Welcome

TO THE WATER KNOWLEDGE
HUB FOR SANITATION

> for the improvement of sanitation
conditions in the Asia-Pacific region

Building on Japan's expertise in sanitation, the Japan Sanitation Consortium (JSC) was internationally recognized and launched in 2009, as the Asia-Pacific Water Forum's KnowledgeHub for sanitation. JSC is a joint venture between 4 of the main professional agencies managing sanitation in Japan, which aims to support the countries of the Asia-Pacific struggling with low access to sanitation and water-related issues. Through information sharing and knowledge dissemination, JSC's main goal is to enable these countries to acquire the capacity to develop and diffuse sustainable sanitation systems for the improvement of public health and the reduction of water pollution.

The issue of night soil and wastewater treatment requires a holistic approach. Decisions such as the choice of toilet and selection of treatment processes (individual or collective) should be addressed not piece-by-piece, but instead from a broader perspective, taking into consideration overall system development and sustainability. Equally important for the proper functioning of night soil treatment systems and facilities is the public's awareness of public health and hygiene issues. JSC is a unique organization because its domain of expertise covers basic sanitation (toilets), as well as on-site and off-site sanitation. However, JSC's intention is not the sale of technology. Concretely, JSC's role is to assess and advocate sustainable ways to improve local sanitation conditions in the countries of the Asia-Pacific while promoting sanitation to become a high priority political issue. More specifically, JSC aims to empower local communities through education, training and knowledge exchange, in order to create demand-driven systems. By developing strong networks and sharing our success stories, together we can take a big step towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals for sanitation.