Scheierling, Susanne M.Bartone, CarlMara, Duncan D.Drechsel, Pay2012-03-192012-03-192010-09-01https://hdl.handle.net/10986/3897Wastewater use in agriculture is a growing practice worldwide. Drivers include increasing water stress, in part due to climate change; increasing urbanization and growing wastewater flows; and more urban households engaged in agricultural activities. The problem with this trend is that in low-income countries, but also in many middle-income countries, it either involves the direct use of untreated wastewater or the indirect use of polluted waters from rivers that receive untreated urban discharges. This poses substantial risks, in particular microbial risks to public health. To address these risks, the World Health Organization in 2006 issued new guidelines for the safe use of wastewater.This paper aims to highlight the growing importance of improving wastewater use in agriculture across the spectrum from lower to high-income countries. It presents an innovative approach linking key issues related to different aspects of wastewater irrigation to a country s level of economic development. Based on data presented in the World Bank s World Development Report, it differentiates between four country income levels to create a typology for analyzing current issues, trends, and priorities for improving agricultural wastewater use with a focus on reducing the risks to public health. It also presents the basic principles of the new 2006 World Health Organization Guidelines, and how to apply them. Beyond regulatory aspects, the paper also discusses other aspects that are important for achieving a more integrated approach to agricultural wastewater use, including institutional/planning, technological, economic/financial, and social issues. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for moving the wastewater irrigation agenda forward.CC BY 3.0 IGOABSORPTIONACTIVATED SLUDGEADEQUATE WATER SUPPLYADVANCED WASTEWATER TREATMENTAGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTAGRICULTURAL WASTEWATERANIMALSANNUAL RAINFALLAQUACULTUREARSENICARTIFICIAL GROUNDWATERARTIFICIAL GROUNDWATER RECHARGEASSIMILATIVE CAPACITYAUGMENTATIONBACTERIABASIC SANITATIONBENZENEBIOGASBIOLOGICAL PROCESSESCADMIUMCAMPYLOBACTERCHANNELCHANNELSCHEMICAL POLLUTANTSCLIMATE CHANGECLOGGINGCOLIFORMSCOMPOSTINGCOMPOSTING TOILETSCONSERVATIONCONSTRUCTIONCONTAMINANTSCROP IRRIGATIONCROP PRODUCTIONCROP YIELDSDIRECT REUSEDISCHARGEDOMESTIC WASTESDOMESTIC WASTEWATERDRAINAGEDRINKING WATERDRIP IRRIGATIONDRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEMSDUGOUTSEFFLUENTEFFLUENT QUALITYEFFLUENTSENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATIONENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCESEXCRETAEXCRETA DISPOSALEXPORTFARMERSFARMINGFECAL COLIFORMFECESFLOODSFLUSH TOILETSFOOD CHAINFOOD SECURITYFORESTRYFRESHWATERGARBAGEGARDENSGASGLACIERSGLOBAL WARMINGGREYWATERGROUNDWATER POLLUTIONHAZARDOUS CHEMICALSHEAVY METALSHIGH LEVELSINDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERINTERNATIONAL WATERIRRIGATED AGRICULTUREIRRIGATION CANALSIRRIGATION WATERLAND APPLICATIONLIMESTONEMERCURYMUNICIPAL SEWAGEMUNICIPAL WASTEWATERNICKELNIGHT SOILNITRATESNUTRIENTSODORSORGANIC COMPOUNDSORGANIC POLLUTANTSORGANIC WASTESPATHOGENSPESTICIDESPIPED WATERPIT LATRINESPOLLUTED WATERSPOLLUTIONPOLLUTION CONTROLPONDPOND SYSTEMSPONDSPRECIPITATIONPRESSUREPROGRAMSPUBLIC HEALTHPUBLIC TOILETSPUMPSQUALITY STANDARDSRAINRAINWATERRAINWATER COLLECTIONRECLAIMED WATERRESIDUESRIVER POLLUTIONRIVERSRUNOFFSALINITYSANDSANITARY ENGINEERINGSANITATIONSANITATION COVERAGESANITATION FACILITIESSANITATION SERVICESSELENIUMSEPTIC TANKSSEWAGE FARMSSEWAGE SLUDGESEWER PIPESSEWER SYSTEMSSEWERAGESEWERAGE SERVICESSEWERAGE SYSTEMSSEWERSSLOW SAND FILTRATIONSLUDGE TREATMENTSLUMSSOIL FERTILITYSOILSSOURCES OF WATERSPRINGSPRINGSSQUATTERSSTABILIZATIONSTORAGE CAPACITYSTORM DRAINSSTORM WATERSTORMWATERSURFACE WATERSURFACE WATER BODIESSURFACE WATERSTOXIC SUBSTANCESTRADITIONAL IRRIGATIONTREATED EFFLUENTSTREATED WASTEWATERTREESTRICKLING FILTERSUNTREATED SEWAGEURBAN HOUSEHOLDSURBAN SANITATIONURBAN SEWERAGEURBAN WASTEURBAN WATERURBAN WATER SUPPLYVIRUSESWASTEWASTE WATERWASTE WATER TREATMENTWASTEWATERWASTEWATER COLLECTIONWASTEWATER IRRIGATIONWASTEWATER MANAGEMENTWASTEWATER PRETREATMENTWASTEWATER RECLAMATIONWASTEWATER REUSEWASTEWATER TREATMENTWASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTSWASTEWATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIESWASTEWATER USEWASTEWATERSWATER BODYWATER CONNECTIONSWATER FLOWSWATER POLLUTIONWATER QUALITYWATER RESOURCEWATER RESOURCESWATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENTWATER RESOURCES PLANNINGWATER SECTORWATER SHORT AREASWATER SHORTAGESWATER SOURCESWATER SUPPLYWorld Bankhttps://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-5412