Moving up the Sanitation Ladder while Considering Function: An Assessment of Indigenous Communities, Pit Latrine Users, and Their Perceptions of Resource Recovery Sanitation Technology in Panama

Abstract

As households move up the sanitation ladder, health risks presumably decline but the corresponding technologies may require increasing operation and maintenance costs. One critique of the ladder is that it prioritizes technology and could be improved if it included a functional approach to monitoring, such as including aspects of environmental sustainability that consider resource recovery. Using analyses of data obtained from semi-structured interviews, surveys, and field observations, this study examines the functional transition toward improved sanitation technology as a household moves up the sanitation ladder with the added function of resource recovery (from pit latrines to composting latrines). The study took place in six indigenous Ngabe communities in Panama. The results reveal that of 103 pit latrines studied, 88% were completed and in use, but only 35% were operated appropriately. Approximately 60% of pit latrine owners reported that they would use composting latrines, with compost as the primary perceived benefit. Barriers to adoption include lack of prior experience, user disgust of working with excrement, and the perceived amount of work required for operation. Overall, these findings indicate the importance of establishing demonstration projects and culturally aligned training for more complex sanitation technologies that enable resource recovery. The results have broad implications for understanding sanitation technology transitions in rural and indigenous settlements in other world regions.

Anaerobic Digestion as a Core Technology in Addressing the Global Sanitation Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities

“…Along with examples of successful AD projects in sanitation described above are hundreds of failed and abandoned biogas projects, particularly in Africa . Research shows there is no one-size-fits-all technology or management approach for delivering unmet water and sanitation needs in underserved communities. ,, Accordingly, appropriate solutions must be context-specific , and should be codeveloped with partner communities. These context-specific factors that are crucial to success include sustainability aspects such as acceptance, affordability, and complexity .…”

Meeting the Water and Sanitation Challenges of Underbounded Communities in the U.S.

“…On-site sanitation value chains provide another opportunity for transition to a green economy since they are prevalent in underbounded communities. These systems include containment, waste removal, transport, treatment, and disposal or reuse, with each step providing opportunities for integrating new technologies and strategies (e.g., behavioral change), which can lead to the recovery of water, energy/heat, and nutrients . However, we need to improve our understanding of the design and operation of conventional versus resource recovery-based sanitation systems in these settings, especially at the household and community scales. , For example, anaerobic digesters at the household scale are prevalent globally and allow for the harvesting of nutrients, and organic materials from the digestate can be used as a fertilizer or soil amendment for community gardens .…”