Human resource development
for improving sanitation andwastewater management

Regional Process ▫ Asia-Pacific region ▪ THEME ‘PEOPLE’ ▪
‘Integrated Sanitation for All’March 19, 2018
Kazushi HASHIMOTOAdviser
Japan Sanitation Consortium(JSC)1Size and Scale of the Challenge (Global)‘The SDGs demand we halve the amount of untreatedwastewater. During the same period the global population
is estimated to rise to 8.5 billion people. Our task is toprovide wastewater treatment to another 3.5 billion people
by 2030.
This means in the next 14 years we need to build newwastewater treatment facilities for 700,000 people everyday. That requires roughly 14 million new wastewater
professionals trained during the same period, or 1 million
every year.,< One wastewater professional for every 250 populations >(Source: ‘Five solutions to avoid a water sector human resources crisis’ by Mr. Ger
Bergkamp, IWA Executive Director (September 4, 2016), which was based on theIWA study report (An Avoidable Crisis; WASH Human Resource Capacity Gaps in 15
Developing Economies’ (2014))
2

How many wastewater professionals work to ensure
the treatment of domestic wastewater in Japan?
(Now, in Japan, 100% of Black Water and 90% of Gray Water are safely managed.)
Wastewater Management
System(Population covered (2015))
Off-site (Sewerage) system(94.5 Million)

On-site system(33.6 Million)

TotalProfessionals

Total number(Nationwide)

Staff engaged in sewerage
services for all the prefecturesand municipalities in Japan(1998-peak year)

47,000Qualified technicians for theinstallation works, O/M works
and desluding works of Johkasou(Japan’s standard on-sitesystem) as of March 31, 2015 –the majority belongs to theprivate sector

210,620

257,620(Source: Ministry of Environment ‘Emissions and processing status of municipal solid waste (2015)’ (in Japanese), etc.)34Managing Sewerage System requires employing many
professionals with a wide range of knowledge, which is adifficult task for medium and small-scale municipalities.
How Japan did manage the shortage of professionals in local
governments?
―Japan Sewage Works Agency (JS)ー
Established in 1972 to create a pool sewerage technical experts.
(Japan Sewage Works Agency Law)
Law)
→ Implementing body of sewage works based on local governments’ request.
request.
Local government

Local government
Local government

Local government

Local government
Local government

Local government

Local government

Local government

Support sewerage facilities in plan, design and construction
Japan sewage
works Agency
Support, supervise

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

4

5

How does Japan Sewage Works Agency support
local governments in short of professionals?

5Japan’s Decentralized Wastewater Management(On-site) System

Packaged Aerated Wastewater Treatment Plant (PAWTP – Johkasou)

6

What kind of professionals are required for
managing the Decentralized Wastewater
Management (On-site) System in Japan?

7How professionals engaged in the installation works,
O&M and desluding works of on-site systems aretrained and qualified in Japan?
•In 1966, Japan Education Center for Environmental Sanitation (JECES)
was established to provide training for professionals in the business
related to PAWTP (Johkasou).

•In 1983, Johkasou (PAWTP) Act was established, which stipulates that
only the qualified workers can engage in the installation works, O&M
works and desludging works of PAWTPs.

•In 1984 and 1985, national examinations for
PAWTP Operators and PAWTP Installation
Workers started. These two certificates can beobtained by passing the examination or byreceiving the training course.

•JECES was appointed as the agency for training
courses and the agency for the examinations bythe Johkasou Act. Through the examinations
and the training courses, more than 3,000
PAWTP technicians newly join the PAWTP business every year.

8Number of professionals engaged in the businesses
related to the management of Decentralized
Wastewater Management (On-site) System in Japan
Certified technicians

Number ofregistrants

Business content

PAWTP Operators

78,487

Operation & maintenance

PAWTP Installation Workers

85,862PAWTP Technical Supervisor
PAWTP Desludging
Technicians

15,842

Desludging

Registered PAWTP
Inspectors

1,283

Johkasou inspection and water
quality examination

Total

210,620

Legal basis
PAWPT Act

Installation/ construction
Management of johkasou with 501
29,146 PE or more
Ordinance ofPAWTP Act(as of March 31, 2015)9

Different Approaches in Asia & Pacific– Using the vitality of the private sector –In Manila, Philippines, water services including piped water supply
and wastewater management were privatized in 1997. Maynilad
Water Services and Manila Water Company have developed,operated and managed the sewerage system of this city.
In Malaysia, in 1994, Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) – a privateoperator – was awarded the concession for nationwide sewerage
services. Since then, IWK has taken over these services from local
authorities. In June 2000, as a testimony of the Government's
commitment to ensure that proper and efficient sewerage systems
are successfully installed and maintained, the Government, throughthe Ministry of Finance, took over the entire equity in IWK from its
previous private owners.
Two private operators in Manila and IWK of Malaysia provide
professional septage management services, in addition to sewerage
services.
10