Sustainable EcoSan - Fossa alterna: the case of Menge, Ethiopia

This study is a cross-sectional community-based study aimed at identifying factors affecting sustainability of Fossa alterna adoption among rural households in Menge Woreda in Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia. A sample of 216 was considered from 547 households that use Fossa alterna latrines, since they were introduced by WaterAid in Ethiopia project. The study used both qualitative and quantitative research to capture data. The study in the area has found that Ecological Sanitation (EcoSan) type-Fossa alterna technology has not been adopted as a way to sustainably manage human excreta in rural communities. Out of the sample of 216 households who had previously constructed Fossa alterna latrines only 25% are currently functional, 45% have replaced them with traditional pit latrines and very few households started linking Fossa alterna latrines with farming. There were several major technical design problems that hindered sustainability of household Fossa alterna in the study area. During the design, the family size and their water use practices were not considered and partition of pits and basements were not made of waterproof materials. Other factors included lack of awareness about operation and management, capital costs, the high management burden on women and girls, absence of coordinated effort among stakeholders, and lack of attention to sanitation by local community-based organisations.