Challenges of Ecological Sanitation:

Experiences from Vietnam & Malawi

H. Harada1*, S. Matsui1, S. Fujii1, S. Ono2

1  Graduate  School  of  Global  Environmental  Studies,  Kyoto  Univ.2  Nippon  International  Cooperation  for  Community  Development

Challenges of global sanitation (MDGs) Diarrhea,  a  result  of  poor  sanitation,   is  the  6th  death  cause  and  the  7th  global  burden  of  diseases.

1.7  &  0.6  bill ion  w/o  proper  sanitation   in  Asia  &  Africa

INTRODUCTION

Global water crisis Food security and depletion of phosphate rock

Dry toilet with excreta use for agriculture

(Ecological Sanitation)

2/14An ecosan toilet

Ecosan still challenging in its broader implementation

INTRODUCTION (Cont’d)

Based  on  3  ecosan cases   in  Vietnam  &  Malawi,  this  study  examined  possibilities  &  challenges  of  ecosan from  3  aspects  above.

Two essential requirements to provide comfortable defecation space to be 

continuously accepted to reduce health risk by a dry toilet

to use urien and humanure for  agricultureAnother requirements of ecosan toilets

Purpose:

• Urine as liquid fertil izer• Feces as  humanure after  deposition  with  ash  for  sanitization

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Humanure

Urine

Fecophobic attitude

Case B: An ecosan introduction in southern Vietnam

METHODOLOGY

Case A: A traditional ecosan in northern Vietnam

Case C: A large‐scale ecosan introduction in Malawi

At a village with traditional custom of ecological sanitationA quantitative microbial risk assessment on excreta use

A survey on comfort and acceptance after long‐term use  

At a village w/o excreta use custom, where household daily practices were monitored in details

Similar in the ecosan design of Case B, but more successful in excreta use fro agriculture

A comparison of cases B and C for extracting essential components for grater success 4/14

Trai hamlet,  Phu Xuyen,  Hanoi,  Vietnam Dry toilet  (56%),  WC  (44%)WC toilet wastewater discharged to the env.

CASE A: TRADITIONAL ECOSAN

soil

Irrigation

water

foods

hands

?

?

?

?excreta

Health risk assessment (E.  Coli base)

More contamination and health risk due to dry toilet and excreta use?

Urine

Fecal hole

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?

Traditional ecosan toiletFig. Potential pathway of fecal pathogens

TRADITIONAL ECOSAN:HEALTH RISK?

E. Coli cou

nt 

(CFU

/100

 mL, CFU

/device, CFU

/hand)

1

10

102

103

104

105

106

n=20 n=6Boiled‐and‐stored rain water 

(Drinking)

Ecosan WCn=19 n=5

Stored rain water(hygiene)

Ecosan WCn=22 n=7

Storedwell water(bathing)

Ecosan WCn=19 n=6

Chopstick

Ecosan WCn=19 n=5

Rice bowl

Ecosan WCn=34 n=10

Hand

Ecosan WC

IN-HOUSE CONTAMINATION STATUS

No  significant  effect  of  excreta‐use  custom  on   in‐house  contamination   level

Fig. Comparison of in‐house contamination  statusbetween ecosan tolet users and water‐flush‐toilet uses 

Ecosan: Ecosan toilet usersWC: Water flush toilet users

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10-9 10-8 10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2 10-1 100 101

Paddy field soil during farmingBoiled-and-stored rain water during drinking

Stored well water during bathingStored rain water during hygiene practices

Devices of eating during eatingGarden soil during gardening

Pond water during fishingIrrigation water during irrigation

River water during fishing in a riverPond water during swimming in a pond

Total

TRADITIONAL ECOSAN:HEALTH RISK?

HEALTH RISK FROM FECAL CONTAMINATION

Infectious risk (event/cap/year)

0.59 – 2.7 infectious event/cap/yr (95%tile, Med.=1.4)

• Large health risk but maily from environmental water• Dry sanitation has a great advantage to reduce health risk by avoiding toilet wastewater discharge to the water environment  

Fig. Infectious risk contribution though various daily activities

Potential pathw

ay 

to transm

it fecal infectio

us dise

ass

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10-9 10-8 10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2 10-1 100 101

Infectious risk (event/cap/year)Fig. Infectious risk contribution though various daily activities

10-9 10-8 10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2 10-1 100 101

Paddy field soil during farmingBoiled-and-stored rain water during drinking

Stored well water during bathingStored rain water during hygiene practices

Devices of eating during eatingGarden soil during gardening

Pond water during fishingIrrigation water during irrigation

River water during fishing in a riverPond water during swimming in a pond

Total

TRADITIONAL ECOSAN:HEALTH RISK?

