Library

Langergraber, G.

2013

Water Sci Technol 67(10), 2133-2140, doi: 10.2166/wst.2013.122

The main objective of sanitation systems is to protect and promote human health by providing a clean environment and breaking the cycle of disease. In order to be sustainable a sanitation system has to be not only economically viable, socially acceptable and technically and institutionally appropriate, but it should also protect the environment and the natural resources. ‘Resourcesoriented sanitation’ describes the approach in which human excreta and water from households are recognized as resource made available for re-use. Nowadays ‘resources-oriented sanitation’ is understood in the same way as ‘ecological sanitation’. For resources-oriented sanitation systems to be truly sustainable they have to comply with the definition of sustainable sanitation as given by the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA, www.susana.org). Constructed treatment wetlands meet the basic criteria of sustainable sanitation systems by preventing diseases, protecting the environment, being an affordable, acceptable, and simple technology. Additionally, constructed treatment wetlands produce treated wastewater with high quality which is fostering reuse which makes them applicable in resources-oriented sanitation systems. The paper discusses the features that make constructed treatment wetlands a suitable solution in sustainable resources-oriented sanitation systems, the importance of system thinking for sustainability as well as key factors for sustainable implementation of constructed wetland systems.

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U-ACT: The urban affordable clean toilets project

Guenther, I., Niwagaba, B., Luethi, C., Horst, A., Mulongo, P., Grueter, R.

2012

U-ACT

The urban affordable clean Toilets (U-ACT)project, headed by the Centre for Development and Cooperation (NADEL) of the Swiss Ferderal Institute of Technology (ETHZ), aims at overcoming the constraints to private sanitation investment in poor urban areas. Field research was conducted in 40 randomly selected low-income areas of Uganda's capital Kampala where people rely on on-site sanitation. The sanitation situation in these urban slum zones is characterised by a high number of user's per toilet, and full or overflowing latrines that are not regularly emptied. The U-ACT project activities include the construction of ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines. This factsheet provides information on the construction and cost details.

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The correlation between number of users and toilet hygiene

Guenther, I., Niwagaba, B., Luethi, C., Horst, A., Mosler, H.-J., Tumwebaze, K.

2012

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ)

The international debate on the question of whether shared and/or public sanitation facilities should be considered improved is still open. The concern is that a shared sanitation facility cannot be maintained in hygienic conditions when used by too many people. The analysis of 1’500 randomly selected toilets in the urban slums of Kampala showed that only 22 percent of households have access to private sanitation facilities; the remaining 78 percent share their toilet with an average of 6 households. There is a clear and strong correlation between number of users and the condition and cleanliness of a toilet stance. Less than 20 percent of private toilets are dirty, whereas 60 percent of sanitation facilities are dirty if they are shared by more than 10 households. This policy brief asserts that toilet facilities shared by not more than four households can be considered “acceptable” or improved, with “only” about 25 percent classified as dirty by an objective evaluation.

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Four innovative sanitation projects in Zambia - Faecal sludge management aspects and general lessons

2013

Water Information Network (WIN-SA), South Africa

Since then, the DTF has been a major partner to CUs in financing and implementation of projects that have led to improved Water Supply Services for more than 850,000 people living in Zambian low income areas. In 2008 the DTF, in partnership with the local NGO WASAZA (Water and Sanitation Association of Zambia) and the German NGO BORDA (Bremer Overseas Research and Development Association) developed a “sanitation concept and sanitation implementation approach. In 2009, DTF started the implementation of four sanitation projects with four CUs established by Local Authorities under the Water Supply and Sanitation Act no. 28 of 1997 and duly licensed by the regulator NWASCO. The four utilities are: Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company (KWSC) North Western Water and Sewerage Company (NWWSC) Southern Water and Sewerage Company (SWSC) Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) These projects are targeting more than 15,000 people with improved household sanitation services in low-income areas. Funding has been provided by the Government of Zambia, DANIDA (Danish International Development Agency), KfW, European Union and AusAID. Technical Assistance is provided by GIZ (German Development Cooperation). This fieldnote captures the DTF’s sanitation implementation approach and experiences during the implementation of these first four sanitation projects and focuses on faecal sludge management aspects in particular.

