Sustainable Sanitation Campaign in China

The report details the activities and outcomes of the China Node for Sustainable Sanitation (CNSS) from November 2008 to May 2011. Established as the first node of the EcoSanRes-2 program and hosted by the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), CNSS aimed to promote ecological sanitation (ecosan) through public awareness, urban planning integration, and international knowledge exchange. The initiative focused on overcoming traditional taboos regarding sanitation in China and creating a platform for experts, NGOs, and government decision-makers to collaborate on sustainable wastewater and excreta management.

• CNSS implemented several pilot projects to demonstrate ecological sanitation, including the construction of 108 eco-toilets in the earthquake-affected areas of Sichuan province, which improved sanitation for over 1,000 people. Other showcases included urine-diversion vacuum toilets installed on the 12th floor of the University of Science and Technology Beijing and a demonstration garden using treated urine for vegetable growth.
• The campaign achieved significant public outreach through mass media. A CCTV program on 'toilets' broadcast on March 15, 2009, reached approximately 3.9 million viewers. Additionally, a program on Yunnan TV between May 4 and May 8, 2010, had an audience ratio of 0.2%, meaning over one million people watched it.
• CNSS worked to embed sustainable sanitation into urban planning and policy by engaging with high-level decision-makers and professional bodies. This included presenting at the 2010 International Conference on Urban Development and Planning in Qinghuangdao and establishing contacts with the Mayors or Vice Governors of Chongqing, Jilin province, and Qinghai province.
• The initiative established a digital knowledge platform and professional networks. The CNSS website (www.susanchina.cn), launched in February 2009, recorded 44,021 visitors by June 15, 2011. The organization also created an internal expert database and a media contact list to facilitate the periodic release of ecosan news.
• CNSS fostered international cooperation and knowledge transfer, providing technical support to the Nepal Biogas Support Programme and collaborating on an urban ecosan project in the Ger areas of Ulaan Baator with the Mongolian University of Science and Technology and the NGO 'Action contre la Faim'.
• Educational capacity was built through the development of bilingual teaching materials titled 'Introduction to Eco-San Technology', which were distributed to third-year undergraduate students between 2009 and 2011. Additionally, an international engineering workshop on DEWATS was conducted at USTB in May 2009 for engineers from China, Nepal, and the DPRK.

APA

Zifu-Li, Lingling-Zhang, Mang, H.-P., & Huba, E. M. (2011). Sustainable Sanitation Campaign in China. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-Booklet-CNSS-SustainableSanitationCampaignInChina-2011.pdf

Chicago

Zifu-Li, Lingling-Zhang, Heinz-Peter Mang, and Elizabeth Mario Huba. Sustainable Sanitation Campaign in China. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2011. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-Booklet-CNSS-SustainableSanitationCampaignInChina-2011.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zifu-Li |last2=Lingling-Zhang |last3=Mang |first3=Heinz-Peter |last4=Huba |first4=Elizabeth Mario |title=Sustainable Sanitation Campaign in China |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2011 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-Booklet-CNSS-SustainableSanitationCampaignInChina-2011.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zifuli2011sustainable, author = {Zifu-Li and Lingling-Zhang and Mang, Heinz-Peter and Huba, Elizabeth Mario}, title = {{Sustainable Sanitation Campaign in China}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2011}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-Booklet-CNSS-SustainableSanitationCampaignInChina-2011.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }