastewater treatment and aquaculture; wastewater treatment for sustainable tourism and recreation; and environmental sanitation and good governance. Each case study discusses the adopted technology, capital and operating and maintenance costs, financing mechanisms, institutional arrangements and project outcomes. [ADB Press Release] [Publication: From Toilets to Rivers: Experiences, New Opportunities and Innovative Solutions]