Ecological sanitation (Ecosan) had become a main component within the GTZ Water, Sanitation and Solid Waste Program. Provincial governments, municipalities and local non-government organizations (NGOs) consider ecosan to be a sustainable alternative to common sanitation facilities, especially in view of its affordability.

It is important to note that ecosan is not a new technology but a new philosophy, utilizing a participatory approach and aiming at closing the loop between sanitation and the nutrient cycle.

Ecosan focuses on family needs and habits and, thus, sanitation systems are designed with participation of the households. Domestic waste is composed of different fractions (i.e. faeces, urine, grey water from bathroom and kitchen and solid waste) that can be separated into flow streams that are separately collected and treated, thus offering new possibilities for more specific, re-use-oriented and cost-efficient sanitation systems The choice of ecosan technique depends on the specific circumstances of the household. At the community level, urine diversion toilets are a solution for rural areas, whereas decentralized treatment and reuse, i.e. through a constructed wetland, are an option for peri urban and urban areas.

Following treatment, ecosan products can be re-used in agriculture as fertilizer, soil conditioner or simply for irrigation. The main objectives of ecosan are: to improve sanitation facilities and people’s health; and to close the loop between sanitation and the nutrient cycle. Groundwater resources will be protected from pollution by coliform bacteria and too much nutrients.

Ecosan products can generate additional income if sold to local farmers and used in organic farming for the production of healthy and nutritious food. Ecosan is, therefore, practiced as a holistic interdisciplinary concept that meets Millennium Development Goals in many ways.

Following intensive ecosan promotion to program partners, the GTZ Water Program together with the local partner NGO, Feed the Children Philippines, began implementing the first ecosan facilities in the Visayas region located in the south of the country. Before the actual construction of urine diversion toilet facilities, several stakeholder workshops were conducted. Local partners were trained in techniques, implementation strategies and re-use practices for ecosan products.

Another pilot project of the GTZ Water Program was the constructed wetland in Bayawan, Province of Oriental Negros in the Visayas. In collaboration with the University of the Philippines and the Bayawan City engineers, the technology was developed to treat domestic wastewater from more than 700 households. Bayawan has also commenced the implementation of ecosan toilets. The city is now known as an example of sustainable planning.