Journal of Membrane Science 233 (2004) 177178

Editorial

Exploration of the potential of membrane technology for sustainable

decentralized sanitation, 2326 April 2003, Villa Serbelloni,
Bellagio, Italy

One of the joys in working in membrane technology is that

membranes have the power to make the world a better place.
Recently, I had the privilege of joining with a group of membranologists in a Team Residency supported by the Rockefeller Foundation and held in Bellagio (Italy) Study and
Conference Center from 23 to 26 April 2003. For a period of
4 days the team, listed below, discussed the global challenges

of water supply and sanitation in the context of sustainability

and decentralization and the readiness of membrane technology to meet the challenges. One of the outcomes of our
deliberations was the Bellagio Statement which is given below. We hope that many of you will find the statement both
challenging and an opportunity for further developments in
membrane technology for this important application.

Bellagio Statement 2003

Population growth, rapid urbanization, and finite water resources lead to human misery, including catastrophes that can
affect all of humankind. Today, water management responds too slowly to needs and is unsustainable; water institutions
are falling further behind, not making gains toward water sustainability.
Due to plummeting costs and dramatically improving performance, Rater-treatment applications based on membranes
are blossoming. In particular, membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are today robust, simple to operate, and ever more affordable.
They take up little space, need modest technical support, and can remove many contaminants in one step. These advantages
make it practical, for the first time, to protect public health and safely reuse water for non-potable uses. Membranes also
can be a component of a multi-barrier approach to supplement potable water resources. Finally, decentralization, which
overcomes some of the sustainability limits of centralized systems, becomes more feasible with membrane treatment.
Because membrane processes make sanitation, reuse, and decentralization possible, water sustainability can become an
achievable goal for the developed and developing worlds.
Attaining water sustainability will require commitment and a holistic approach from policy makers, planners, funding
agencies, educators, implementing agencies, and technology providersall those concerned with economic, environmental, technical, and social/cultural aspects of development. The need is urgent, but an enabling technology for preventing
unnecessary human misery and achieving water sustainability is ready.
The Bellagio International Residency Team recommends that all the stakeholders accelerate the development and use
of membrane technology.

doi of original article 10.1016/S0376-7388(03)00317-X.

0376-7388/$ see front matter 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2004.03.002

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Editorial / Journal of Membrane Science 233 (2004) 177178

Co-organizers: Francis A. DiGiano, Alberto Rozzi

Bellagio International Residency Team: Team Members
Prof. Gianni Andreottola, Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering, University of Trento, Italy
Dr. Samer Adham, Vice President and Manager, Applied
Research Department, Montgomery, Watson Harza, USA
Prof. Chris Buckley, Pollution Research Group,
University of Natal, South Africa
Prof. Dr. Ing. Peter Comel, Institut WAR, TU
Darmstadt, Germany
Dr. Glen T. Daigger, Senior Vice President, CH2M,
HILL, USA
Prof. Francis A. DiGiano, Department of Environmental
Sciences and Engineering, University of North
Carolina, USA
Prof. Tony Fane, UNESCO Centre for Membrane
Science and Technology, School of Chemical
Engineering and Industrial Chemistry, University of
New South Wales, Australia

Prof. Noah Gaul, Department of Civil Engineering,

Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
Dr. Joe Jacangelo, Vice President, Montgomery Watson,
USA
Dr. Ing. Alfieri Pollice, CNR-IRSA, Water Research
Institute, Bari, Italy
Prof. Bruce E. Rittmann, John Evans Professor of
Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University,
USA
Prof. Tom Stephenson, School of Water Sciences, Cranfield
University, United Kingdom
Prof. Zaini Ujang, Professor in Environmental Engineering,
Director, Institute of Environmental and Water Resource
Management, Universiti Teknologi, Malaysia

A.G. Fane
UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology
University of New South Wales
Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Tel.: +1-612-9385-4315; fax: +1-612-9385-5054
E-mail address: a.fane@unsw.edu.au (A.G. Fane)