A Research on Contributive Role of Public Toilets in Improving Urban Sanitation

Background

Public and communal toilets can be considered as an essential element in environmental design, controlling factor of sanitation, adding up to a city’s worth and viability (Greed, 2004). It is without doubt that some people in recent times still exhibit poor attitude towards sanitation despite the relentless efforts of active individuals and organizations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s’ Fund (UNICEF), sanitation is described as the provision of services and facilities to enhance proper and safely disposal of human excreta.

Global, open defecation is still a big challenge as most nations including Ghana are still grappling with unimproved sanitation. Open defecation (OD) is referred to as theremoval of bodily waste through the anus to inappropriate places such as water bodies, public places, nearby bushes and one’s locality due to lack of latrines or improved sanitation is termed as open defecation (UNICEF, 2017). The sustainable development goals especially 6. 2 states that,“by 2030, all UN member nations should achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations”. In order to tackle global sanitation, the task requires that appropriate technology options and enabling environments are created. It is reported by WHO (2016) that about2. 4 billion people of the global 5. 3 billion population still do not have access to improved sanitation. Though the situation is appalling in the rural areas, urban sanitation is becoming worse off due to continuous rural-urban drift which is on the ascendency (Dahlman, 2009). Improved sanitation is the foundation in which faeco-oral transmitted diseases such as diarrhea, cholera and typhoid can be minimized if not avoided. Adubofour (2010) stated that, majority of people in urban areas especially those in developing countries such as Ghana rely fully on public and communal toilets which are often regulated by a pay-and-use policy. Pressure has been increased on these facilities leading to the deterioration of these structures due to urbanization which turns up endangering the life of both users and nearby residents. Infectious diseases are fast spread in environs with poor sanitation. Reports emphasizing on the transmission of infectious diseases due to unhealthy practices especially in public and communal latrines is on the rise in recent times. Studies carried out in Ghana have demonstrated that 44. 6% of households patronize communal and public toilet facilities (Boadi, 2004).

Also,Nketia et al. (2007) made it clear that, most users are aware of the dangers of these facilities hence propelling them to embark on open defecation since they are not able to afford households toilets. Due to this, Akapule (2015) reported that the three northern regions record high percentages of open defecation with Upper East, Upper West and Northern region recording 82%, 79% and 73% respectively.

1. 2 Problem Statement

According to Osumanu et al, 2010, one of the key challenges that impeded poverty eradication and the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) now SDGs is inadequate provision of sanitation services. The problem of poor urban sanitation cannot be linked to only unplanned settlement but also to the growing number of urbanization and lack of access to value-added sanitation. Research revealed that, 49% of Ghanaian population resides in urban areas of which only 17. 8% can boast of access to improved sanitary conditions (WSMP, 2009). Environmental pollution especially Open defecation (OD) is on the increase in the Tamale Metropolis. Again, household Latrines uptake is very low. According to a research conducted by Maple Consult in 2016, only 11 percent of the 58,524 households in Tamae has toilets. The rest of the households either use the communal/public toilet or practice OD. Communal and public toilets are not entire a solution to sanitation related menaces because the health risks posed by these structures make people feel reluctant in using them. They rather preferopen defecation which results in unfriendly environmental conditions. Analysis of the state of communal latrines in urban areas showed that most of them are of high public health risk (Caplan, 2010) and this is of no difference in the Tamale metropolis. With the huge deficit of household toilets in the Tamale metropolis, this study seeks to assess the level of impact of communal and public latrine on households’ latrine uptake.

1. 3 Research purpose/ Aim

The aim of the project is to identify the contributive role(s) played by public toilets in improving urban sanitation and creating awareness of the dangers associated with the use of public toilets and the need to shift away from open defecation to the use of household toilets in order to achieve good health and improved urban sanitation.

1. 5 Research question

1. How have public toilets contributed to solving the sanitation problem in urban settings such as Tamale?2. What role can communal latrines help in dealing with sanitation problems in this era of urbanization?

2. 0 Literature Review

The literature review will be based on previous works done. Data will be sourced from textbooks, Ghana statistical survey department, journals, archives, internet, articles and publications in the area of interest. It will throw lights on Ghana’s environmental policies, general state of sanitation in Ghana and Tamale specifically. This will also outdoor public toilets in Tamale metropolis and the different types of technologies employed in their construction as well as the need for improved sanitation and hygienic practices. This exercise will expose the extent to which communal latrines had helped in improving urban sanitation and identify the need for household toilets. It is also expected to bring out the driving forces of poor urban sanitation due to open defecation despite the presence of public toilets. The environmental and health implications of the communal toilets will be looked at as well as the sanitation and hygiene concept of public latrines.

3. 0 Proposed Methodology

The project will be undertaken in three steps, the pre-field work stage, the field-work stage and the post-field work stage in order to achieve its aims and objectives. Deductions and interpretations will rely heavily upon data obtained from both primary and secondary sources.

3. 1 Pre-Field Work

As part of the pre-field work stage, desk study and literature review will be undertaken to broaden knowledge about the work. Literature related with the research will be gathered and assessed by way of books, reports, journals etc. At this stage, questionnaires will be prepared and Arc G. I. S application will be used to delineate the area under study, Tamale.

3. 2 Field Work

The field work stage of the project will involve the administration of questionnaires, personal interviews and open group discussions. The spatial geographic location of public latrines will also be recorded with a Global Positioning System device (GPS).

3. 3 Post Field

At the post field stage, data collected will be compiled, analysed, interpreted and discussed for the success of this work.

4. 0 Significance of Study

This research is expected to update the current available data on urban sanitation in the Tamale metropolis in order to aid future researchers. Another key outcome of this research program would be is to documentthe contributions of public or communal toilets towards urban sanitation improvement. This research is expected to clearly bring out the dangers of public and communal toilets on both human health and on the environment. It is also expected to provide understanding on the essence of the choice of household toilets over public ones when issues of proper sanitation are raised. At the end of this study, it is expected that people’s attention towards open defecation be decreased and strengthened sanitation policies in order to achieve improved sanitation condition in the tamale metropolis.