Innovative designs and approaches in sanitation when responding to challenging and complex humanitarian contexts in urban areas

Is it safe to use untreated greywater to irrigate vegetables in my backyard?

“…In Haiti specifically, disaster-affected persons in Port-au-Prince moved into tent shelter spontaneous settlements in parks, fields, and open areas of the city. Additionally, in densely populated areas it was difficult to set up community management committees, to desludge latrines, and to dispose of waste in sewage ponds without increasing risk (Bastable and Lamb, 2012). Many residents living in spontaneous settlements reported going back to their destroyed homes to defecate privately and safely.…”

“…Port-o-Potties were imported and set up in rows surrounding spontaneous settlements, local residents were hired for cleaning, and trucks were imported or hired to empty the Port-o-Potties. Disinfection was limited by the fact that, at the time of the earthquake, there were no wastewater treatment facilities in Haiti, and thus human excreta was dumped in local streams and rivers, remote areas, or garbage dumps (such as one site that accepted solid waste, medical waste, and fecal waste) (Bastable and Lamb, 2012). Two wastewater treatment facilities were planned to open in 2012, but by 2012 many of the spontaneous settlements, and the Port-o-Potties, had been abandoned.…”

“…Two wastewater treatment facilities were planned to open in 2012, but by 2012 many of the spontaneous settlements, and the Port-o-Potties, had been abandoned. Additionally, the high cost of operation (from $9-20 per day) and user dislike of seeing other's waste made Port-o-Potties appropriate as a short-term intervention only (Bastable and Lamb, 2012), although some organizations negotiated long term rental prices equivalent to the cost of semi-permanent latrines (Eyrard, 2011). Some organizations moved from using Port-a-Potties to using raised latrines with large common collection containers in the spontaneous settlements, which were less expensive to operate.…”

“…These bags had the benefit that they built upon an existing sanitation practice, "flying toilets", where users defecate in plastic bags and throw them away 'somewhere'. The bags also offered privacy and a safe defecation experience for women, children, and the elderly at night in shelters (Bastable and Lamb, 2012). Currently, there are data from three projects that distributed bags in emergencies; these data are summarized below.…”

Urban flooding in Kenya from a psychosocial perspective

“…The communal latrines used during emergency fill up quickly and become hazardous with increased cases of giardiasis among children Lora-Suarez et al (2002). Agencies are reported to be poorly equipped to deal with the rapid provision of pit latrines in urban emergency contexts due to a high water table, concrete sites, or lack of permission thus, calling for reliance on the communities' internal mechanisms (Bastable & Lamb, 2012;Johannessen, 2011;Harvey & Reed 2005;Wisner & Adams, 2002).…”