neethu mathew

14
Monday 20.01.14 theguardian Let us talk about sanitation

Upload: neethu-mathew

Post on 09-Apr-2016

233 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

A short essay looking at toilet solutions for urban slums in the developing countries and how the answer needs to look at an integrated design system developed directly with the users involved. The article structure and layout and was inspired by The Guardian weekend supplement.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Neethu mathew

Mon

day

20.0

1.14

theg

uard

ian

Let us talk about sanitation

Page 2: Neethu mathew

T oilets might not be a conversation starter for many

people but with the introduction of World Toilet Day on November 19 that is the intention. Sanitary waste disposal is one of our most basic human rights, but today toilets seem to have become more absurd in their innovations. From heated toilet seats to playing noise masking music, it seems ludicrous to imagine that in this same world people are defecating in public due to lack of resources.

Sanitation has been a social issue for many years in developing countries. The basic dignity of hygienic excretion and its safe disposal is only a dream for the 2.5 billion people who live with this reality - roughly 37 per cent of the world’s population[1].

United Nations’ millennium goal of halving the proportion of the population without basic sanitation by 2015 is far from being a reality[2]. With our current progress, some experts predict that it will take another 200 years to fulfil this goal[3] .

Often it is the most vulnerable groups that are affected the most by this issue. Approximately 2,000 children die every day due to diarrhoea-related ailments, caused by a lack of water and sanitation [4]. Women are continuously putting themselves at risk of sexual assault as they try to find a place away from the village for open defecation. Nowhere is this problem more pronounced than in India, home to 50% of those who lack access to water and sanitation [5].

For many years the traditional method for solving sanitation issues was to provide funds for sewerage and toilet constructions. However the progress has been slow, mainly due to two reasons: firstly the system benefits the wealthy and not to the masses of people living under the poverty line. Secondly the strategic schemes are inappropriate for certain cultural customs and this, coupled with the lack of education about the benefits of such a system, has hindered any progressive developments. 50% of facilities that have been built

Effective toilet solutions for urban slums in the developing countries

How the answer needs to look at an integrated design system developed directly with the users involved. Neethu Mathew reports

Global development

The basic dignity of hygienic excretion and its safe disposal is only a dream for the 2.5 billion people who live with this reality

Above: Urban slum in Delhi (Miriam Olin , 2012)

Page 3: Neethu mathew

are not being used as intended. In many cases they end up being used as firewood stores or goat sheds [6].

However harsh the statistics many seem there is still hope for progress in this field. Many strategic developments, mainly sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, are starting to look at this issue. But the real defining solution will come from involvement of effective strategies from political incentives, to efficient planning of infrastructure to and the convergence of an appropriate design developed with the local community.

Political barriers Sanitation is a political issue that has been continuously overlooked as a priority in local and state governments in India for many years. This complex topic can

be boiled down to a few criteria: lack of political power of the urban poor, lack of funding available from the government, lack of foresight and the poor management of urban planners in India of previous infrastructure projects[7].

Advances in medicine and science have allowed the middle class citizens to barricade themselves from the threat of epidemics that threaten the urban poor.

The Indian middle class are also becoming more westernised in their patterns of consumption and as such India has fallen into a trap of forgetting marginalised individual social groups. This is further emphasised by these communities opting to live in “gated communities” which provide many of the basic services [7]. This structural separation has

sharpened the divide between these two social groups, and has rendered to an extent a “forgotten” nature to the urban poor [7]. All these factors have resulted in the middle-class failing to place any pressure on governments to implement sanitation solutions for the urban poor. The urban poor lack any political power themselves, to pressure the government’s involvement, mainly due to the fact that many are living in illegal squalor.

In the era of globalisation India has been being trying to actively withdraw from the provision of basic services, without fully addressing the gap in such services for the informal sector. India still relies heavily on foreign aid and NGOs to manage the environmental and public health concerns of these urban dwellers [7]. But with the growing international scrutiny and pressure of the UN Millennium Development Goals the Indian government have announced several schemes to aid the poor.

