Abstract: Ecological sanitation (EcoSan) is a new concept in the field of sustainable health, with the aim of changing how modern urban sanitation systems are viewed. It is based on a closedloop material cycle in an ecological system, and its design includes the circulation of water and nutrients. In this article, progress in EcoSan research was described from three perspectives, namely, technological innovation, program management, and applied social activities, on the foundation of the concept and various facets of EcoSan. Problems existing in the current studies include a lack of concern about local residents’ opinions, insufficient integration and demonstration of comprehensive EcoSan technologies, poor costbenefit analysis, and the lack of comparative studies examining how environmental and hygiene risks can be addressed. Meanwhile, in view of the national social and political environment, certain bottlenecks can be summarized as follows: (1) the EcoSan system has not yet achieved wideranging acceptability, (2) supporting policies and regulatory measures are absent, (3) key equipments remain to be developed, and (4) a complete set of auxiliary service systems is not yet present. In addition, the present study points out relevant suggestions from the perspectives of different urban-rural programs, establishment of management institutions, implementation of technical standards and criteria, enhancement of publicity and education, and formulation of policies and regulations. These are necessary in order to provide theoretical references for the development of effective ecological sanitation programs in China.

Key words: coal-mining depressed land, soil microbe, phenolic acids, afforestation.