| Popis: |
Poor fecal sludge management (FSM) results in significant public health and environmental risk exposures. To understand the FSM patterns and future scenarios of Kombolcha town, qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and the Shit Flow Diagram (SFD) data analyzing tool were used. The study showed that 75.7% of households rely on shared toilets with two and above households. Cistern flush toilets, pour/manual flush toilets, ventilated improved pit latrine, pit latrine with slab and pit latrine without slab are the main technologies practiced in the town as 2.1, 19.8, 11.1, 56.4 and 10.6 %, respectively. 98.5% of the toilet types were unlined or only partially lined. On the other hand, only 37% of households practice toilet pit or sludge tank filling up and emptying. It was also found that only 56% of fecal sludge was safely managed. The remaining 44% of excreta is disposed in a way that it poses environmental and public health risk. Thus, current fecal sludge management trend exposes the community’s health unless sanitation bye-laws and building code regulations are set to address the quality of toilet technologies that promote hygienic standards. |
