Embedding Safety, Inclusion and Dignity in Sanitation Systems at Citywide Level for All

This 120-minute WUF Academy training strengthens local government and practitioner capacities for delivering safe, inclusive and rights-based sanitation in informal settlements, directly aligning with Dialogue 2: Transforming Informal Settlements and Slums. The training responds to the fact that SDG 6 is significantly off track globally: around 3.4 billion people lack safely managed sanitation, only 56 per cent of domestic wastewater is safely treated, and water and sanitation systems are under increasing strain from pollution, water stress and weak governance. These challenges are most acute in informal settlements, where inadequate sanitation reinforces housing inadequacy, health risks and social exclusion.
The training positions sanitation as a strategic entry point for informal settlement upgrading, with a focus on the critical role of local governments in planning, regulating and integrating services into citywide systems. It builds practical capacities to address exclusion, improve worker safety, and enhance service quality in dense, resource-constrained contexts. The training is structured into three 30-minute sessions, with short breaks to support reflection and knowledge retention, and combines conceptual inputs with applied learning.
Session 1: This session examines how exclusion manifests in sanitation infrastructure in informal settlements, particularly for women, children, persons with disabilities, sanitation workers and other marginalized groups. Participants are introduced to GEDSI principles and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) as practical tools to enhance safety, accessibility and dignity in shared sanitation facilities. A short exercise enables participants to apply these principles to typical informal settlement contexts.
Session 2: This session focuses on occupational health and safety risks faced by two key sanitation worker categories operating in informal contexts. Participants apply the hierarchy of controls to identify feasible, incremental interventions aligned with informal livelihoods and local government capacities.
Session 3: The final session situates health, safety and inclusion within the Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) framework, demonstrating how informal settlements can be integrated citywide sanitation planning, implementation and monitoring. Examples from the Global South highlight how local governments can embed inclusivity, worker safety and service equity across the sanitation value chain