Understanding Fecal Sludge Management Practices in Nhlamankulo, Maputo, Mozambique

In informal settlements of developing cities a major challenge for providing safe sanitation is hygienic fecal sludge management. There is only limited knowledge about habits and preferences with regards to filled-up onsite... [ view full abstract ]

In informal settlements of developing cities a major challenge for providing safe sanitation is hygienic fecal sludge management. There is only limited knowledge about habits and preferences with regards to filled-up onsite sanitation facilities in these communities. Understanding them is crucial for designing sanitation services that reduce the high fecal-related disease burden and improve public health.

We use data from a cross-sectional survey consisting of 359 household interviews and sanitation facility measurements in the municipal district of Nhlamankulo, Maputo’s oldest unplanned district. We analyze emptying rates, existing service providers, their emptying techniques and prices, as well as the residents’ attitudes towards them. We also assess the total fecal sludge volume and estimate the share that is safely managed.

A hygienic fecal sludge management service is inaccessible to most households in Nhlamankulo due to either physical or economic barriers. Most households rely on family members and informal operators (18% and 43% respectively) who bury the fecal sludge in the yard, dump it in open drains or onto solid waste collection points. 39% of the households contract small-scale companies that use diesel-powered trash pumps or hand pumps and inconsistently transport the fecal sludge to the sewage treatment plant. The necessity to pay upfront for fecal sludge management services poses a serious problem to many households, with the poorest hit disproportionally. There would be a strong preference for hygienic services if they were cheaper and the sanitation facilities were physically accessible. We estimate that today around 52% of the fecal sludge actually taken out of sanitation facilities never leaves the neighborhood. Fecal sludge exposure is thus wide spread and is likely to increase with further densification of the district. The results of the study and emerging policy recommendations will be discussed in this presentation.