Motivated by the UN’s decision to declare 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation (IYS), GIZ together with several other organisations took the initiative to form a task force to contribute to the promotion and up-scaling of sustainable sanitation.

In January 2007, a first meeting in Germany resulted in a large number of commitments by the participants from various organisations, and in drawing up a first draft of a "joint road map for the promotion of sustainable sanitation in IYS 2008". Several working groups were established that are focussing on the links between sustainable sanitation and costs and economics, food security, emergency and reconstruction situations or renewable energies, among others.

In order to have a joint label for the planned activities, and to be able to align with other potential initiatives, the group formed the "Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA)". Regularly meetings are held which are often closely attached to other important events like the Stockholm World Water Week or the AfricaSan conference. The meetings are intended to monitor progress of the various working groups and other activities of the SuSanA, and to update and coordinate the commitments of the partners. The number of official partners of the SuSanA grew steadily over the last meetings to now over 100 multi- and bilateral organisations, NGOs, companies, governmental and research institutions.

The SuSanA is an informal network of organisations aiming at a common goal. Participation is open to those who want to join and be active in the promotion of sustainable sanitation systems. The SuSanA invites international, regional and local organisations to join the network, contribute ideas, and to become active partners in the thematic working groups.

More information

• SuSanA homepage
  The SuSanA homepage offers you more information, for example vision, case studies, fact sheets of the working groups, presentations and minutes of the meetings.
  www.susana.org