However India has a long history in their ineffective implementation of support schemes. In 1992 the World Bank funded a project to develop twenty thousand serviced plots to the poor to provide housing for over 150,000 urban poor. Nonetheless, these houses were grabbed by lower and middle class income groups [7].

The failure to manage urban slums is mainly due to the government ignoring thehousing and basic needs

20.01.14 The Guardian 3

Page 4: Neethu mathew

of the informal working sector as the focus has always been on slowing down urban growth instead of tackling the relevant problems.

Another perfect example of not understanding the relevant needs of the urban dwellers is showcased by “The Master Plan”. This was the first major project of town planning in Chandigarh which started in the 1951, planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier [8]. The Master Plan focused on the design of the buildings, green spaces, building roads, all of which are necessary, however the detrimental flaw of the whole project was the lack of planning for the large percentage of the population who work in the informal sector [8].

Housing arrangements for the construction workers were non-existent and within a decade of the Master Plan’s project inception, unplanned settlement growth surpassed the planned city. Between 1961 -71 the unplanned settlements grew by 230 per cent, mainly to house the construction workers [7]. 107,098 people out of the overall 808,796 population were living in illegal slums by 2001 [7].

Chandigrah was intended to project economic wealth and balance but now its urban services struggle under immense pressure. One can’t help but think that if only the design considered the informal sector, the city plan could have had the potential to be pioneering in its field.

Page 5: Neethu mathew

Right: Vendors in the informal sector selling colorful flowers at the market(Arne, 2012)

20.01.14 The Guardian 5

Page 6: Neethu mathew

Marketing schemes The Government of India has tried other ways to combat this problem, to provide behaviour change incentives through marketing campaigns. One of the most successful marketing campaigns started in 2005 in the Haryana state, north India that revolved around the message “No Loo, No I Do”[9]. The project focused on encouraging families of marriageable age women to demand potential suitors to construct a latrine, prior to marriage in his family home.

The illegal practice of aborting female foetuses for male descendants has led to a shortage of women for prospective brides. This has resulted in an unforeseen leverage for unmarried women in India and they now have the power to be more selective in the arrangement of a match. This government scheme harnesses on this leverage women currently hold to create a perfect opportunity to implement change.

Women in these households are traditionally responsible for the cleanliness of their home and by involving women in the process of sanitation and hygiene there is a real possibility to create change. Talking to Dr. Dan Lockton, a specialist on design for sustainable behaviour, he comments on this, “things that work are when campaigns/products are aligned with something that’s already happening.” This brilliant marketing scheme linked the necessity for sanitation with real issues such as marriage, and thus started changing a cultural taboo to a talking point spanning nations. The slogan was published and promoted through radio coverage, TV, and adverts and became so popular that it was soon reported in international media outlets such as the Washington Post.

Other strategies for behavioural change have been developed from this example. The Potty Project by the company Quicksand

Far left: A women stands next to an outdoor toilet on the banks of the Yamuna River (Gates Foundation, 2011)

Middle: A child from the Manek Chowk slums in Ahmedabad, India (Meena Kadri , 2011)

Above: Hindu devotees observing “Chhath puja”, a religious festival in the river Ganges (Salt, 2011)

Page 7: Neethu mathew

has proposed a possibility to endorse the issue of sanitation by promoting it as an aspirational self-image [10]. There has always been a relationship between hygiene products and personal beauty but this has not yet translated into sanitation [10]. By branding sanitation as an aspirational self-image to the residents in urban slums, it could attract potential users who have otherwise been unable to relate to this social development campaign. However such schemes should be careful, before adopting this

platform Dr. Lockton warns, “It is hard, if not impossible for us living in the western world to try to contextualise their problem,” he said. “Researchers need to go into the field and conduct real ethnographic research to see if this could be a potential solution.” One possible method which could be applied is the promotion and education of sanitation to the urban migrants by respected members of the local community. This could be prominent non-profit charities already working in these neighbourhoods or

There is no denying that behaviour schemes are integral for creating the solution for sanitation

religious leaders of the local community. India is one of the most religious nations according to a PewResearch. Approximately 72% of the population consider religion to be incredibly important to their daily life and through these avenues there is a possibility to reach a wide audience, areas others have failed to reach so far [11].

