Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does SSWM stand for?

Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management – SSWM – proposes to combine integrated water resource management (IWRM) and Sustainable Sanitation as an answer to the global water crisis. The notion of IWRM links water to other vital resources, and views the whole water cycle, including human interventions, as the basis for its sustainable management. Sustainable sanitation designates adequate sanitation facilities and ways to manage wastewater, which are environmentally friendly, economically feasible, socially accepted and technically and institutionally appropriate. The concept of SSWM links up IWRM and sustainable sanitation. It focuses on human influence on the water cycle, its linkages to the nutrient cycle and hence agriculture, and a sustainable use, treatment and reuse of all water resources.

Who developed the Toolbox?

The Toolbox was developed by seecon international gmbh, together with numerous partners from North and South who contributed their knowledge and expertise in specific fields. For more detailed information on partners, see partners.

Who has funded the SSWM Toolbox?

The SSWM Toolbox was funded mainly by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Capacity Building for Integrated Water Resources Management (Cap-Net) (as per April 2011).

Is the Toolbox really for free?

Knowledge is a crucial factor to reach the Millennium Development Goals. With this initiative, we aim at making available, and structuring the huge amount of information that is already existing on water management and sanitation. In such a way, we hope to contribute to the achievement of the MDGs. This is why the toolbox is completely free. We have always quoted the original source of knowledge and make available for download only open source material (also see our credits).

I’m new here and don’t know where to find what!

You find the most important categories of tools in the top bar (concept, the “Understand your System”-Exercise, the planning and process tools, the implementation tools (hardware and software) and background info. In the bottom bar, you find additional information and the “Train the Trainers” section. On the home-site, you find a user manual and a short tutorial movie explaining you more in detail where to find what. You can also use the search function!

I don’t have fast internet. The amount of data is too large!

Relax! An offline version will be made available as soon as we have more or less completed essential parts of the toolbox, which will hopefully be in Summer 2011.

Can I contribute to the SSWM Toolbox myself?

Yes, you can! We are very happy about contributions, be it case studies, documents, presentations, or contributions for new factsheets. Please send us your suggestions by using the contact form. Thank you!

How can I find out whether a specific topic is already covered?

Here, the search function can help you. You find it in the top-right corner of the site. If you are still unsure, feel free to contact us.

I would like to learn better how the toolbox works. Are there educational offers?

Yes, there are! Together with our partners, we offer courses on Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management. For a better overview, see SSWM Courses in the bottom line. There are a variety of courses available, from basic to expert, and from practice-oriented to “Training-of-Trainers” courses. 

Your still have more questions? Then please contact us. We're happy to answer them!