Sanitation Challenges Research Articles

Qualitative Analysis of Onsite Sanitation Challenges in an Urban Setting: The Case of Jimma Town, Ethiopia.

On-site sanitation is the most popular sanitation option for households in many African countries, including Ethiopia. Despite the option being common, there are challenges attributed to the sustainability of those facilities. This community-based exploratory study aimed to explore the challenges in the provision of safe urban on-site sanitation in Jimma town, Ethiopia. Data were collected through key informant semi-structured interviews, transit walks through the village, and focus group discussion (FGD). The FGD was audio recorded and notes were taken by experts. Records and notes were transcribed separately and thematically analyzed. Three major themes or challenges were discovered. Accordingly, the first theme was the community's perception and taboos surrounding human waste. The second theme was urban land use and informal settlements. Ensuring standards separately for sanitation facilities is difficult because of the expansion of illegal settlements. The third theme was poor sanitation planning, operation and maintenance, and institutional setting. Urbanization without infrastructure generally has a complex nature that leads to a fragile sanitation situation in the future. The results suggest the need for multi-dimensional system development and a collaborative sanitation master plan. Furthermore, interventions aimed at breaking the taboo on human waste as a sanitation platform may turn challenges into opportunities.

Living on water and land

Loreto, the largest Amazonian region in Peru, is home to more than 200,000 inhabitants that live in traditional riverside rural communities adapted to an amphibious lifestyle, with houses that rise or float on the river in times of flooding and perch on the dried riverbed in low water times. Nevertheless, these amphibious communities are not exclusive to rural areas. Iquitos, the largest city of Loreto, is surrounded by alluvial plains, where more than 90,000 people live on the water and bring a rich social, cultural, and environmental vibrancy to the regions. However, poor infrastructure conditions and limited resources in this communities affect the ecosystem and the population's health. The objective of this qualitative study was to understand the physical, sociocultural, and environmental conditions in which these amphibious communities live and identify the political, legal, and cultural barriers that prevent their healthy urban development. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews, surveys, and observation of physical and environmental conditions. The results suggest conflicts in the formalization processes of theses informal communities, from administrative and legal aspects to a limited definition of habitable territory. We identified the benefits of the current urban-architectural conditions of these communities, whose housing typologies, adapted to the seasonal change of the rivers, may provide a alternative model to adapt with resilience to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. We also identified challenges in sanitation, accessibility, public space, and strengthe of community networks, as well as challenges in the response of the government whose proposals for relocation of the amphibious communities have not fully considered these communities' economic, social, and cultural values.

DETECTION OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIA RECOVERED FROM COCKROACHES (PERIPLANETA AMERICANA L. DICTYOPTERA; BLATTIDAE) IN HOUSEHOLD BENIN CITY

In the present study we assessed the presence of bacteria pathogen fromcockroaches (Periplaneta americana) in different household and their surroundingsin Benin City, Nigeria. A total of seventy-five cockroaches (Periplaneta americana)were collected randomly from 10 different household between June and July, 2013.Standard culture-based procedures were used for the isolation and identification ofthe bacterial pathogen. The bacterial pathogen was isolated from the externalsurfaces of the cockroaches examined. The external surface of the homogenaterevealed that cockroaches are potential carriers of Bacillus spp., 10(13.33%),Citrobacter freundii 8(10.66%), Proteus spp., 5(6.66%), Escherichia coli 10(13.33%),Salmonella spp., 8(10.66%), Streptococcus spp., 10(13.33%), Pseudomonasaeruginosa 25(33.33%), Enterobacter spp., 15(20.00%), Klebsiella pneumonia25(33.33%), and Staphylococcus spp., 15(20.00%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa andKlebsiella pneumonia were the most recovered bacteria from cockroaches. Proteusspp. was the least prevalent bacteria recovered on their external surface. Weconclude that cockroaches are potential reservoir and can transmit pathogenicbacteria within the community. Thus their presence in houses may be considered apotential public health hazard and a sanitation challenge.

Pre-service teachers’ disposition and attitude to environmental literacy in sanitation and waste management in a Nigerian university

Environmentally literate teachers are indispensable to sustainably addressing the challenge of poor sanitation and waste mismanagementin less-industrialized countries. In Nigeria, efforts at stemming the trends of urban waste management problems through stringent environmentalregulations of the military in the 1980s have since yielded ways to programs of information, communication and education embeddedin environmental education under current civilian dispensation. This study analyzed attitudes and dispositions of 125 graduatingpre-service teachers, drawn from a Nigerian public university, towards environmental sanitation and waste management within the contextof environmental literacy (EL). The student-teachers were aware of the adverse effects of unsanitary practices. However, they had not embracedenvironmental sanitation practices as part of daily routines or a way of life. While gender and age were not found to be significantlyrelated to pre-service teachers’ EL knowledge and attitude, subject specialization correlated with knowledge just as family background didwith attitude. The study concluded that the current information-sharing approach is not enough to actualize the action-oriented nature ofEL and calls for curricular review to infuse environmental education (EE) concepts, activities, and methods for addressing the existing gapsin teacher education programs in Nigeria.