20.01.14 The Guardian 7

Page 8: Neethu mathew

Current waste systems There is no denying that behaviour schemes are integral for creating the solution for sanitation however this will only work when supported by better technology and calculated waste systems that are suitable for the environment. According to an Indian report presented at the UN Conference on Human Settlements in 1996, creating a water-borne system for the entire country would cost 7 billion pounds (Rs 728 billion)[12] . This is only the capital costs so when factoring the maintenance, operational costs and depreciation the overall costs could be astronomical [12].

Another added complexity to this situation is the provision of water to such a system. Modern flush toilets use 10 times the average drinking requirement for an average person and thus are completely unacceptable for countries with poor access to water, or sewerage systems[13]. This situation is not just based on developing countries. It is reported by the EU only 79 major cities out of 542 have full treatment of their sewage. It was not until 1998 that Brussels developed treatment facilities, before which 70% of its sewage was directed towards the waterways [14]. Dishearteningly, in London more than 2mm rain can cause our sewage systems to overflow and it is reported that approximately 16m tonnes of waste is dumped into the River Thames each year [15]. There is nothing inherently wrong with our sewage system but London has grown at such a rate that our

to poorer households”[13]. Many of the designs that are trying to tackle this issue don’t address the existing constraints of the stark reality of the slums in India, mainly the social perceptions of such a product. By creating and testing the product through its development process on site, within the right context, you can create an effective toilet solution ideally suited for each community.

Shurti Grover, a graduate from Royal College of Art in 2013 has focused more on a human-centred approach, looking into not only the design of the toilet but the system that needs to be in place around such a product. Miss Grover, who originally lived in India, experienced the reality first hand and thus wanted to focus her project on this subject. Shurti Grover’s “Gu Bank” project focuses on the male migrants who are the biggest defaulters in urban slums in India. If there are public toilets, women will try to use these facilities. However men tend to see no real need for these facilities and continue to openly defecate [16].

Through primary testing with users, Miss. Grover found the incentive schemes that would be most useful for the urban poor was energy either for cooking, or electrical purposes. In Delhi there are approximately 1000 migrants who move to this city every day without identity cards, and subsequently they are prohibited from buying subsidized liquid petroleum gas [16]. These migrants are forced to the black market for such goods, where the

sewage systems are struggling to keep up.

Redesigning the toilet and waste disposal systemsWith the focus of the Gates foundation, the new design systems that are being developed focus on the high energetic value of human excrement and translate this waste to a profit making, sustainable venture.

Development of new systems is ideal for developing countries because with the lack of structure already in place there is potential to create new innovative solutions. Dr. Michael Hoffmann and his team at California Institute of Technology have created a solar powered toilet to power an electrochemical reactor. The panel of photovoltaic cells can use a day’s light to power an entire system for 24 hours [13]. The reactor then breaks down human waste and water to create fertiliser and hydrogen gas, which can be used to power electric fuel cells [13]. The treated water can then be reused to flush the toilet and for irrigation [13]. Although the project is technologically revolutionary, the implementation of such systems as a fully realised solution is far from being a reality.

Erik Harvey, head of the support programme at WaterAid commented in a recent article, “It’s great that someone is investing in blue-sky thinking and innovation. But we’re still left with the problem of how to provide such a service at a viable cost

Page 9: Neethu mathew

Top: Bill Gates at the Reinvent the Toilet Fair(Gates Foundation, 2012)

Middle pictures: The Gu bag is a one-time use bag for defecation (Shurti Grover, 2013)

Bottom: The Gu Bank enterprise system(Shurti Grover, 2013)

20.01.14 The Guardian 9

Page 10: Neethu mathew

“If someone can provide an opportunity for you to gain from your waste and this provides an avenue to remove the waste from the public sphere, then it is a perfect solution.”

