ITN-BUET soft launched the Sanitation Knowledge Repository during the South-by-South Cross Learning Hub Retreat in Chandragiri, Nepal, on 12-13 September 2023. The event brought together partners from various regions in South Asia to promote a collaborative and regional approach to cross-learning. The gathering also emphasized the learning priorities for the upcoming year, the identification of thematic priority areas, the exchange of best practices, the exploration of existing gaps and challenges, and the establishment of peer networks.
The South-to-South Cross Learning Hub Retreat convened over 150 stakeholders from South and Southeast Asia, where they exchanged knowledge, insights, and their collective focus on fostering safe, sustainable, and inclusive sanitation solutions in the region.
Mr. Roshan Shrestha, representing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, introduced the Sanitation Knowledge Repository at the South-to-South Cross Learning Hub Retreat. One can visit the repository at www.sanirepo.com, the repository serves as a centralized hub for disseminating a wide array of invaluable resources, information, guidelines, case studies, technical reports, policy briefs, and educational materials pertaining to Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) and Fecal Sludge Management (FSM). The knowledge repository is designed for effortless search and utilization, offering a unified and easily accessible source of information.
The soft launch of the Sanitation Knowledge Repository has opened a gateway, serving as a platform to foster collaborative learning and the exchange of expertise within the realm of sanitation. This platform will build the capacity to make informed decisions and design projects that prioritize safe and inclusive sanitation.
The event gathered representatives from a diverse range of sectors, including governments, community-based organizations, communities, NGOs, INGOs, development financing institutions, academia, and private enterprises from eight countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand. Notable alliances and institutions in attendance were the Freshwater Action Network South Asia (FANSA), Global Water & Sanitation Center (GWSC), and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) from India, the National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM) Alliance from India, the Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) Alliance from Nepal, and the Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) Network from Bangladesh.
