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The Sanitation Value Chain
as a solution for both developing
and developed countries
Sanitation is the creation of “value.”
We consider sanitation not merely as a technology,
but as chains of values themselves
within human society and communities.
It is a model of the Sanitation Value Chain.

Interdisciplinary Project
For a comprehensive understanding of sanitation, and toprovide visibility to our research, we have set up fourinterdisciplinary teams across the humanities, social
sciences, engineering and natural sciences.

LifeComposed of experts in the fields of anthropology, medicaland health sciences, economics, political science anddevelopment studies, this team focuses on the histories andsense of values of the people in each community, clarifying therelationship between sanitation and their lifeworlds.

Technology

Composed of experts in engineering, this team reevaluates theconditions necessary for applying sanitation technology in lightof those values, developing technology suited to each different
community.

Co-creation

This team’s experts in medical and health sciences,engineering, agricultural science, anthropology, economics,
political science and development studies collaborate withstakeholders to co-create the Sanitation Value Chain modeland actualize it in the community.

Visualization

Composed of experts and practitioners in science
communication, this team serves as a communication tool
between researchers and people of the community, providing
visibility to the concepts and results of research.

Project Members
LifeTechnology

Co-creation

Project Leader

YAMAUCHI Taro

Visualization

RIHN/Hokkaido University

Project Sub Leader

FUNAMIZU Naoyuki

Muroran Institute of Technlogy

Members at RIHN

NAKAO Seiji
HAYASHI Koji
SHIMIZU Takao
secretariat KIMURA Ayako
secretariat HONMA Saki

Senior Researcher
ResearcherResearcher
Research Associate
Research Associate

Main Collaborators

ITO Ryusei
USHIJIMA Ken
IKEMI Mayu
KATAOKA Yoshimi
SANO Daisuke
NABESHIMA Takako
FUJIWARA Taku
HARADA Hidenori
INOUE Takashi
SINTAWADANI Neni

Hokkaido University
Hokkaido Research Organization
Sapporo International University
Hokkaido University
Tohoku University
Hokkaido University
Kochi University
Kyoto University
Hokkaido University
Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI),Indonesia

NYAMBE Imasiku Anayaw
LOPEZ ZAVALA Miguel Ange

University of Zambia, Zambia

Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios
Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico

JOURNALLECTURESANITATIONEDUCATION PROGRAM

http://www.chikyu.ac.jp/
sanitation_value_chain/journal.html

http://www.chikyu.ac.jp/sanitation_value_chain/sep/index.html

The Sanitation Value Chain:

Designing Sanitation Systems as Eco-Community-Value System
Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN)
457-4 Kyoto, 603-8047 JAPAN
Email sanitation_HQ(at)chikyu.ac.jp TEL +81-75-707-2331
http://www.chikyu.ac.jp/sanitation_value_chain/
Figure by Yoshimi Kataoka.
Photos by Ken Ushijima and Yoshimi Kataoka.

Ver. 2.0 May 2019

Research Fields

What is Sanitation？

Generally, “sanitation” refers to the facilities of processing human urine and faeces for the safedisposal. We try to transform it into one focused on the creation of value.

1Based on the three spheres of value,
we are developing “Co-creation” through the joint efforts with people in communities.
The three spheres of value:

Value inHealth & Wellbeing

Materials

Current Sanitation

5

1

Health &Wellbeing

4

6

Indonesia
Bandung

Socio-culture
Future Sanitation

2

3

We are considering the design of a value chain throughsanitation, introducing systems into the community forcomposting human waste, and incubating the possibility ofcreating local businesses.

2JapanIshikari River BasinIn a depopulating region where infrastructure maintenanceis becoming more difficult, we aim to co-create autonomousmechanism for sanitation teaming up with a high school thatserves as a nucleus in the community.

3Burkina Faso

Ouagadougou and Kongoussi

In addition to investigating the social position of human waste
collection, we are working with a local NGO to operate a pilot
farm used compost made from human waste for exploring
the possibility of the Sanitation Value Chain in the community.

Materials
4

ZambiaLusakaUsing exposure assays for coliform bacteria, we are seeking clues
to elucidate causes and find solutions for cholera outbreaks anddiarrhea. In addition, we are working with local children and youth
who are undertaking “action research” on the problem of sanitation.

Socioculture
Considering the three spheresof value to get a graspof issues in each community

5

Understanding
the various values embeddedin each community

Co-creating the Sanitation Value Chainwith people in the community

CameroonSub-field

We are investigating the originof toilets by the research of
hunter-gatherer lifestyles andthe custom of excretion incircumstances where there areno toilets.
Health & Wellbeing

6IndiaSub-field

We are investigating cultural
meaning about “dirty” andhistorical process of sanitation
issues related to the “caste”
system.
Materials

Socio-culture＊ Box size indicates degree of emphasis placed on each spheres of value in each field.