The CLTS Knowledge Hub has changed to The Sanitation Learning Hub and we have a new website https://sanitationlearninghub.org/. Please visit us here - it would be great to stay in contact.
The CLTS Knowledge Hub website is no longer being updated you can access timely, relevant and action-orientated sanitation and hygiene resources and information at the new site.
Between 2010 and 2016, Plan Netherlands implemented a CLTS programme in 8 countries in Africa: Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Niger. This programme, although entitled ‘Empowering self-help sanitation of rural and peri-urban communities and schools in Africa’ soon became known as the Pan Africa Programme.
On Thursday 6th October from 11.30am-13.00 GMT (convert to your local time) the CLTS Knowledge Hub will be hosting a free webinar on urban CLTS.
Although Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) was designed for and is predominantly being used in rural settings, there are a growing number of cases that have adopted a CLTS approach in peri-urban and urban areas.
A fair representation of water sanitation and hygiene practitioners, researchers, local government representatives and donors convened for a CLTS workshop held by the CLTS Knowledge Hub of the institute of development studies in Kumasi Ghana on the 10th July 2016. Most international sector representation as myself used the opportunity of attending the 39th WEDC conference with the theme Ensuring Availability and Sustainable Management of Water and Sanitation for All from the 11-15th July 2016 to also attend the CLTS workshop.
Plan International’s eight country Pan Africa programme, though predominately focused on rural CLTS, also trialled CLTS tools in peri-urban and urban communities with the hope that country specific urban total sanitation models would be developed. Jamie Myers, Research Officer for the CLTS Knowledge Hub which was a partner in the Pan African CLTS programme, conducted rapid action orientated research on the peri-urban and urban activities across four countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia.
Urban sanitation differs from rural sanitation in many ways however one of the fundamental differences is that in urban areas one group, (usually the wealthy), benefits from the public provision of sanitation at the expense of others (usually the poor). Poor households in urban areas must often find their own solutions to failures in sanitation services. During a workshop on urban CLTS (U-CLTS) held in Ethiopia and hosted by Plan International, we explored the potential of CLTS to support safely managed, city-wide sanitation.
I am placing below some reflections after attending the urban CLTS workshop in Addis:
1. My objective in attending was to enhance my knowledge of the understanding and practice of the application of CLTS in urban areas, the issues involved and potential ways to move forward. My objective was more than adequately addressed by the range of experiences that I got to hear about.
2. What I have distilled from these three days (both during sessions and conversations at meal times and in coffee sessions) is summarized below under a certain number of headings.
The CLTS Knowledge Hub at the Institute of Development Studies, with the help of Plan International Ethiopia, convened a three day workshop in Addis Ababa. The workshop titled ‘Using a CLTS approach in peri-urban and urban environments’ brought together people who had been involved in urban CLTS programmes to share their varied experiences and discuss what added value a CLTS approach can bring to the urban context..
This was the question being considered at a recent IDS CLTS Knowledge Hub event held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, organised with Plan International Ethiopia. This useful and productive learning and sharing event entitled “Using a CLTS Approach and Tools in Peri-Urban and Urban Environments” took place from 13th to 15th June 2016.
This paper draws on SHARE PhD Student Sheillah Simiyu's research into urban sanitation in Kenya. Communal sanitation facilities in space-stricken informal settlements have often been deemed the most feasible solution for increasing access to and use of sanitation facilities in these settings. However, to date little is known about their use and effectiveness, particularly in Africa’s informal settlements. This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the determinants of use of communal sanitation facilities in the informal settlements of Kisumu.
