In 1996, the International Association on Water Quality published its first edition of the “Global Atlas of Wastewater Sludge and Biosolids Use and Disposal”. During the International Water Association (IWA) Biosolids Specialists Conference in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada in June 2007, it was decided to publish a revised issue of the Global Atlas with the launch scheduled at the IWA – World Water Congress and Exhibition in 2008, the International Year of Sanitation.

The preparation of this Atlas was the result of the dedicated efforts of a wide range of stakeholders from all regions of the globe. Their knowledge and expertise has been essential to the successful publication of this Atlas. The “Global Atlas of Excreta, Wastewater Sludge, and Biosolids Management: Moving Forward the Sustainable and Welcome Uses of a Global Resource” was prepared under the leadership of the Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission; the guidance of the Editors: Ronald J. LeBlanc and Roland P. Richard (Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission), Peter Matthews (UK Sustainable Organic Resources Partnership), and the financial support of the UN-HABITAT.

The countries in this Atlas include high, moderate, and low-income countries and countries at various stages of development and with diverse political and social situations. These countries are in the south and in the north, in warm climates and cold, dry, and moist. They all have urban, suburban, peri-urban, and rural areas in which needs vary.

The atlas can be downloaded from the UN website here.