Socio-Spatial Inequalities and Environmental and Sociocultural Existential Minimum in the Metropolitan Region of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil: fundamental rights, sanitation challenges and social health conditions

Socio-Spatial Inequalities and Environmental and Sociocultural Existential Minimum in the Metropolitan Region of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil: fundamental rights, sanitation challenges and social health conditions

Interpreting Inclusion for Sanitation Perspectives from India: A Contextual Approach to Universal Design.

Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for all is fundamental for sustenance. Goal 6 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals urges that 'universal access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene' is fundamental as a response in the current post-COVID scenario. Despite Government of India's efforts through programs like Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, there is a long way to go to integrate equity and inclusion in the sanitation facilities of the public realm. This paper is an attempt to understand the aspect of inclusion in sanitation systems of urban public spaces of India, limiting the study to Delhi and Noida, which are in the National Capital Region (NCR). The aim is to explore the contextual challenges of universal design in public sanitation and develop an understanding of what makes a public toilet inclusive in the urban Indian context. A field-based, mixed methods approach is followed which begins with a literature review of government policies & schemes and theoretical understanding of inclusion as well as the role of universal design as an approach to achieve inclusion. This is followed by on-ground studies involving ethnographic surveys, analysis of imagery and field observations. The results show an analysis of the inclusive aspects of sanitation under the thematic domains of public perception, usage preferences and issues in the public toilet experience. The sanitation facilities in urban public spaces are used by a diverse population and the results showcase a collection of the qualitative experiences of a varied set of user groups. The subjective challenges of inclusive sanitation are highlighted through the various stages and components of the entire sanitation system - the design & infrastructure, operations & maintenance, and behavioural patterns. This paper tries to raise new grounded questions to further explore the highlighted marginal distinctions between inclusion and accessibility in the urban public sanitation experience of India.

Sanitation, water, energy use, and traffic volume affect environmental quality:Go-for-green developmental policies.

Carbon emissions are primarily the result of human activity in urban areas. Inadequate sanitary facilities, contaminated drinking water, nonrenewable energy, and high traffic congestion have all impacted the natural ecosystem. Using data from 1975 to 2019, the study assessed the impact of the aforementioned variables on Pakistan’s carbon emissions in light of this crucial fact. The ARDL cointegration method was used to estimate the short- and long-run parameter estimates. Urban sanitation challenges and energy consumption increase carbon emissions, which affects the natural environment by raising a country’s carbon intensity. Economic expansion confirmed the inverted U-shaped relationship between carbon emissions and economic growth to verify the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis in the long run. In contrast, the monotonically rising function of carbon emissions provides evidence of the nation’s economic development in the short run. Access to clean drinking water improves population health and encourages the purchase of eco-friendly products. The government must improve sanitation services and use renewable energy sources to enhance air quality.

Local leadership development and WASH system strengthening: insights from Cambodia

Abstract To accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal on clean water and sanitation, the focus of WASH programming in developing countries has shifted from a traditional infrastructure approach to a more systems-based approach. Greater emphasis on a systems approach has also drawn attention to the significant role played by local leadership in developing sustainable WASH systems. Building on the evidence of the effectiveness of leaders trained through the Civic Champions Program, an innovative leadership development program in Cambodia, this article examines leaders' characteristics and explores how participating in the program affected their capacity, skills, and perceptions of leadership. Crucially, it seeks to understand the extent to which participants in the Civic Champions Program differ from comparable local leaders along these dimensions. By combining survey data with qualitative analysis, the paper identifies how localization enhances the effectiveness of leaders in promoting sanitation, including working through and strengthening pre-existing institutional arrangements and adapting promotion strategies to different audiences. In this way, the article demonstrates how non-prescriptive programs that tap into the legitimizing potential of local leaders may contribute to addressing sanitation challenges and ultimately to WASH system strengthening.

Meeting the Water and Sanitation Challenges of Underbounded Communities in the U.S.

