Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
Challenges and Opportunities for Sanitation in Developing Countries
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Seetharam, Kushal |
| Copyright Year | 2015 |
| Abstract | Executive Summary: Sanitation is one the most serious problems facing humankind in today’s world. Almost 40% of the world’s population, 2.6 billion people, do not have access to adequate sanitation, meaning they must defecate openly (“Water, sanitation and hygiene statistics” 2013). This leads to increased transmission of intestinal parasites and diseases. On the current development trajectory, it is unlikely that the United Nations Millennium Development Goal, which is to halve the proportion of people without access to improved sanitation, will be met (“A snapshot of sanitation in Africa” 2008). There are countless different technologies that seek to ameliorate this situation, with more being developed every year. Urine Diversion Dehydration Toilets, the Fossa Alterna, and the Arborloo are three such technologies that are frequently used in sanitation efforts. There are significant challenges in sanitation projects beyond technology implementation, however, including the variety of regional actors involved, differences between rural and urban environments, as well as social and economic factors. This paper first provides a framework for assessing the technological aspects of the sanitation-development space. Then, it assesses the complexity of the sanitation landscape in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa. This is followed by a review and analysis of selected case studies from the literature. It is the goal of this discussion to more concretely illustrate the challenges prevalent in sanitation projects. Finally, recommendations are made that may make sanitation efforts more effective and sustainable: two shifts in mentality are suggested. First, sanitation should be viewed as an integrated value chain process. Second, the unique, environment-dependent nature of sanitation projects should be internalized by all actors. A network of NGOs, aid workers, local universities, and private sector participants could encourage local enterprises and share best practices in order to improve the success rate of decentralized initiatives |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.sciencepolicyjournal.org/uploads/5/4/3/4/5434385/seetharam-jspg-issue7.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
