The sustainability of CLTS in WaterAid’s program in Timor-Leste

Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) was introduced into Timor-Leste by WaterAid in 2007 and implemented by local NGO partners. As in many other countries it was found to have been successful in triggering motivation to end open defecation, however it was not known how sustainable these changes had been. This research used a sample of 22 households in 5 villages which had had CLTS interventions between 2 and 5 years ago with a view to assessing its sustainability and the possible influencing factors. The study found widely varying levels of sustainability but an overall estimated slippage rate back to open defecation of approximately 30%. A number of possible influencing factors were identified but the quality of CLTS processes and the durability of latrines were believed to be the most important. A key issue discussed was how durable latrine options could be made available to remote rural communities.