FACT SHEET

The SEI/WASHi project implemented five pilot sites in Bihar, India, to demonstrate sustainable, dry sanitation systems (ecosan) that treat human excreta for use as agricultural fertilizer. The project addressed flood-prone conditions, gender-specific hygiene needs—particularly menstruation management—and established the state's only nutrient-testing laboratory in Patna. Agricultural trials showed that urine-fertilized plots produced yields equal to or better than those using commercial NPK fertilizer. The initiative aimed to influence state policy and contribute to Millennium Development Goals by providing low-cost alternatives to agricultural chemicals and improving public health.

• Bihar is highly vulnerable to flooding and lacks adequate sanitation, with only 27% of households possessing their own toilet and 13% having their own bathroom, compared to a national rate that is double Bihar's access.
• The project utilized an ecological sanitation (ecosan) approach using dry systems to collect and treat human excreta for use as soil conditioners and agricultural fertilizers, which is suitable for water-scarce and flood-prone areas.
• Agricultural trials in Bind Block, Nalanda District, demonstrated that crops fertilized with harvested urine achieved yields that were equal to or better than those treated with commercial NPK fertilizer.
• A survey revealed critical gaps in menstruation hygiene for women and girls in Bihar, with 87% of those surveyed only having access to public pumps for washing and approximately 75% reporting menstruation-related health problems.
• The project established a state-of-the-art water- and nutrient-testing laboratory in Patna, which is currently the only facility in Bihar providing nutrient-testing services.
• Five distinct pilot sites were implemented to test various ecosan applications: modified urine-diverting dry toilets (UDDTs) in Rupauliya village; a community complex using the Swedish CompostEra system in Mohaddipur village; an education-focused facility at the Tarumitra Bio-reserve; agricultural trials in Bind Block; and school facilities with an incinerator for sanitary padding at Prakash Elementary School.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). FACT SHEET. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2013-ecosan-bihar-v2.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. FACT SHEET. 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2013-ecosan-bihar-v2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=FACT SHEET |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2013-ecosan-bihar-v2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014fact, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{FACT SHEET}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2013-ecosan-bihar-v2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }