SANEAMIENTO, GESTIÓN DE AGUAS RESIDUALES Y SOSTENIBILIDAD

The report advocates for a paradigm shift in sanitation and wastewater management, moving from a 'waste disposal' model to a 'resource recovery' model. It details how the safe recovery of water, nutrients, organic matter, and energy from human excreta and wastewater can improve public health, enhance agricultural productivity, and mitigate climate change. The text provides a comprehensive framework for sustainable systems, covering technical design, health risk management, environmental protection, institutional governance, and financial models. It emphasizes that sustainability depends on adapting technologies to local geographic, social, and economic contexts rather than applying universal solutions. The report includes diverse global case studies—ranging from potable water reuse in Namibia to biogas production in China and fuel briquettes in Kenya—to demonstrate the practical viability of these systems.

• Recovered resources from wastewater could theoretically substitute 25% of synthetic nitrogen and 15% of phosphorus used in global agriculture, and irrigate 15% of all currently irrigated cropland (approximately 40 million hectares).
• Inadequate sanitation is a primary cause of diarrhea and the second leading cause of death for children under 5 in developing countries.
• The economic burden of inadequate water and sanitation is estimated at 1.5% of global GDP, with higher losses in Sub-Saharan Africa (4.3%) and South Asia (2.9%).
• Sustainable sanitation systems are defined as those that minimize resource depletion, protect human health, minimize environmental degradation, and remain technically, institutionally, socially, and economically viable over the long term.
• Source separation of wastewater (e.g., separating urine from feces) is a cost-effective way to facilitate resource recovery and can reduce capital expenditure by 50% and operational expenditure by 25% in centralized systems.
• The use of treated human urine as fertilizer can be highly effective; for example, the annual urine excretion of one person can meet the nitrogen needs of 300 to 400 m2 of crops.
• Biogas production from wastewater and organic waste can mitigate climate change by capturing methane, which is over 25 times more potent than CO2.
• Environmental risks from wastewater include eutrophication, where excess nutrients stimulate algal blooms that deplete oxygen and cause massive fish kills.
• Effective health risk management in resource recovery requires a 'multi-barrier approach' that combines technical treatment with behavioral changes and hygiene practices across the 'farm-to-fork' chain.
• Institutional sustainability requires clear boundaries for the 'public sphere' (public health, environment) and 'private sphere' (user interface, home collection), and the involvement of users in governance to ensure system acceptance.
• In Kenya, the company Sanivation has successfully implemented a system that transforms fecal sludge into solid fuel briquettes, which are sold to industries and provide a net profit.
• In El Alto, Bolivia, a decentralized system using vermicomposting for feces and storage for urine has reduced acute diarrheal diseases by 23% in the intervention area.

APA

Andersson, K., Rosemarin, A., Lamizana, B., Kvarnström, E., McConville, J., Seidu, R., Dickin, S., & Trimmer, C. (2021). SANEAMIENTO, GESTIÓN DE AGUAS RESIDUALES Y SOSTENIBILIDAD. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/saneamiento-gestion-de-aguas-residuales-y-sostenibilidad-2021.pdf

Chicago

Andersson, K., A. Rosemarin, B. Lamizana, E. Kvarnström, J. McConville, R. Seidu, S. Dickin, and C. Trimmer. SANEAMIENTO, GESTIÓN DE AGUAS RESIDUALES Y SOSTENIBILIDAD. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/saneamiento-gestion-de-aguas-residuales-y-sostenibilidad-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Andersson |first1=K. |last2=Rosemarin |first2=A. |last3=Lamizana |first3=B. |last4=Kvarnström |first4=E. |last5=McConville |first5=J. |last6=Seidu |first6=R. |last7=Dickin |first7=S. |last8=Trimmer |first8=C. |title=SANEAMIENTO, GESTIÓN DE AGUAS RESIDUALES Y SOSTENIBILIDAD |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/saneamiento-gestion-de-aguas-residuales-y-sostenibilidad-2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{andersson2021saneamiento, author = {Andersson, K. and Rosemarin, A. and Lamizana, B. and Kvarnström, E. and McConville, J. and Seidu, R. and Dickin, S. and Trimmer, C.}, title = {{SANEAMIENTO, GESTIÓN DE AGUAS RESIDUALES Y SOSTENIBILIDAD}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/saneamiento-gestion-de-aguas-residuales-y-sostenibilidad-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }