Packing wash solutions into pipes

 

Sadly, we are coming to the end of the series of blogs. If there is something you should take away from my weeks of blogging, it is these four key insights and action steps I have identified..

INSIGHT #1: It is not just about having access to toilets, but having access to clean toilets that contend with appropriate, local practices

ACTION: There are obstacles beyond provision of infrastructure that must be recognised because the presence of toilets does not ensure usage. Many still practice unsafe sanitation (such as open defecation) despite having the option of using safer sanitation facilities. This may be due to the lack of cleanliness (malodor), availability or different hygiene practices that may prevent community individuals from using in-house, shared, or community toilets. There must be a clear dialogue with communities to identify the social, economic and/or cultural barriers and rationales that drive hygiene practices so that it can be addressed for better user experience and to ensure safe access to clean sanitation facilities. When it comes to behaviour change (such as discouraging open defecation), time and effort would be required to build trust and long-lasting relationships to encourage people to change their practices about a deeply sensitive (and sometimes taboo) topic.

INSIGHT #2: Providing access to clean water and sanitation is priority to low-income settlements, particularly for women and young girls

ACTION: Access to clean water and sanitation is a basic human right. It is also a basic human right to practice hygiene practices (particularly menstrual hygiene management) safely and with dignity. Key needs of all users must be assessed and addressed when constructing WASH facilities to allow for proper hygiene management. Providing such facilities in low-income settlements involves exploring ways to implement innovative, affordable infrastructures using the material, financial and social resources available (such as waterless or container-based sanitation options). For sanitation, for example, this might be constructing shared toilets in urban areas instead of in-house facilities. These toilets must however meet the needs of all community members (women, children, elderly etc.) (See figure 1). If toilet usage prices are necessary, they should be as low as possible and a monthly pass per household is proven to be more effective than a pay-per-use model (Global report, 2019).

Figure 1 showing: Gender transformative WASH strategies (Mercer, 2019)

INSIGHT #3: Community-led management requires all-round community participation 

ACTION: Community individuals should be involved in all steps of the WASH intervention from identifying the WASH problem, the provision of labour, to training and building capacity for management. This way, facilities will be built based on the decisions and realities of the local community and be able to address actual local WASH problems instead of what institutions assume is the problem (avoiding cultural idealisation). This will encourage a greater sense of ownership and accountability for the facilities. Motivation is however necessary to maintain the sense of ownership in management. This can happen by ensuring different stakeholders involved (international bodies, state actors, social enterprises) remain in communication with communities to supervise, fund or support infrastructural development (See figure 2). Upward accountability still needs to be present even in the decentralisation of water and sanitation facilities.

Figure 2 showing: Support mechanisms for the community-led management model (Mercer, 2019)

INSIGHT #4: Community-led management should be culturally and socially embedded to enhance the sense of ownership over WASH services

ACTION: Inclusive community engagement programs that involve the whole community and not just those in the formal management structure are more likely enhance effective usage and management of facilities. Special attention should therefore also be paid to those disadvantaged (i.e. elderly, those why mental or physical disabilities, minorities, children etc.) to create a more inclusive WASH program. While necessary, there must be a shift from 'hardware' sanitation infrastructure of tech-oriented solutions (i.e. waste treatment solutions, wet flush system etc.) to 'software issues' (Global Report 2019). Putting a human dimension to the infrastructure allows institutions to understand the complexity of socio-economic and cultural behaviours that influence sanitation practices. They will be able to renegotiate or adapt WASH facilities to meet the needs of everyone in the community to ensure more sustainable and effective WASH interventions.