Sanitation sustainability, seasonality and stacking

Improved facilities for how long, where and whom

Datos Bibliográficos

ID5287563
AutoresSarah Jewitt (0000-0002-7159-0621, School of Geography University of Nottingham Nottingham UK, autor de correspondencia), Anjana Mahanta (Indian Institute of Technology Campus Guwahati Assam India), Kamla Gaur (School of Geography University of Nottingham Nottingham UK)
Año2018
Volumen184
Número3
Páginas255-268
Fecha de publicación2018-09-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaGeographical Journal (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0016-7398 • E-ISSN: 1475-4959
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/geoj.12258
OpenAlexW2799743820
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas10
Referencias citadas24

Despite laudable efforts by Sustainable Development Goal 6 to promote inclusiveness and sustainability, there is a danger that its global, target-based focus may eclipse context-specific sanitation priorities and constraints. Drawing primarily on qualitative village-based research in Guwahati, India, this paper explores how specific geographical settings influence sanitation sustainability ("improved for where/when and how long?") and user-based priorities ("improved for whom?"). Emphasis is placed on sustainability concerns associated with pit emptying, poor construction and seasonal flooding. Shit flow diagrams are used to illustrate seasonal variations in estimates of safely managed sanitation. These estimates are compared with alternative criteria for monitoring access to "improved" or "safe" sanitation technologies. Our findings indicate that poor latrine construction and maintenance coupled with seasonal flooding cause frequent shifts between "improved and "unimproved" or "shared" systems along with significant changes in estimates of safely managed sanitation. Sanitation "stacking" (simultaneous use of a range of sanitation systems) also occurs due to preferences for open defecation coupled with high demand for existing latrines; especially during seasonal flooding. Arguments are made for the need to monitor seasonal variations in use, quality and continuity of access to sanitation facilities and capture data on sanitation "stacking" if "sanitation for all" is to be achieved

Business · Context (archaeology · Environmental planning · Environmental resource management · Flooding (psychology · Geography · Improved sanitation · Latrine · Open defecation · Pit latrine · Sanitation · Sustainability · Water resource management · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Ecology · Energy and Environment Impacts · Environmental Engineering · Environmental Science · Psychology · Urban and Rural Development Challenges