Southern Africa: knowledge network for sustainable sanitation launched

The Ecological Sanitation Research group (EcoSanRes) at Stockholm Environment Institute launched the Southern Africa knowledge node on sustainable sanitation (SAKNSS) during the second Africa Water Week. It is one of three nodes in Africa, the two others are in Burkina Faso (CREPA) and Uganda (NETWAS Uganda). “Our aim is to train groups in sustainable sanitation and develop local capacity to respond to demand for information and training in the region, says Madeleine Fogde, EcoSanRes Capacity Development Manager.” Other knowledge nodes have been identified in Central America, Bolivia, China, the Philippines and Nepal [1].

The Water Research Commission (WRC) is managing the SAKNSS secretariat, while the Water Information Network South Africa (WIN-SA) is implementing the node. The Southern African node will create a knowledge management hub for sustainable sanitation. The hub will facilitate and coordinate capacity and skills development, knowledge sharing and collaboration. "Sanitation Matters"is the title of the quarterly magazine (on paper only) of which the network launched its first issue in November 2009.

[1] EcoSanRes - Knowledge Nodes on Sustainability Issues of Sanitation

Related web sites:

• Water Information Network South Africa (WIN-SA)
• Water Research Commission (WRC)
• Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA)

Contact: Ditshego Magoro, Manager SAKNSS, WIN-SA, e-mail: disthego@win-sa.org.za

Source: WRC, 07 Dec 2009 ; WASH news Africa, 15 Nov 2009 ; WIN-SA, 21 Jul 2009

Keywords

• Africa
• Advocacy
• Capacity development
• Information and communication
• Knowledge management
• Sanitation - Ecological sanitation