Ecological sanitation latrines : the experience of Nepal

The urbanisation trend in developing countries including Nepal is accelerating, thus exacerbating the condition of proper sanitation coverage. Despite greater sanitation coverage in urban areas compared to rural parts of Nepal, access to sanitation facilities does not solve the problem of improved sanitation. This is because conventional latrines normally lead to various other pressing environmental problems, along with the injustice of scarce water resources for flushing latrines to keep excreta
out of sight, which means that other community-accepted sustainable solutions are needed. Therefore, considering the present context and sanitation situation of the country, there is a need for a holistic approach to call for hygienic, sustainable and  eco-friendly alternatives and hence, ecological sanitation toilets. This paper argues that Nepal's historical acceptance of ecological sanitation, and its recent experience in using the approach - set out in the evidence presented here - mean that Ecological Sanitation (Ecosan) could be very valuable. It could confront these problems and provide potential "added value" to the livelihood link through agricultural production and water and environment conservation. This paper highlights acceptance and use related issues, lessons learned and challenges experienced for scaling up. [authors abstract]

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