- Shurti Grover, 2013

Page 11: Neethu mathew

charge for liquid petroleum gas will be up to three times higher [16]. To target these users the Gu Bank offers migrants access to subsidized biomethane cooking gas in exchange for their faecal matter. Gu Bank enterprise offers waste disposable bags that can be purchased at a local corner shop every month [16]. The bags are manufactured from anaerobically decomposable recycled paper which is covered with a layer of biodegradable paper to make it waterproof. Each bag is used once and, after use can be deposited in designated skips. It is then collected and taken to a biomethane facility for process. The generated biomethane can then be sold to the community, and could act as an alternative to the compressed natural gas (which currently powers buses in the city) [16].

Nonetheless, this project is far from being a fully realised solution. Although the design system has the potential to work, it is still being developed with its main drawbacks being the lack of technical structure and support, which is what Miss. Grover is currently focusing on. The project highlights an idea that is mostly forgotten in the western world, which is the financial gains that are possible to each individual from their waste. “What comes out of your body belongs to you, and people should be able to bank of their waste,” Miss. Grover points out. “If someone can provide an opportunity for you to gain from that waste and provides

an avenue to remove the waste from the public sphere, then it is a perfect solution.”

The acceptance of the reality of the situation in urban slums is what differentiates this project from others. It could be argued that this gamification of waste is a tactic to encourage design for behaviour change. By providing gas for cooking, you are enabling people by providing something people want and not forcing them to change their behaviour. Dr. Dan Lockton comments on this project by saying “this way you don’t need to motivate people to use your product; it’s just a side effect of the situation, as they motivate themselves in achieving something they want.” The project doesn’t intend to completely eradicate open defecation and transform behaviour change, but tries to create a possible solution to the complex factors that these urban slums are currently facing. “It is about accepting and proposing a model for present day India,” says Miss. Grover. It provides an intervention for safety and bio security for cities that do not presently have proper urban planning.

In all the strategies that have been considered in this article there has been a single underlying concept. In order to create effective toilet solutions for developing countries such as India we have to create an integrated system that focuses on all aspects from design, community life, social issues, government and infrastructure management with the development with the

urban migrants living in these communities.

Strategies cannot be developed remotely without understanding the user’s motivations and constraints within that context. Only by diving into the relevant context, understanding the realities of urban slum life, can we create a truly integrated design solution. We also need to remember that it is not just design which is the answer but working with local governments, campaigns by medical practitioners and the support of the middle class citizens.

It is easy to feel defeated before the fight has even begun. The task at hand seems impossible to overcome but with small steps and the involvement of various agencies we are slowly combating the complex problem of sanitation. With an organisation such as the Gates foundation providing a catalyst for these schemes, we might truly be at a point in time where we can change the dire reality of sanitation. Part of this fight is just to remember to talk about sanitation, even if it’s just on World Toilet Day.

20.01.14 The Guardian 11

Page 12: Neethu mathew

References:

[1] United Nations. 2014. Access to sanitation. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/sani-tation.shtml. [Accessed 07 January 14].

[2] Ensure environmental sustainability. 2013. Millennium Goals. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.un.org/mil-lenniumgoals/pdf/Goal_7_fs.pdf. [Accessed 07 January 14].

[3] Guardian News and Media Limited. 2011. Just building a million latrines won't solve Africa's sanitation crisis. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jan/21/nige-ria-sanitation-local-solutions. [Accessed 07 January 14].

[4] Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. 2012. Water and Sanitation. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.un.org/en/sustainablefuture/pdf/Rio+20_FS_Water.pdf. [Accessed 07 January 14].

[5] RTI Press. 2013. India, Urban Sanitation, and the Toilet Challenge. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.rti.org/pubs/rb-0006-1309-elledge.pdf. [Accessed 02 February 14].

