Using Open-Access Spatial Data for Enhanced Sanitation Planning
The conventional approach to sanitation often relies on sewered solutions (offsite systems), which involve extensive networks of pipes and centralized treatment facilities. While effective in well-established urban areas, this method may not be suitable for developing countries with mixed formal and informal settlements. Innovative frameworks and approaches like Sanitation21 and Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) support applying sanitation solutions tailored to the local context to ensure sustainable and effective sanitation management, considering population density, water availability, existing infrastructure, and socioeconomic and cultural aspects. Regardless of all the efforts, global sanitation challenges persist, with 3.5 billion people lacking access to safely managed sanitation.
This research explores the potential of open-access spatial data to enhance early-stage sanitation planning using open-source Geographic Information System (GIS) software. A significant barrier to effective sanitation planning is the lack of up-to-date, reliable data. Despite the surge of new open-access data, it is still not widely used in the sanitation planning field. To address this gap, the objective is to identify, catalog, and utilize essential, globally available open-access spatial datasets to support sanitation planning, adopting a data-driven approach to select the most suitable sanitation system according to the local context.
The method involves defining criteria for dataset selection, ensuring compatibility with Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards, and adhering to the FAIR principles. By implementing this approach in a selected case study area, the research seeks to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of integrating open-access data regarding demographic, infrastructure, and socioeconomic aspects into sanitation planning, aiming to empower local professionals and improve sanitation outcomes in developing regions.