Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs) for Study Session 1

Answer

Increasing scarcity of productive land for farming and the prospect of better employment opportunities are encouraging more and more people in Ethiopia to move from rural areas to towns and cities. This urbanisation has led to many people living in slum areas of poor housing that lack essential services. Towns and cities are also spreading over larger areas of land with expanding peri-urban areas that have mixed urban and rural characteristics. The population density in urban areas is much higher than in rural areas. This creates challenges for providers of WASH services because of the high demand for water supply and effective sanitation systems.

Answer

The particular challenges for providing WASH services in urban areas arising from these factors include:

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  • a.Increasing population size – places pressure on existing WASH facilities due to the increased number of users and often leads to generally reduced access levels and frequent breakdown. The rate of increase in population is often many times higher than the rate at which WASH service improvements are actually planned and implemented.
  • b.The diverse nature of the urban community – promoting safe hygiene and sanitation practices is difficult if the community is very mixed and the people do not share a sense of responsibility for their neighbours or environment.
  • c.Infrastructure required for WASH services – mobilising sufficient funds to plan and implement infrastructure projects is difficult. In water supply, meeting the growing demand of the continuously increasing population size is a challenge. Lack of waste collection, transport and disposal infrastructure adds to increasing environmental pollution in urban and peri-urban areas.
  • d.Governance – the process through which resources for improving WASH services are allocated and utilised is complicated. Moreover the distribution of resources and infrastructure may not be town-wide, socially inclusive or equitable.

Answer

The key challenge for physically disabled people in using WASH facilities is the lack of proper access. If latrines are far away and/or located in corners and over paths that are rugged or marshy, disabled individuals, particularly those without mobility aids, such as wheelchairs, will face enormous difficulty in accessing and using such facilities on a daily basis. To address the problem, the latrines should be located nearby and designed with the needs of disabled people in mind. For example, they should have extra space inside, supporting rails, wider doors and ramps for access by wheelchair users.

Your explanation should also mention the cleanliness and sanitary conditions of the latrines, which are equally important. Where there are no special provisions (rooms and supports), disabled people will have no option but to use the facilities that are suited for non-disabled people. If these are not kept clean, disabled people will have to use the facilities with much discomfort and struggle, and with increased health risks.

You can also explain these challenges in the context of water supply facilities, where the location, design and access to the water supply point should consider the needs of disabled people.

Answer

Water supply systems are a very common route for transmission of disease-causing micro-organisms to communities and these risks are increased in emergency situations. The organisms can enter the system at the source or through weak joints in the distribution system. This is particularly likely to happen if pipes have been allowed to become empty.

Appropriate interventions which would help to tackle this problem include:

• proper maintenance and operation of water supply systems
• promoting the use of point-of-use water treatment chemicals.