SGLK13018U Water Supply and Sanitation in Emergencies

Volume 2026/2027
Education

MSc Global Health - elective course

Content

The course will be divided into 5 main clusters:

  • Anthropological assessment approaches in emergency situations
  • Health and disease transmission in emergency settings
  • Technical and theoretical aspects of water and sanitation
  • Practical aspects of water and sanitation
  • Case study and exam where the participants will apply knowledge and skills acquired during the course
Learning Outcome

By the end of the course participants will have a comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge of water and sanitation in the different phases of emergencies, including disease prevention and preparedness.

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge

  • Demonstrate knowledge on Water and sanitation issues in different settings and accepted approaches/guidelines to deal with them;
     

Skills

  • Analyze and apply this knowledge to assess and prioritize the water and sanitation needs for a population in emergency situations in a variety of practical settings, adjusting to time and resources available;
     

Competences

  • Design and develop appropriate water and sanitation  strategies for taking  appropriate measures to avoid disease outbreak situations in emergency situations
The first four weeks consist of part-time online learning (e-modules), which can be undertaken from anywhere in the world as long as you have a computer with an internet connection. This portion consists of recorded lectures, readings, limited blog sessions and online tests. Lecturers will be available for interaction with participants during certain time periods. Therefore, although timing is flexible, in order to benefit fully from the course, it is highly recommended that participants plan to log on at least twice a week.

The 9 straight days of the course is classroom based and takes place in Copenhagen. The on-campus part is a combination of lectures, group work, practical exercises, self/-group study, case studies, presentations and discussions in plenary. The main emphasis will be on participatory approaches and active learning. The practical exercises include latrine construction, water purification and other hands-on tasks that will combine theory and practice.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 20
  • Preparation
  • 25
  • Practical exercises
  • 25
  • E-Learning
  • 40
  • Study Groups
  • 10
  • Exam
  • 20
  • Total
  • 140
Written
Collective

Examiners provide a joint collective written feedback via Digital Exam or Absalon.

Credit
5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment, 48 Hours
Type of assessment details
Written assignment using essay questions/tasks based on a given case in Digital Exam platform.
In total, the exam paper is 5 pages, excluding the cover page and reference list (1 page = approximately 2,400 keystrokes, font size 12 pt. line space 1.5).
Aid
All aids allowed except Generative AI
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
More than one internal examiner
Exam period

See the exam schedule

Re-exam

See the exam schedule

Criteria for exam assesment

To achieve the maximum grade of 12, the student shall be able to:

Knowledge

  • Demonstrate knowledge on Water and sanitation issues in different settings and accepted approaches/guidelines to deal with them;


Skills

  • Analyze and apply this knowledge to assess and prioritize the water and sanitation needs for a population in emergency situations in a variety of practical settings, adjusting to time and resources available;


Competences

  • Design and develop appropriate water and sanitation  strategies for taking  appropriate measures to avoid disease outbreak situations in emergency situations