Water and sanitation (wastewater) infrastructure in the United States is aging and deteriorating, with massive underinvestment over the past several decades. For many years, lack of attention to water and sanitation infrastructure has combined with racial segregation and discrimination to produce uneven access to water and wastewater services resulting in growing threats to human and environmental health. In many metropolitan areas in the U.S., those that often suffer disproportionately are residents of low-income, minority communities located in urban disadvantaged unincorporated areas on the margins of major cities. Through the process of underbounding (the selective expansion of city boundaries to exclude certain neighborhoods often based on racial demographics or economics), residents of these communities are disallowed municipal citizenship and live without piped water, sewage lines, and adequate drainage or flood control. This Perspective identifies the range of water and sanitation challenges faced by residents in these communities. We argue that future investment in water and sanitation should prioritize these communities and that interventions need to be culturally context sensitive. As such, approaches to address these problems must not only be technical but also social and give attention to the unique geographic and political setting of local infrastructures.

Disaster Risk Management, Ventilated Improved Pit Latrines, and Sanitation Challenges in South Africa

The current paper provides a review and meta-analysis of the practical implications of disaster risk management related to the ventilated improved latrines in South Africa. This technology is evaluated through its legacy and novel challenges of disaster risk reduction. In the current article, the methodology adopted was a literature review and meta-analyses. The results indicate that the in-situ treatment and breakdown of faecal sludge in the ventilated improved pit latrines is not always taking place and that anaerobic digestion might not always be feasible. New strategies are proposed to manage the sanitation-related risks in South Africa by specifying more exact dimensions for the newly built ventilated improved pit latrines by suggesting the use of novel sanitation additives such as fly ash to enhance on-site and in situ treatment, as well as ex situ treatment of the pit latrine faecal sludge. Regular maintenance can lead to prevention of the dysfunctional character of the ventilated improved pit latrines as a functional sanitation technology and a user-friendly hygiene barrier to the spread of sanitation/WASH-related epidemics or infectious diseases. The implementation of the novel strategies should be enhanced by the application of the (Environmental) Technology Assessment in sanitation service delivery in South Africa.

Application of Financial Flow Simulator (eSOSView™) for Analyzing Financial Viability and Developing a Sustainable Fecal Sludge Management Business Model in Kushtia, Bangladesh

To achieve SDG 6.2.1 (a) on safely managed sanitation services, several financial flow models (FFMs) and business models for the sanitation value chain have been implemented in Bangladesh and elsewhere; however, there is limited research on financial viability and sustainability of business models. Bangladesh has attained 99% sanitation coverage, mostly with onsite sanitation systems; however, the country is facing a second-generation sanitation challenge, fecal sludge management, encompassing the entire sanitation chain. Kushtia Municipality in Bangladesh is entirely served by onsite systems; the fecal sludge emptying service is provided by the municipality, and the fecal sludge treatment plant is managed by a private entity. This study investigated sustainability of FFMs in Kushtia by using the financial, institutional, environmental, technical, and social (FIETS) sustainability approach and applying the financial flow simulator (eSOSView™) tool to analyze financial viability. Several criteria in each aspect of the FIETS approach were developed, scored, and validated by stakeholders to determine sustainability. The study found that the financial aspect is the most important criteria for sustainability and “modified parallel tax and discharge fee” is the most sustainable business model for Kushtia.

Access to and challenges in water, sanitation, and hygiene in healthcare facilities during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: A mixed-methods evaluation.

Inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities (HCFs) have an impact on the transmission of infectious diseases, including COVID-19 pandemic. But, there is limited data on the status of WASH facilities in the healthcare settings of Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess WASH facilities and related challenges in the HCFs of Northeastern Ethiopia during the early phase of COVID-19 pandemic. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2020. About 70 HCFs were selected using a simple random sampling technique. We used a mixed approach of qualitative and quantitative study. The quantitative data were collected by an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and observational checklist, whereas the qualitative data were collected using a key-informant interview from the head of HCFs, janitors, and WASH coordinator of the HCFs. The quantitative data were entered in EpiData version 4.6 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 for data cleaning and analysis. The quantitative data on access to WASH facilities was reported using WHO ladder guidelines, which include no access, limited access, and basic access, whereas the qualitative data on challenges to WASH facilities were triangulated with the quantitative result. From the survey of 70 HCFs, three-fourths 53 (75.7%) were clinics, 12 (17.2%) were health centers, and 5 (7.1%) were hospitals. Most (88.6%) of the HCFs had basic access to water supply. The absence of a specific budget for WASH facilities, non-functional water pipes, the absence of water-quality monitoring systems, and frequent water interruptions were the major problems with water supply, which occurred primarily in clinics and health centers. Due to the absence of separate latrine designated for disabled people, none of the HCFs possessed basic sanitary facilities. Half (51.5%) of the HCFs had limited access to sanitation facilities. The major problems were the absence of separate latrines for healthcare workers and clients, as well as female and male staffs, an unbalanced number of functional latrines for the number of clients, non-functional latrines, poor cleanliness and misuse of the latrine. Less than a quarter of the HCFs 15 (21.4%) had basic access to handwashing facilities, while half 35 (50%) of the HCFs did not. The lack of functional handwashing facilities at expected sites and misuse of the facilities around the latrine, including theft of supplies by visitors, were the two most serious problems with hygiene facilities. Despite the fact that the majority of HCFs had basic access to water, there were problems in their sanitation and handwashing facilities. The lack of physical infrastructure, poor quality of facilities, lack of separate budget to maintain WASH facilities, and inappropriate utilization of WASH facilities were the main problems in HCFs. Further investigation should be done to assess the enabling factors and constraints for the provision, use, and maintenance of WASH infrastructure at HCFs.