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Learning from Alfred Nzo DM's Zonal Distribution Approach

Nzo, A.

2013

Water Information Network (WIN-SA), South Africa

The Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape is bounded by the Drakensberg escarpment and the Lesotho border in the west, the Indian Ocean in the east, the KZN District Municipalities of Sisonke and Ugu in the north and the Eastern Cape District Municipalities of Joe Gqabi (formerly Ukhahlamba) and OR Tambo in the south (Figure 1). When it was first demarcated in 2000 it comprised three local municipalities, namely Matatiele, Umzimvubu and Umzimkhulu. After the 2006 local government elections the latter was re-demarcated into Sisonke, and after the 2011 elections the local municipalities of Bizana and Ntabankulu (previously under the OR Tambo district) were incorporated into the ANDM. The population of the district has over the past decade therefore first decreased and now increased. Its present level is estimated at 801 344 people and 169 261 households.

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Various documents on results from research grant

Hoffmann, V.

2013

University of Maryland, USA

This library entry contains background documents for a grant that Vivian Hoffmann is leading and which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Further information and a discussion is available on the SuSanA discussion forum: http://forum.susana.org/forum/categories/97-enabling-environment-and-others/3858-research-grant-on-menstrual-management-a-sanitation-systems-university-of-maryland-usa-and-south-africa-india Short description of the project: The project will address the interactions between menstrual management and sanitation, using a systems approach that integrates an understanding of the sanitation hardware with women’s practices, needs and willingness to pay for menstrual management products. The scope of work includes: 1) a comprehensive literature review to synthesize current knowledge about the interaction between women's menstrual management practices and sanitation systems, 2) detailed case studies in two urban locations, and 3) a randomized product dissemination and demand trial where women will be offered to opportunity to test and then choose among alternative menstrual management products. Goal(s): This study aims to understand: -The experiences of women in managing their menstrual periods, including the products that they use, their perceptions of the sanitation facilities they use, and how their periods may impact their daily routines. -Women’s preferences for alternative menstrual management products that may have less impact on sanitation systems. -The influence of women’s social networks on product adoption and other behaviours. Objectives: -Synthesize the state of current knowledge through a review of the literature on women’s perceptions and cultural beliefs around menstruation, and menstrual practices. -Understand the impact of menstrual practices on sanitation systems through a global survey of sanitation managers. -Document how menstrual products are disposed of in two contexts: Durban, South Africa and Bihar, India. Investigate the acceptability of a reusable silicon menstrual cup among adult women in two contexts: Durban, South Africa and Bihar, India. Understand determinants of, and barriers to, product experimentation and continued use, including experience of peers. -Test how prior use of a disposable menstrual product (sanitary pads) affects demand for a reusable product (the menstrual cup) through a randomized controlled trial in Bihar, India. Research or implementation partners: PATH, Stockholm Environment Institute, Columbia University, Wits Health Consortium, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal Authors: Kjellen, M. and Pensulo, C. Further Reading (Journal articles): - Sommer, Marni, Marianne Kjellen, and Chibesa Pensulo. “Girls’ and Women’s Unmet Needs for Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM): The Interactions between MHM and Sanitation Systems in Low-Income Countries”, accepted for publication by Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development - Sebastian, Ashwini, Vivian Hoffmann, and Sarah Adelman, “Menstrual Management in Low Income Countries: Needs and Trends”, forthcoming in April 2013 issue of Waterlines +++++++++++ Documents available for download below: 1- Menstrual management and sanitation systems study overview 2- Preliminary baseline survey findings, Durban South Africa 3- Review of sanitation system interactions with menstrual hygiene practices (Presentation at FSM2 Conference in Durban, South Africa, Oct. 2012)

Various documents on results from research grant

Hughes, R.

