1 Sanitation
1.1 Sanitation Introduction
In rural villages without access to adequate sanitation, latrines are typically the most
appropriate technology that can be introduced at a relatively low cost to improve
sanitation and public health. Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) works
with rural communities to improve their basic infrastructure, for example, assisting
to develop reliable access to clean drinking water and to design and construct
facilities such as latrines for sanitation. EWB-USA also assists communities with
behavior change such as proper handwashing and learning to use and maintain
latrines instead of open defecation. These measures are aligned with the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”The combination of clean water,
sanitation (such as latrines), and handwashing is the best way to reduce the incidence
of diarrheal diseases, which “account for 1 in 9 child deaths worldwide, making
diarrhea the second leading cause of death among children under the age of 5” [1].
In 2014 in India, a case of rape and murder of two young girls brought to the
public discourse another risk of open defecation – the personal security risk of not
having access to sanitation in the home. However, open defecation is the cultural
norm in many poor communities globally. Research in five northern Indian states
found that “19 percent of women with access to a latrine still preferred to defecate in
the open. . . The research is clear that ‘building toilets without addressing common
norms, attitudes and beliefs around latrine use is unlikely to reduce open defecation
in rural India’” [2].
1.2 Lessons Learned from Past Projects
Clearly there is still much work to be done in the area of water, sanitation, and
hygiene (WASH), and there are many lessons that can be learned from past projects.
According to the Report of the UN Secretary-General, Special edition: progress
towards the Sustainable Development Goals [3]:
1. “Globally, the proportion of population using safely managed drinking water
services increased from 61 to 71 percent between 2000 and 2015 and remained
unchanged in 2017. An additional 19 percent of the global population used basic
drinking water services. This means that 785 million people still lacked even a
basic drinking water service.
2. . . . Between 2000 and 2017, the proportion lacking even a basic sanitation service
decreased from 44 to 27 per cent, yet 701 million people still practiced open
defecation in 2017.
3. In 2017, some 60 percent of people worldwide and only 38 per cent in the least
developed countries had a basic handwashing facility with soap and water at
2 Village-Driven Latrines with “Engineers Without Borders USA”
39
1.1 Sanitation Introduction
In rural villages without access to adequate sanitation, latrines are typically the most
appropriate technology that can be introduced at a relatively low cost to improve
sanitation and public health. Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) works
with rural communities to improve their basic infrastructure, for example, assisting
to develop reliable access to clean drinking water and to design and construct
facilities such as latrines for sanitation. EWB-USA also assists communities with
behavior change such as proper handwashing and learning to use and maintain
latrines instead of open defecation. These measures are aligned with the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”The combination of clean water,
sanitation (such as latrines), and handwashing is the best way to reduce the incidence
of diarrheal diseases, which “account for 1 in 9 child deaths worldwide, making
diarrhea the second leading cause of death among children under the age of 5” [1].
In 2014 in India, a case of rape and murder of two young girls brought to the
public discourse another risk of open defecation – the personal security risk of not
having access to sanitation in the home. However, open defecation is the cultural
norm in many poor communities globally. Research in five northern Indian states
found that “19 percent of women with access to a latrine still preferred to defecate in
the open. . . The research is clear that ‘building toilets without addressing common
norms, attitudes and beliefs around latrine use is unlikely to reduce open defecation
in rural India’” [2].
1.2 Lessons Learned from Past Projects
Clearly there is still much work to be done in the area of water, sanitation, and
hygiene (WASH), and there are many lessons that can be learned from past projects.
According to the Report of the UN Secretary-General, Special edition: progress
towards the Sustainable Development Goals [3]:
1. “Globally, the proportion of population using safely managed drinking water
services increased from 61 to 71 percent between 2000 and 2015 and remained
unchanged in 2017. An additional 19 percent of the global population used basic
drinking water services. This means that 785 million people still lacked even a
basic drinking water service.
2. . . . Between 2000 and 2017, the proportion lacking even a basic sanitation service
decreased from 44 to 27 per cent, yet 701 million people still practiced open
defecation in 2017.
3. In 2017, some 60 percent of people worldwide and only 38 per cent in the least
developed countries had a basic handwashing facility with soap and water at
2 Village-Driven Latrines with “Engineers Without Borders USA”
39