Global e-learning alliance launches first course on faecal sludge management

The Global faecal sludge management e-learning alliance is a platform that aims to boost the dissemination of knowledge on faecal sludge management through online learning.

Six educational institutions that are linked to the platform offer - independently - a course on Faecal sludge management (FSM). The institutions operate as an alliance to share insights, advance knowledge about sanitation and jointly tackle the challenges with greater confidence.

The six institutions are Unesco-IHE Institute for water education (The Netherlands), the Centre for environmental studies (India), the Asian institute of technology (Thailand), Bangladesh university of environmental technology (Bangladesh), the International institute for environmental engineering (Burkina Faso) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa).

Entire faecal sludge chain
The platform's first e-learning course is dedicated to faecal sludge management. It addresses the planning and organization of the entire faecal sludge management service chain, from the collection and transport of sludge and its treatment options, to the final end-use or disposal of treated sludge.

In addition to providing fundamentals and an overview of technologies, the course deals with details of operational, institutional and financial aspects, and provides guidance on how to plan a city-level faecal sludge management project with the involvement of all the stakeholders.

The theoretical background of the course is based on the book Faecal sludge management: system approach for implementation and operation.

Real-life case studies
Furthermore, the course incorporates a number of illustrative real-life case studies, a helpful toolbox and an insight into the most recent technological innovations in the field.

The course is designed for professionals who are dealing with the planning, promotion, design, operation or management of faecal sludge for residents in urban, peri-urban, slum or rural areas in low-income countries and beyond. The course program is taught over a period of four months.

International recognized professionals
The course and the book are the result of the project Stimulating local innovation on sanitation for the urban poor in Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The FSM book has been prepared jointly by Eawag (Switzerland) and Unesco-IHE and includes contributions by a number of internationally recognized faecal sludge management and sanitation professionals.

The institutions delivering the course have developed most of the practical case studies, while the toolbox and technological innovations originate largely from the grants provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation’s Water, sanitation & hygiene program.

The online FSM-course offered by Unesco-IHE starts on 6 January 2016. Application deadline is 21 December 2015.

Also see: on line FSM course and FSM book.

This news item was originally published on the website of Unesco-IHE.

More information
Unesco-IHE
Delft, the Netherlands
+31 15 212 29 21
www.unesco-ihe.org