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TitleEthics and faecal-sludge management in Africa : a paper presented at the second conference on developments in faecal sludge management in Durban, So...
Publication TypeConference Paper
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsChinedu, UO, Ocholi, M, Kambou, K, Dissa, A, Spooner, K, Kere, R, Makaya, J, Oko-Williams, A, Doucoure, I
Pagination7 p.; 2 tab.
Date Published2012-10-29
PublisherS.n.
Place PublishedS.l.
Keywordsaccess to sanitation, africa, faecal sludge management [FSM], population, sanitation services, service delivery
Abstract

WASH supply to poor rural and urban populations has remained a nagging problem for Africa and other developing nations even in the presence of a global consensus that human right to safe WASH is derived from the right to adequate standard of living and inextricably related to the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, as well as the right to life and human dignity. While it is universally accepted that it makes economic, social, political and environmental sense to promote adequate sanitation access, it is also important to examine whether the sanitation services being promoted in Africa is adequately dignifying especially in terms of access quality as against universal access. So, we specifically examined if any form of rights and choices exist in the context of inaccessibility and/or poor accessibility to sanitation services. Also, we investigated the effects such rights and choices could have on FSM value chain, and scale up and sustainability of sanitation services, programmes and promotions in the continent. For instance, should those who cannot afford high standard sanitation access be offered less standard options? The paper concludes that lack of or inadequate education could promote information asymmetry and limit the negotiating power and choices of households. Also, the economic power of households is a major determinant in the quality of sanitation access and the choices that they could make. Majority of the respondents prefer a better and modern capture technology to what they currently use. Capture technology choices could be predicted by household monthly income, education, occupation, affordability, house type, daily water use cost, and number of males/females in the household. The logical linkages between sanitation and ethics are critical for achieving dignifying, effective, efficient, scalable and sustainable sanitation services delivery. This linkage when perfectly established has the potential to address the nagging challenge of sustainability and scalability of sanitation models being promoted in the continent. Without an ethical understanding of sanitation in the continent, all efforts towards sector sustainability and scalability will continue to be short-term, haphazard, and ephemeral. [authors abstract]

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