posted on 2020-10-09, 14:17authored byRichard N. Dewhurst
The impact of the relentless rise in population, compounded by rapid rates of urbanisation, is
being felt across the globe, with ever increasing pressures placed on land availability and
resources in many cities of the developing world. A consequence of these factors is the
emergence of large, unplanned and disorganised high-density urban and peri-urban
settlements, where the availability of adequate sanitation facilities is intolerably low, and the
space required to provide improved facilities is in exceptionally short supply. Land tenure and
ownership further complicate the situation leaving many residents of such settlements with very
few options to improve their sanitation.
In recent years, a small number of container-based sanitation (CBS) services have been
established in this type of environment, whereby human excreta are collected in sealable,
portable containers or cartridges, which are subsequently collected and transported to treatment
or disposal facilities. The organisations have developed reasonably independently of each other
thus far, and therefore the processes by which they deliver their service are bespoke and
specific to the contexts within which they operate. The reasons why variations in the operational
methodologies exist are due to the developmental processes that the CBS organisations have
been through to create their services. The effects of the physical characteristics of the
settlements and the existence of localised influential cultural practices, have led to very context
specific approaches, and varying degrees of expansion.
This research identifies and collates the numerous factors and influences that can affect the
success and viability of CBS, based on the experiences of the existing organisations. Through
the application of the identified factors, a weighted scoring matrix was developed to create a
tool which could be used to evaluate any context with regard to the potential viability of CBS.
Through the use of the matrix, the potential of CBS to provide a sanitation solution in any given
area can be determined.
Following the identification of the required conditions and success criteria for CBS viability, and
the development of the scoring matrix, the research applies the technique to the context of the
squatter settlements of Kathmandu, in order to determine the potential of CBS technologies to
provide these communities with an improved level of sanitation. It was determined that the
potential of CBS within the squatter settlements of Kathmandu was low due to the widespread
availability of existing sanitation, the low level of potential WTP and the universal practice of
washing to anally cleanse following defecation.