Material Flow Analysis for Environmental Sanitation Planning

The method of “Material Flow Analysis (MFA)” describes the fluxes of resources used and transformed as they flow through a single process or via a combination of various processes (e.g. a region, an industry)

Sandec's MFA Programme

Sandec is applying the MFA method to support the planning of environmental sanitation concepts that promote the saving and reuse of limited resources and preserve the environment.

MFA Projects

Material flow analysis as a tool for environmental sanitation planning

An approach to assess material flows with limited data availability was developed. It was applied to develop and calibrate a model describing goods, nitrogen and phosphorus flows in the environmental sanitation system of Hanoi, Vietnam. Application of the model revealed potential strategies to minimize nutrient and water consumption as well as nutrient discharge into the environment. Publications

Material flow analysis for urban water management

A material flow analysis of the urban water system was conducted in Kunming, China. This enabled to get insight into the current situation and discuss potential measures to reduce pollution of the Dianchi Lake. This project was conducted at the Department of Environmental Engineering at Eawag. Publications

Material flow analysis for assessing river water quality problems

A material flow analysis of the Tha Chin River Basin in Thailand is being conducted in order to identify key nutrient pollution sources and to prioritize mitigation measures. Publications

MFA Programme's objectives

to develop tools to assist planners in developing countries in designing environmental sanitation systems promoting closed resource loops to collaborate with universities and research institutions in developing countries who would like to introduce the MFA method in their curricula or research activities