1.2.1 Challenges related to population size and characteristics

WASH service upgrade and expansion is slower than the rate of population growth, which puts pressure on the existing systems. As the services are shared by many more people, they quickly become inadequate and may break down.

Urban communities come from different backgrounds and have varying economic status. They are likely to be very mixed and include people from different ethnic groups and religions. Moreover, most people living in urban areas move frequently in and out of town. They may not feel they are part of a community or care very much about the place where they live. These characteristics make it difficult to raise awareness and understanding of basic service issues and pose significant challenges for mobilising people to change their behaviour and actions. You will learn more about the challenges involved in engaging and mobilising such communities and implementing behaviour change to promote good sanitation practices in Study Sessions 6, 9 and 11.

1.2 WASH in urban areas

1.2.2 Challenges related to infrastructure