The top 100 global water questions: Results of a scoping exercise

<h2>Summary</h2> Global water security presents a complex problem for human societies and will become more acute as the impacts of climate change escalate. Water security connects the practical water and sanitation challenges of households to the dynamics of global hydroclimates and ecosystems in the Anthropocene. To ensure the successful deployment of attention and resources, it is necessary to identify the most pressing questions for water research. Here, we present the results of a scoping exercise conducted across the global water sector. More than 400 respondents submitted an excess of 4,000 potential questions. Drawing on expert analysis, we highlight 100 indicative research questions across six thematic domains: water and sanitation for human settlements; water and sanitation safety risk management; water security and scarcity; hydroclimate-ecosystem-Anthropocene dynamics; multi-level governance; and knowledge production. These questions offer an interdisciplinary and multi-scalar framework for guiding the nature and space of water research for the coming decades.

136 Optimum Concentration of Spray Dried Plasma for Maximized Growth Performance, Improved Intestinal Health, and Reduced Inflammation in Weaned Pigs Housed in a Challenged Environment

Abstract This study aimed at testing the hypothesis that greater inclusion of spray dried plasma (SDP) in diets improves growth performance, intestinal morphology, and reduces inflammation in weaned pigs. Four-hundred weaned pigs (body weight: 6.05 ± 0.80 kg) were allotted to a randomized complete block design with 5 diets and 2 blocks (16 pens/diet; 5 pigs/pen). Pens were not cleaned between groups to create a sanitation challenge. Phase-1 diets containing 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8% SDP were formulated. One pig per pen was sacrificed on d 14 and samples of intestinal tissue and mucosa were collected. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS and linear, quadratic, and cubic contrast statements were used. During phase-1, ADG, ADFI, G:F, and body weight of pigs on d 14 increased (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.05) with increasing levels of SDP in the diet (Table 1). Villus width in the jejunum of pigs on d 14 tended to increase (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.10) with increasing inclusion of SDP (Table 2), and villus height:crypt depth tended to increase (quadratic, P &amp;lt; 0.10) with the greatest value observed for pigs fed a diet with 8% SDP. Secretory immunoglobulin A in the jejunal mucosa was decreased when 4 or 8% SDP was included in the diet (cubic, P &amp;lt; 0.05). Interleukin- (IL-) 2 (quadratic, P &amp;lt; 0.10) and IL-18 (cubic, P &amp;lt; 0.10) in the jejunal mucosa tended to decrease at 8% inclusion of SDP and IL-8 (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.10) tended to increase as SDP inclusion increased in the diet. In conclusion, the optimal inclusion of SDP in diets for weanling pigs was 8% as indicated by improvements in growth performance, but the collective intestinal morphology and health data do not result in a clearly conclusive optimum concentration in SDP.

Locally Driven Options for Managing Sanitation Issues in Kalingalinga Township of Lusaka

