HWP and PASA Sign MoU to Strengthen Hungarian–African Collaboration on Wastewater Management
As part of Planet Budapest, the Future of Water conference, organised by the Hungarian Water Partnership (HWP), highlighted Hungary’s commitment to sustainable water management and served as a platform to foster long-term professional partnerships.
On 27 February 2026, HWP and the Pan-African Association of Sanitation Actors (PASA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a major milestone in Hungarian–African wastewater collaboration. The agreement also recognises Hungarian technologies developed for the treatment of wastewater from non-sewered settlements and large urban areas, including Septopure®, a Pureco technology already successfully implemented and internationally recognised, including by the United Nations, for its contribution to safe drinking water and effective wastewater management.
This partnership builds on these achievements and strengthens collaboration with PASA, a leading organisation in faecal sludge treatment solutions. The MoU was signed by Dr Károly Kovács, HWP President and founder of Pureco, and Ibra Sow, PASA President, during the conference in Budapest.
Addressing Global Sanitation Challenges
In many rapidly expanding cities, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia, wastewater is often not collected or treated via centralised sewer systems. Closed toilets—though not always flush toilets—produce faecal sludge that can be treated for resource recovery, yet proper wastewater treatment is often undervalued from an environmental and public health perspective.
Building conventional sewer networks in these areas is often impractical due to high costs and limited financial feasibility. As a result, the prevailing model in many African regions remains: collect – transport – dispose.
The HWP–PASA partnership aims to transform this approach by creating an integrated, circular sanitation service chain that ensures safe faecal sludge treatment and supports environmentally responsible, non-sewered sanitation systems. This initiative builds on existing professional collaborations in Africa, including the work of Mamadou Ndiour, Chair of the AfWASA Sanitation Specialist Group, and Dr Károly Kovács, member of AfWASA’s Strategic and Technological Council.
PASA’s Role in Africa
Established in 2019, PASA brings together sanitation-focused organisations from 31 African countries. Its mission is to professionalise the sector, encourage collaboration, and support sustainable faecal sludge management and public health improvements.
Building an Integrated Sanitation Value Chain
The newly signed MoU seeks to strengthen the entire non-sewered sanitation value chain, from collection and transport to treatment and resource recovery. Key objectives include:
- Developing integrated technical solutions for non-sewered systems
- Supporting appropriate regulatory frameworks
- Promoting knowledge sharing and stakeholder collaboration
- Further supporting the work of the AfWASA Sanitation Specialist Group
- Establishing a sustainable, circular non-sewered sanitation ecosystem
Pureco’s expertise is central to this effort. Its UN-recognised Septopure® technology has already been implemented in three Ghanaian cities, achieving 100% faecal sludge treatment.
Elevating the Societal Role of Sanitation
Beyond technology, the partnership also aims to enhance the public perception of sanitation. Sanitation services are vital for protecting water resources, public health, and the environment, yet they are often undervalued.
Modern sanitation—both in Africa and globally—must move toward environmentally responsible, treatment-focused models, where liquid waste is transformed into resource-oriented, value-creating systems. The MoU also seeks to inspire a new generation of professionals to enter the water sector, ensuring that wastewater and drinking water management are recognised as mission-driven fields.
The Future of Water conference acted not only as a meeting point but also as a catalyst for joint thinking and action. This partnership represents more than an institutional agreement—it lays the foundation for long-term collaboration with tangible impacts on Africa’s water security and sustainable development.