[6] Gates Foundation. 2012. Water, sanitation & Hygiene - Strategy Overview. [ONLINE] Available at:https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/Documents/wsh-strategy-overview.pdf. [Accessed 07 January 14].

[7] Chaplin, S.E.C, 2011. The Politics of Sanitation in India: Cities, Services and the State. 1st ed. Hyderabad, India: Orient Blackswan Private.

[8] Slideshare. 2012. Planning of chandigarh by Le Corbusier. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.slideshare.net/ctlachu/planning-of-chandigarh-by-le-corbusier. [Accessed 29 January 14].

[9] Washington Post. 2009. In India, More Women Demand Toilets Before Marriage. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/11/AR2009101101934.html. [Accessed 29 January 14].

[10] The potty project. 2011. Understanding user experience of sanitation for the urban poor. [ONLINE] Available at: http://bopdesigner.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/pottyproject_execsummary1.pdf. [Accessed 29 January 14].

[11] Pew Research Center. 2008. Religiosity. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.pewglobal.org/2008/09/17/chap-ter-2-religiosity/. [Accessed 29 January 14].

[12] Chaplin, S. E. C., 1999. Cities, sewers and poverty: India’s politics of sanitation. Environment and Urbaniza-tion, [Online]. 1/11, 145-158. Available at: http://eau.sagepub.com/content/11/1/145.full.pdf[Accessed 29 January 2014]

[13] BBC News. 2012. Hi-tech toilets save lives - and mean big business. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19873478. [Accessed 29 January 14].

[14] Rosenquist, L.E.D.R., 2005. A psychosocial analysis of the human-sanitation nexus. Journal of Environ-mental Psychology, [Online]. 3/25, 335–346. Available at:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027249440500040X# [Accessed 29 January 2014].

[15] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/utilities/9830278/Controversial-super-sewer-under-Lon-don-to-raise-a-stink.html

[16] Grover, S.G., 2013. Gu Bank - offgrid sanitation for male migrants in urban India. Masters. London: Royal College of Art.

Page 13: Neethu mathew

Picture references:

Arne, (2012), Street markets [ONLINE]. Available at: http://arneinindien.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/kalkutta-liegt-am-hugli-so-199.html [Accessed 02 February 14].

Gates Foundation, (2012), Bill Gates at the Reinvent the Toilet Fair [ONLINE]. Available at:http://www.ibtimes.com/one-mans-waste-anothers-golden-opportunity-gates-foundation-awards-next-gen-toilet-designers-748800 [Accessed 02 February 14].

Gates Foundation, (2011), Street markets [ONLINE]. Available at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/gatesfounda-tion/5926415271/sizes/l/ [Accessed 02 February 14].

(Front page picture) Lecercle. 2008. 13th Compound, Dharav. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lecercle/2401804080/in/pool-1070247@N23. [Accessed 02 February 14].

Meena Kadri , (2011), A child from the Manek Chowk slums in Ahmedabad, India [ONLINE]. Available at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/56252733@N00/5363511712 [Accessed 02 February 14].

Miriam Olin , (2012), Slums of Delhi [ONLINE]. Available at:http://gomoplaces.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/india-city-day-three-slumdog.html [Accessed 02 February 14].

Salt, (2011), Hindu devotees gather to worship the Sun god on the banks of river Ganges during the Hindu religious festival Chhat Puja in Patna [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.salt.gr/india-right-to-pee-campaign/hindu-devotees-gather-to-worship-the-sun-god-on-the-banks-of-river-ganges-during-the-hindu-religious-festi-val-chhat-puja-in-patna [Accessed 02 February 14].

Shurti Grover, (2013), Can gamification create a bio-secure India [ONLINE]. Available at:http://cargocollective.com/shrutigrover/Q-CAN-GAMIFICATION-CREATE-A-BIO-SECURE-INDIA[Accessed 02 February 14].

Page 14: Neethu mathew

Neethu Mathew1018035