Urban Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Planning in Developing Countries

Rapid urbanization is outpacing municipal infrastructure, leaving millions in informal settlements without access to clean water or safe sanitation. This course provides a comprehensive foundation in the planning, policy, and engineering concepts required to address these critical public health challenges. You will transition from understanding basic environmental health definitions to analyzing complex, real-world infrastructure interventions in resource-constrained environments. Learn how to evaluate decentralized water systems, design sustainable sanitation solutions, and integrate modern decentralized data-collection tools for resilient urban planning. Understand the socio-economic barriers to infrastructure delivery and how to navigate local policy landscapes. Build the knowledge to evaluate water quality, distribution networks, and waste treatment options. Practice planning resilient infrastructure using modern frameworks that account for climate change and rapid population growth. This text-only curriculum flows from core sanitary engineering concepts and historical urban planning models directly into modern, community-led infrastructure solutions. This course is designed for beginners, urban planners, public health advocates, and development students with no prior engineering background. Start building the foundational knowledge needed to solve the world's most pressing urban sanitary crises today.