SEI partner Dr. Peter Morgan wins Stockholm Water Prize

For more than 40 years Dr. Morgan has contributed leadership, creativity and innovative solutions in the field of water, sanitation and hygiene to help African people improve their lives. Dr Morgan’s 20-year collaboration with the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), has led to key breakthroughs in the area of ecological sanitation.

Diseases caused by unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene kill more than 4500 children each day. More than 780 million people live without access to safe water, while 2.5 billion live without adequate sanitation.

“Many solutions to provide clean water and sanitation are impractical, unaffordable and out of reach for the world’s poorest people. Receiving the award came as a shock, totally unexpected but with much pleasure,” said Dr Morgan.

Morgan’s work in Zimbabwe with the Ecological Sanitation Research Programme, led by the Stockholm Environment Institute, has brought real advances in developing low cost ecological sanitation technologies. Ecological toilets contribute not only to hygiene, but also to food security by returning nutrients to the soil. Morgan devised the “Arborloo”, the “Fossa alterna” and the urine-diverting dry toilet the “Skyloo”, all of which are now standard applications in several countries in Africa and around the world.

“The collaboration with SEI’s EcoSanRes Programme, led by Madeleine Fogde, Programme Director, and Arno Rosemarin, Senior Research Fellow, has always been warm and friendly. Many good things have come from this partnership. I am most grateful for the unending support and encouragement the research team has given me,” said Morgan.

Morgan’s long-term dedication to knowledge development in the WASH sector was also recognised in 2009 when he was awarded the AMCOW Ministerial Prize. His work has provided new solutions for people challenged by poverty, and is closely linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Watch a short video that shows the contruction of a spiral fossa alterna Muteesa, Primary School Wakiso District, Uganda with Dr Peter Morgan from Aquamor Zimbabwe.

“Dr Peter Morgan has an ability to address sanitation from the perspective of being economically viable, socially acceptable, while at the same time protecting the environment. This is an excellent example of how close dialogue with end users, coupled with the development of cheap and innovative solutions have proven to be successful. Sida is proud to have been one of the early financiers and long-term partners to Dr Morgan”, said Therese Sjömander Magnusson, Lead Policy Advisor on Water and Sanitation at Sida.

Morgan’s cooperation with the Blair Research Institute in Harare resulted in the development of the Blair Ventilated Improved Pit Latrine and the Zimbabwe Bush Pump “B”, which became standard use across Zimbabwe. His ingenuity and innovation in developing hand‐washing devices is widely recognised.

SEI’s Arno Rosemarin said, “Peter’s dedication to the cause of developing and exchanging knowledge within the water and sanitation sector is exceptional. Dr Morgan has never benefitted financially from any of his technical innovations being used by vast numbers in Africa and around the world. He remains a beacon of idealism the world can look up to.”

Download the book “Toilets That Make Compost: Low‐cost, sanitary toilets that produce valuable compost for crops in an African context”» 

Learn more about the World Water Prize and Dr Morgan’s achievements» 

Additional publications by Peter Morgan’s connected to SEI’s EcoSanRes Programme»