Scenarios for environmental sanitation in Brazil

Abstract

Public sector planning, especially in developing countries, is both a theoretical and methodological challenge that is particularly important with regard to the field of environmental sanitation. This field is dominated by a technical vision that often ignores the complexity of the real world and the human dimension influenced by its actions, as opposed to a strategic one. This paper discusses the preparation of the Brazilian National Basic Sanitation Plan (Plano Nacional de Saneamento Básico -PLANSAB) with a particular focus on its future scenario construction phase, which was primarily based on Situational Strategic Planning and prospective methods. Three scenarios were developed in a participatory process that consisted of several steps and involved various social actors, including governmental officials and authorities, informed by a team of experts in charge of the whole planning process. During the process, 10 extrinsic and intrinsic factors influencing the sector were considered, which led to the generation of a set of macro directives, strategies and targets for the expansion of access to water supply, sanitation, solid waste management and urban storm water management over the next 20 years. PLANSAB was able to overcome many of the criticisms that are typically raised with regard to traditional planning, although, as with any political process, it will not be immune from inertial factors that may create obstacles during the implementation phase.

Impact of Land Use/Cover Changes on the Flow of the Zarqa River in Jordan

“…The treated wastewater discharged from KSTP to Wadi Dhuleil flows downstream to join the Zarqa River near Sukhna. The volume of effluent discharged from the TPs to the Zarqa River is expected to reach 180 MCM by the year 2025, which will lead to the needed of a set of strategies for the expansion, sanitation and storm water management (Heller et al 2014). The water system in ZRB is characterized by complex characteristics, where its flow mixed with treated effluents from treatment plants and finally stored in KTD, which is located at the outlet of the basin where the dam's water is used for irrigation in the Jordan valley.…”

Gazing into the Crystal Ball: A Review of Futures Analysis to Promote Environmental Justice in the UK Water Industry

“…Participatory approaches, in which stakeholders and experts provide the basis for assessment [10,37,39,44,50,51,57], provide benefits inherent in introducing collaboration and co-creation to the process. This integration of local knowledge acknowledges cultural influences, social factors and their inherent complexities, thereby increasing engagement and the likelihood of successful implementation.…”

“…Using a participatory approach can be an 'involved process' taking several years to complete as in the case of Heller et al [50]. In this case, there is also a preference for maintaining the same individuals throughout the process.…”

The crisis in water supply: how different it can look through the lens of the human right to water?

“…We can safely state that, if adequate planning for the water supply in the affected localities, amphasizing water security, had been properly adopted, the problem would not exist in its current intensity. When simulating future scenarios, appropriate strategic planning must take into account climatic situations with low probability of occurrence, among other variables 6 . Leading contemporary trends in water planning argue in favor of strategic, creative, and participatory planning, and that adaptive water systems should be designed with the capacity for social learning 7,8,9 .…”