Online course on faecal sludge management: case study in Durban, South Africa

Globally, there is a need for substantially more professionals in the water and sanitation sector. Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) plays a key role for the provision of sustainable non-sewered sanitation and needs to form part of the education of these professionals. In 2016, an online course on FSM was designed and developed by the Global Sanitation Learning Alliance. The course targets professionals working with faecal sludge (FS) systems in developing countries and covers important aspects for the design and operation of comprehensive FSM systems. The first course attracted 80 learners, each of whom paid a fee of $20. Ten learners completed the course. The second course was free and attracted over 350 learners. At the time of writing, the second course is still underway. The course material was updated with links to new technologies and an upgraded online user platform.