2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

This library entry contains background documents for a grant that Robert Hughes is leading and which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Further information and a discussion is available on the SuSanA discussion forum: http://forum.susana.org/forum/categories/98-resource-recovery-from-excreta-or-faecal-sludge/3694-energy-recovery-a-waste-treatment-with-floating-biodigesters-tonle-sap-lake-cambodia-llee Short description of the project: This project will develop and trial floating and small-scale biodigesters to convert human and animal waste to biogas for energy and treated waste for fertilizer, while improving the sanitation and public health outcomes of communities living in challenging environments such as water-based and floodprone communities. Goal(s): To develop and make available new low cost biodigesters appropriate for application in challenging environments, where access to sanitation and energy is severely limited. To demonstrate the potential to improve public health, water quality, sanitation, natural resource protection, energy access, and livelihoods in vulnerable communities. Objectives: 1) Develop, test, improve and document small scale and floating biodigesters and required supporting systems (flotation, inlet systems etc) to allow effective operation in floating and flood-affected villages. 2) Collect supporting data on operational performance under controlled conditions 3) Conduct preliminary practical field trials for community uptake and acceptance feedback and evidence. 4) Integrate biodigesters into holistic development programs especially for sanitation, health, Authors: Document 1: Hagan, J. M., Hughes, R., Smith, J. Document 2: Buntha, P., Bunsong, S., Hughes, R., Kunthel, T., McGill, G., Soklim, R. Document 3: Carlsson, H., Kiste, K., Berndtsson, R., Hughes, R. +++++++++++ Documents available for download below: 1- Designing gender-sensitive sanitation for floating villages 2- Floating Bio-digester for Integrated Waste Management in Agriculture and Energy Production 3- Environmental sustainability of floating biodigesters in Tonlé Sap, Cambodia (Master Thesis from Lund University, Lund, Sweden, 2013)

Spears, D.

2012

Princeton University, USA

Open defecation without a toilet or latrine is among the leading global threats to health, especially in India. Although it is well-known that modern sewage infrastructure improves health, it is unknown whether a sanitation program feasible for a low capacity, poor country government could be effective.This paper contributes the first causally identified estimates of effects of rural sanitation on health and human capital accumulation.

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Lessons from a Médecins Sans Frontières Program

Dorion, S., Hunter, P.R., Van den Bergh, R., Roure, C., Delchevalerie, P., Reid, T., Maes, P.

2012

PLOS ONE

With an increasing move towards outpatient therapeutic feeding for moderately and severely malnourished children, the home environment has become an increasingly important factor in achieving good program outcomes.Infections, including those water-borne, may significantly delay weight gain in a therapeutic feeding program.This study examined the relationship between adequacy of water supply and children’s length of stay in a therapeutic feeding program in Niger.

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Trends Shaping the Market for Urban Sanitation

Schaub-Jones, D.

2012

Stockholm Environment Institute, BPD Water & Sanitation

It does seem that the term sanitation as a business is gaining some momentum. Perhaps sanitation is not yet sexy, but it is certainly gaining more attention than it did a few years ago. This paper tries, by looking more closely at one specific sanitation market, to tease out some of the broader trends affecting the sanitation sector and, in particular, unsewered sanitation. It looks at how this market is structured, where value exists and how this is monetised and suggests how this market is evolving. It also looks at how outsiders are looking to support the development and professionalization of the market. This paper also addresses some broader trends that shape markets in unsewered sanitation. While a dramatic change in approach in developing countries is highly unlikely, even a marginal shift towards alternatives to centralised sewer systems could have significant ramifications for developing countries. In Africa at least, few countries have succeeded in putting in place sewerage networks of any great scale. Many inherited their networks at independence and these have not always been well maintained (never mind kept pace with rapid urbanisation). Yet attention to other forms of waste management has been minimal; mostly those ‘without’ have been left to fend for themselves. Research and development into alternatives has been minimal and when it comes to technical choices, engineering approaches and norms and standards, professionals in the sector have generally taken their lead from developed countries.

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