The second edition of the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) workshops for the humanitarian sector took place on 26 and 27 January 2023. The aim was to review the state of the art in terms of innovation in access to water and sanitation in the humanitarian sector and to share experiences.
Nearly fifty people met in Jonage, in the Lyon region, to discuss drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in a humanitarian context at the end of January. Invited by the French Water Partnership (FWP) and the Veolia Foundation, they are members of NGOs, representatives of UNICEF, private actors and a think tank specialised in humanitarian action. They shared good practices, discussed difficulties encountered in the field and looked at the latest innovations in the sector.
Among the innovations reviewed:
- Saniforce 500, a low-energy solution for treating faecal sludge for 500 people. This project, designed by the Veolia Foundation and carried out with the ETH University of Zurich in Switzerland, is based on a prototype tested in Kisumu, Kenya, which reuses the biogas from the anaerobic treatment of sludge to eliminate pathogens. This is a decisive sanitary innovation for the humanitarian sector.
- Gravit'eau, a hand washing device presented by Médecins Sans Frontières France
- Aquaforce RO, the latest addition to the Veolia Foundation's range of water purification plants, a solution for treating brackish water in emergency situations.
- The Faecal Sludge Field Lab, a laboratory for the analysis of faecal sludge and wastewater in the field.