Introduction
The fate of excreta produced by urban populations across the globe is often poorly understood. Particularly in low- and middle-income countries with rapidly expanding cities, excreta management represents a growing challenge; generating significant negative public health and environmental risks.
Solving the sanitation crisis is, therefore, a challenge and opportunity in need of cross-sectoral communication, and facilitating such communication requires a new language and new communication tools. One of the tools used to inform stakeholders from a range of backgrounds on citywide sanitation conditions is known colloquially as the Shit Flow Diagram (SFD), which often form a crucial basis for discussion among a wide range of urban agencies on future steps towards better urban sanitation for all.
SFD (excreta flow diagram) is a visualization tool that summarizes complex information into an easy-to-understand graphic, as it simply shows how excreta is or is not contained along the sanitation chain. SFDs are increasingly being used to analyze the sanitation situation in urban areas.
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The online course
The e-course will provide hand on experience to state and non-state actors to prepare SFD for towns and cities. The course will give you the necessary knowledge to describe what an SFD could be used for, prepare your own SFD and use the tools and methods used for preparation of SFD graphic and report.
Aim of course
To provide hands on experience to participants on how to prepare SFD for towns and cities.
Target audience
This training is intended for anyone who wishes to prepare an SFD report for a town or a city. Whether you are working for a local, regional or national government, an NGO, a University, or if you are just interested in learning more about SFDs, this training is for you.
Learning outcomes
- Improved understanding of SFDs as advocacy, monitoring and planning tool
- Acquaintance with the methodology of data collection and analysis
- Enhanced knowledge on terms, jargons and variables used in the sanitation value chain
- Hands on experience on using graphic generator to develop SFD
The SFD Promotion Initiative
The main objective of the SFD Promotion Initiative is to continue further development of the SFD approach. This approach includes standardized guidance – a methodology and tools - for the easy production of standardized SFDs, backed by a description of information sources and the enabling environment in the city concerned.
The Steering Committee of the SFD Promotion Initiative consists of representatives from the six partner organizations –GIZ, WSP, EAWAG, UoL, WEDC, and CSE. Regular monthly meetings of the Steering Committee allow for a close exchange on progress and results, ideas and experiences.