GSGS Regional Hub South and Southeast Asia (GSGS RH SSEA) and Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) build skills for humanitarian response
Recognizing the critical role of water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in protecting public health during emergencies, the Global Sanitation Graduate School Regional Hub for South and Southeast Asia (GSGS RH SSEA), in collaboration with the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), organized the Integrated WASH (I-WASH) Summer Course 2025 under the theme “WASH in Emergency Settings.” The program ran from 12 July to 13 August 2025 in Bandung, Indonesia. The summer course combined online lectures with immersive field-based training to equip young professionals with the knowledge and practical skills needed to address WASH challenges in humanitarian contexts. This year’s course brought together 27 participants, including 14 women, from leading institutions across South and Southeast Asia. Participants represented ITN-BUET (Bangladesh), the Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand), Mahidol University (Thailand), Pokhara University (Nepal), and ITB (Indonesia). The program fostered international collaboration, knowledge exchange, and cross-cultural learning among emerging WASH professionals.
The curriculum addressed a wide range of pressing WASH topics, including water security and health risks, sanitation in disaster-prone areas, faecal sludge management in Rohingya camps, climate-resilient WASH systems, digital monitoring tools for emergencies, excreta management in humanitarian contexts, and SPHERE humanitarian standards.
Highlights included a session on challenges and innovations in excreta management in emergencies by Prof. Dr. Damir Brdjanovic (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education), and a lecture on faecal sludge management in Rohingya camps by Mr. Maharam Dakua (ITN-BUET). Other distinguished speakers included Prof. Dr. Ing. Ir. Prayatni Soewondo (ITB), Asst. Prof. Dr. Nawatch Surinkul (Mahidol University), Maraita Listyasari (UNICEF), Dr. Dyah Wulandari Putri (ITB), Dr. Ahmad Soleh Setiyawan (ITB), Isha Basyal (GWSC, AIT), and Syarif Hidayat (ITB).
Prof. Dr. Tanvir Ahmed, Regional Director of GSGS RH SSEA, contributed as keynote speaker, lecturer, and panellist. In his concluding remarks, he underscored the global shortage of skilled WASH professionals and encouraged participants to pursue careers that advance inclusive and sustainable sanitation solutions.
Practical sessions were supported by the Indonesian Red Cross Society, which provided real-world perspectives on humanitarian response.
The successful organization of I-WASH 2025 with ITB reflects GSGS’s ongoing commitment to building regional partnerships in WASH education and training. As the Regional Hub for South and Southeast Asia, GSGS RH SSEA continues to create opportunities for students and professionals to engage in global knowledge networks, gain hands-on experience, and contribute to addressing urgent humanitarian and environmental challenges.