HEALTH RISK FROM FECAL CONTAMINATION

Infectious risk (event/cap/year)

• Large health risk but maily from environmental water• Dry sanitation has a great advantage to reduce health risk by avoiding toilet wastewater discharge to the water environment  

Fig. Infectious risk contribution though various daily activities

Potential pathw

ay 

to transm

it fecal infectio

us dise

ases

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CASE B: ECOSAN INTRODUCTION IN A VILLAGE, VIETNAM

Urine container

Two faecal chambers

Ventilation pipe

Hamlet  No.5,  DP,  Lamdong,  Vietnam A minority  hamlet  w/o  toilets  and custom of  excreta use

80% infected by parasites

85 toilets introduced(80 USD/unit, 2002‐03)

Fecal holes

Urinal

9/14Double vaults urine diversion toilet

Urine diversion squatting pans

ECOSAN INTRO. IN A VILLAGE:ACCEPTABILITY? (Cont’d)

SITUATION AFTER 39 MONTHS

Check itemDuring Month 0‐4 At Month 39

(%)(n=80)

(%)(n=50)

Offensive fecal smell inside a toilet 1.3 14.0      

Maggots inside a toilet vault 0 12.0      

Many flies inside a toilet vault (>10 flies) 0 0.0      

Table Conditions of ecosan toilets after 39 months

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ECOSAN INTRO. IN A VILLAGE:ACCEPTABILITY? (Cont’d)

EXCRETA USE FOR AGRICULTURE

Check item At Month 39% of toilets n

Feces never taken out from vaults 63.3       30 Feces taken out of vaults before a proper retention period 33.3       12 

Feces never used for agriculture 58.8       17 Urine not used for agriculture properly 65.4       26 

Table Use of feces and urine

The toilet itself was accepted widely but agricultural use of excreta was a great challenge.

11/14Collected urine Deposited feces with ash

A  comprehensive  development  project  since  2007,  after  our  ecosan in  Vietnam

In  three  districts  of  Malawi,  783  ecosantoilets   introduced. Local bricks from local people: cement and corrugated iron sheets from NICCO

Basically  similar  design  of  the  ecosan in  Vietnam,  but  one  of  successful  projects  in  the  areas  without  any  custom  of  excreta  use

CASE C: SUCCESSFUL LARGE-SCALE ECOSAN IN MALAWI

12/14Feces taken out from a toiletUrine diversion squatting pans

Double vault urine diversion toilet

COMPONENTS FOR LARGE-SCALE SUCCESS?

- Moringa and Jatrophaplanted

- Fruit trees planted

- Organic farming - Distribution of local seeds

- Measures of pests and insects

- Distribution ofmosquito nets

- Health education

- Toilet construction- Feces&urine as organic

fertilizer

- Hand Pumps- Workshop for village level operation & maintenance

- Fostering local leaders - Committee development for agriculture, women,

and health

Reforestation

Human Resource Development

Water Supply Ecosan toilet

-

Measures forinfection

Grain storage

Agriculture

ComprehensiveRural

Development

COMPREHENSIVENESS

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How to  properly use  urine  &  feces  as  the  important  lesson  from Vietnam 

Farmers  with  confidence  on  better yield  of  maize,  resulting  in  better health conditions

Integration of ecosan with agriculture,  and demonstration of  the  increase  in  agriculture  products=>“demands  of  urine  and  humanure created.”

Better operation of  toilets,  better performance  to  improve  health situation

INTEGRATION WITH AGRICULTURE

COMPONENTS FOR LARGE-SCALE SUCCESS? (cont’d)

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Humanure

Application of humanure

Demonstration of urine and humanure use

Health  risk  on  ecosan toilet  use Great advantages to reduce health risk by avoiding toilet‐wastes discharge to the water environment

Acceptance  of  ecosan toilets Confirmed at a long‐term base with comfortable room for excretion.   However, excreta use not executed largely.

An  essential  component  for  grater   implementation Integration of ecosan with strong support to agriculture production, resulting in demand creation to treat and reuse human excreta

CONCLUSIONS

Ecosan would contribute to sanitary improvement and food security.  There is still a challenge of excreta use but its integration with agricultural production shall  be a promising approach.

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Thank you for your kind attention.

This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI 06J03015, 21860049, 10135535 and 25870377; and the Kyoto University Global COE project “Global Center for Education and Research on Human Security Engineering for Asian Megacities”.  The authors also appreciate contributions to the field investigation of Dr. Nguyen Pham Hong Lien, Ms. Pham Hong Giang, Mr. Kuroda Masataka and Mr. Ryo Sakaguchi.

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PARASITE CONCERNS

0

20

40

60

80

100

150 200 250 300Ratio

 of infectio

uparasite eggs (%

)

Retention time in a toilet chamber (day)

ControlExperimental

Fig. Sanitization performance of the toilet17/14