2024 CPUT Sustainable Sanitation, Waste and Management Conference

2024 CPUT Sustainable Sanitation, Waste and Management Conference

From November 20, 2024 12:00 am until November 23, 2024 8:13 pm

The proper and sustainable management of sanitation, waste and water resources is a fundamental goal of the United Nations, articulated in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The management of these resources has a direct bearing on the quality of lives for all, but more especially communities in cities. Fresh water resources are depleting at an alarming rate, contaminated by human waste from industries and households, which compounds the water scarcity problem that currently affects one out of every ten people worldwide.
These problems are corroborated by the WHO/UNICEF report of 2024, which highlights that over 2.1 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water resources and more than half of the global population (4.5 billion people) lacked safely managed sanitation services. Furthermore, in 2024, UNESCO found that nearly 80% of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being properly treated. This means that poor solid waste management presents a devastating effect on ground water. The burden of diseases associated with poor sanitation, water pollution and poor waste management is escalating, manifesting in intestinal nematode infections, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, schistosomiasis, malaria and other infectious diseases. The World Health Organisation estimates that more than 2.2 million people die from diarrhoea annually.
SUB-THEMES

• Concepts and theories of sanitation, waste and water practices and management;
• The socio-economic dimensions of water, waste and sanitation;
• Sustainable sanitation, water, waste and hygiene policies, practices quality standards;
• New innovations and technologies in ICT;
• Treatment and recycling methods/approaches for sanitation, water and waste;
• Water and sanitation epidemics, causes and effect in resultant disease burdens;
• Use and re-use policies and practices of sanitation, waste and waste resources;
• Behavioural change in sanitation, waste and water use practices;
• Ecosystem management and restoration of the natural environment, e.g. river restoration;
• Urbanity and new ecosystems.

For information on abstract guidelines, participation fees click HERE.