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Themes > Sustainable infrastructure > Water > Sustainable sanitation - ecosan > Further information > Frequently Asked Questions > Definitions

Contact person

For further information please contact:
Dr. Elisabeth von Münch
Tel: +49 6196 79-4221
Fax: +49 6196 79-804221
Email: ecosan@giz.de

Definitions - Questions and answers

What does "ecosan" stand for and what is the principle behind it?
Ecosan is short for "ecological sanitation". Ecosan systems enable the recovery of nutrients contained in excreta and household wastewater and promote their safe reuse in agriculture. They contribute to preserving soil fertility, whilst minimising the consumption and pollution of water resources. Additionally, they have the potential to produce renewable energy from biogas systems.

What does "sanitation" comprise?
The main objective of a sanitation system is to protect human health by breaking the cycle of disease. Sanitation includes four technical areas:
  • excreta management (faeces and urine)
  • greywater management
  • solid waste management and
  • rainwater drainage.

Sanitation policies need to be closely interlinked with many sectors of society (e.g. infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, urban planning).


What is the definition of an "ecosan toilet"?
The term "ecosan toilet" is widely used but we do not recommend to use it, because ecosan is not limited to a specific toilet type but is rather a concept. Even a flush toilet could be part of an ecosan approach, e.g. if flushed excreta are treated anaerobically together with animal manure to produce biogas. The so-called “ecosan toilet” should rather be called a urine-diversion dehydration toilet (UDDT), or  - as a compromise – an “ecosan UDD toilet”.
For further information, see our technical data sheet on urine diversion.

Is ecosan the same as “dry sanitation”?
Ecosan and dry sanitation are not identical: Toilets which use water for flushing can also be used in an ecosan concept (e.g. vacuum toilets, urine-diversion flush toilets, but even conventional flush toilets if connected to a safe and sustainable reuse system).

  • More details and information
    See our technical data sheet on urine diversion
    giz2011-en-technology-review-urine-diversion.pdf, 1.79 MB (English)
  • More information about costs and economics of sanitation systems.
    See also SuSanA, working group 2, cost and economics.
    www.susana.org/wg02, 0 MB

          • Contact person

          For further information please contact:
          Dr. Elisabeth von Münch
          Tel: +49 6196 79-4221
          Fax: +49 6196 79-804221
          Email: ecosan@giz.de
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