Landlords’ and Compound Managers’ Role in Improving and Sustaining Shared Latrines in Three Dhaka City Slums

Farzana Begum,Peter J Winch,Leanne Unicomb,Fosiul A Nizame,Farzana Yeasmin,Stephen P Luby,Mahbubur Rahman,Dalia Yeasmin,Md. Khobair Hossain,Jyoti Bhushan Das,Sharon T Hwang,Mahbub-Ul Alam,Ronald E Saxton

doi:10.3390/w12072073

Abstract

(1) Background: Residents of Dhaka slums frequently lack clean and functional shared latrines. We explored the role of landlords and compound managers in promoting latrine cleanliness in the intervention arm of a randomized trial; (2) Methods: We conducted focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and in-depth interviews with community health promoters, landlords, and compound managers to better understand the decision-making process, barriers to contributing to sanitation, and cleanliness of shared latrines. (3) Results: Landlords’ and compound managers’ engagement in promoting clean and functional latrines depended, in part, on their own proximity to the properties they own and manage. The compound managers played a leadership role through engagement with health promoters, oversight of implementation of a cleaning schedule, and support for installation and maintenance of sanitation hardware, resulting in improved sanitation practices; (4) Conclusions: Interventions in slums in Bangladesh should consider engaging landlords and compound managers in efforts to bring about structural and organizational changes to support the adoption of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene practices.

Highlights

A total of 14.5 million people reside in Dhaka city, of whom approximately 6 million inhabit urban slums and 4.3 million use communal latrines shared by compounds including multiple households as their primary source of sanitation [1]
We report on engagement of landlords and compound managers in an intervention to improve the cleanliness of shared latrines in these areas
The literature draws a distinction between compound managers—who often live in or near the compounds that they manage—from landlords—who live farther away and employ compound managers as an interim landlord or as their representatives [29]

Summary

Introduction

A total of 14.5 million people reside in Dhaka city, of whom approximately 6 million inhabit urban slums and 4.3 million use communal latrines shared by compounds including multiple households as their primary source of sanitation [1]. The functionality and cleanliness of shared latrines are major challenges. It is difficult to maintain cleanliness of the shared toilets of urban slums [2]. According to the WHO classification, shared toilets are unimproved, based in large part on the difficulties users face in maintaining cleanliness and functionality [4]. Cleanliness is an important factor to users of shared latrines [5,6]. User dissatisfaction often relates to the dirty and malodorous conditions of shared toilets [6], as well as privacy concerns [7]

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Discussion

Conclusion