In recent years, the challenge of sanitation has manifested itself in the perennial outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and dysentery, as well as pollution of water resources, contamination of air, soil and land proliferation of pests and vermin and the loss of aesthetic beauty particularly in low income residential areas. These areas are densely populated implying that externalities resulting from unsanitary conditions will impact more people compared to high residential areas. Further, as long as sanitation management solutions introduced to the locals do not seem to be locally driven, promoters are likely to face dis-adoptions. This study aimed at investigating locally driven options for managing sanitation issues in Kalingalinga Township. It utilized 126 respondents who were systematically randomly sampled. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, correlation techniques and the least square difference (LSD) methods. The study identified sanitation issues related to waste disposal, unsanitary toilets, intermittent water supply and flooding due to blocked drainages during the rainy season as key sanitation issues affecting residents of Kalingalinga Township. The ratings of the sanitary conditions in the area were largely influenced by one’s level of education and exposure with respondents who had undergone higher levels of formal education being more stringent in their ratings. While level of income was a determinant of access to water supply in the Township, the residents’ poor attitude towards solid waste disposal was a major challenge contributing to unsanitary conditions in the area. The study identified the need to separate generated waste into usable categories that could be recycled, reused and sold as raw materials to particular manufacturing industries. The success of locally driven options would hinge on residents being educated on the sustainable waste management techniques which would also contribute to household income generation through selling off usable wastes. Further, a change in the attitude of residents towards waste management, use of designated solid waste collectors who take waste to designated dump sites, use of disinfectants in toilets and avoidance of stagnating waste water would also help to manage sanitation in the area. Poor sanitation and hygiene have contributed to malnutrition cases in Zambia which may be caused by diarrheal diseases. If sanitation is well managed in this Township, then diarrheal cases, caused by poor sanitation, can be minimized. While the Lusaka City Council was often mentioned as a major solution towards waste management in the area, the study recommended participatory education of the locals in sustainable waste management, conversion of household waste into household income and a change in residents’ attitude as the starting points in ensuring successful sanitation management.

Household waste management system: The new of SGDS facing the challenges of sanitation in Cotonou (Republic of Benin)

The growth of household waste is noticeable in several cities in Africa due to rampant urbanization and population explosion. This state of affairs creates many management problems. The city of Cotonou, the country's main economic hub, is no exception to this reality. The inadequacies of DMS management by the COGEDA (Coordination of NGOs for the Management of Household Solid Waste and Sanitation in Cotonou) and the DST (Technical Services Directorate) of the town hall of Cotonou led to the establishment of the SGDS (Waste and Sanitation Management Company). However, there are still challenges in terms of sanitation in Cotonou. This work aims to describe the novelty in the current system of household waste management in Cotonou and the challenges it faces. Documentary research, direct observations in the field, survey by questionnaires and interviews with institutional stakeholders in the management of DMS in Cotonou constitute the methodology adopted. At the end of the field work, we note on the one hand several innovations in the current DSM management system in Cotonou and also some challenges to be taken up in order to make the system sustainable on the other hand.

Household waste management system: The new of SGDS facing the challenges of sanitation in Cotonou (Republic of Benin)

Household waste management system: The new of SGDS facing the challenges of sanitation in Cotonou (Republic of Benin)

Resilience and Sustainability of the Water Sector during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented socio-economic changes, ushering in a “new (ab)normal” way of living and human interaction. The water sector was not spared from the effects of the pandemic, a period in which the sector had to adapt rapidly and continue providing innovative water and sanitation solutions. This study unpacks and interrogates approaches, products, and services adopted by the water sector in response to the unprecedented lockdowns, heralding novel terrains, and fundamental paradigm shifts, both at the community and the workplace. The study highlights the wider societal perspective regarding the water and sanitation challenges that grappled society before, during, after, and beyond the pandemic. The premise is to provide plausible transitional pathways towards a new (ab)normal in adopting new models, as evidenced by the dismantling of the normal way of conducting business at the workplace and human interaction in an era inundated with social media, virtual communication, and disruptive technologies, which have transitioned absolutely everything into a virtual way of life. As such, the novel approaches have fast-tracked a transition into the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), with significant trade-offs to traditional business models and human interactions.

The Challenges of Sanitation in Developing Counties - Evidenced from Fourteen Studied Towns

The Challenges of Sanitation in Developing Counties - Evidenced from Fourteen Studied Towns

System-wide approaches to mitigate environmental and health impacts of water contamination

Abstract There is an urgent need to address the challenges of inadequate safe water and proper sanitation in peri-urban communities in low-income countries. Agencies have tended to focus on a single aspect of the challenge for service delivery, which ultimately fails to capture the full scope of the problem. In this study, 63 household surveys and 15 key informant interviews regarding water and sanitation issues were conducted in a peri-urban area of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Results revealed that 87% of households experience water scarcity issues. More than 50% of the homes were surrounded by swampy areas with sewage and stagnant pools, with 40% reporting water source contamination due to seepage and overflowing of sewage collection systems. Key informants reported water scarcity and poor water quality due to poor sanitation practices and a compromised water supply network. We found that a highly integrated approach that invests in cultural, social, political, human, financial, and built community capitals is needed to address these challenges. Community self-efficacy and empowerment will be critical to accomplishing this and protecting public health.