A GIS-based approach for improving urban sanitation planning and services delivery: A case study from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract

Spatial planning and resource allocation are decisive factors in the effective delivery of sanitation services, especially in urban contexts. In low-income countries, the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the design and decision-making process in the delivery of such services is still very limited. This study, conducted in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, designs a GIS system with a data-oriented modelling infrastructure to assist and improve faecal sludge management (FSM) in the urban context. The estimation of faecal sludge (FS) daily production is achieved through field surveys and direct observations. The spatial planning system is further used to map and analyse the spatial distribution of existing FSM infrastructure, district-wise, address the inadequate distribution of emptying trucks parking lots within the city and therefore propose suitable sites for the establishment of new faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs). Moreover, an optimal path planning circuit for faecal sludge collection, transport and evacuation is designed based on the minimization of travel distance to the nearest FSTP. The proposed framework leverages GIS in city-wide FSM, virtually appealing to all urban contexts across sub-Saharan Africa, and sheds light on urban planners and managers on the need to incorporate GIS infrastructure within urban services delivery.