Promoting Sustainable FSSM in South Africa

Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE, New Delhi, India) association with Water Research Commission (WRC), South Africa goes back to 2018. Over the years, the collaboration has delivered several capacity-building and orientation trainings as well as planning and policy advocacy initiatives in the sanitation and wastewater sector – these included the introduction and preparation of Shit Flow Diagrams (SFDs) for South African cities and training of over 100 officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).

In 2025, CSE has entered into a formal collaboration agreement with JG Afrika (Pty) Ltd, the engineering and environmental consultancy, under the aegis of WRC and DWS. The partnership aims to strengthen sustainable FSSM in South Africa through a threefold approach: building capacities and advocating for improved planning and policies, conducting field assessments to identify suitable technical solutions for faecal sludge and septage treatment, and establishing a robust technical support system that can guide and sustain future interventions.

A key objective is to demonstrate how Water Services Authorities (WSAs) can translate SFD findings into actionable steps for achieving sustainable sanitation outcomes. As part of this, CSE, in association with the three partner organisations, is organising a series of interactions in South Africa, ranging from onsite trainings, meetings and field studies to debriefing and action planning.

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

ONSITE TRAINING: Planning and Designing FSSM Systems

• Dates: September 16-18, 2025
• Venue: University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus (UKZN-PMB)
• Participants: By nomination – Officials from DWS, municipal representatives, consultants, and UKZN-PMB students

FIELD ASSESSMENTS

• Dates: September 19-22, 2025
• Purpose: Conduct feasibility studies for FSSM implementation in two municipalities

MEETINGS

• Dates: September 19, 2025
• With: WRC officials, with the focus on strengthening ties with WRC and DWS for promoting safe sanitation in South Africa

DEBRIEFING AND ACTION PLANNIN

• Date: September 24, 2025
• Focus: Share key insights from training and assessments, and develop a roadmap for the next steps

PROGRAMME COORDINATORS

For CSE:

Jyoti Parsad
Deputy Programme Manager
Water Programme, CSE
Mobile: +91 85598 38864
Email: jyoti.parsad@cseindia.org

For JG Africa:

Robyn Tompkins
Manager-Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Technical Director, JG Afrika (PTY) Ltd
Mobile: +27 333436700; +27 828517160
Email: TompkinsR@jgafrika.com