posted on 2012-11-21, 15:26authored byAndrews Nkansah, Julie Fisher, M. Sohail (Khan)
On-plot sanitation is vital in many low-income country urban areas. Pit emptying is critical to its sustainability and
small-scale manual emptiers play a key role in this. This paper investigates the sustainability of manual pit emptying
as a livelihood option, focusing on the key sustainable livelihood factors relating to the human, social, physical and
financial capitals of manual emptiers. These relate to: their role as emptiers; the employment systems and equipment;
their health, well-being, social status and the acceptability of the job they do. The paper concludes that the current
state of pit-emptying practice does not represent a sustainable long-term livelihood option for manual pit emptiers, as
long as it continues with no improvements in technology, insufficient financial incentives and inadequate health and
safety measures. Recommendations to improve sustainability include: improvements in emptying technology;
provision of subsidies and free medical care; and health and safety education.
History
School
Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering
Research Unit
Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC)
Citation
NKANSAH, A., FISHER, J. and SOHAIL, M., 2012. Manual pit emptying as a sustainable livelihood in Ghana. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Engineering Sustainability, 165 (3), pp. 215 - 221.