Urban planning and sprawl crisis in Africa: ecological sanitation as a viable policy option
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Date
2003
Authors
Ndung'u, Abraham G.
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Abstract
Rapid urban growth is a common phenomenon the world over,particularly in the developing countries. Africa is no
exception in this respect. Lack of affordable housing in African towns has pushed most people into the peri-urban
areas. These new settlement areas, often hitherto agricultural lands, are normally unplanned. "Development",
therefore, seems toprogress ahead of planners instead of the other way round. By implication, therefore, these periurban
areas often lack vital services necessary for human settlement such as proper sanitation, particularly human
excreta disposal. In these areas the most affordable and therefore most common method of human excreta disposal
is the use of pit latrines. In few homes, however, isolated cases of use of cesspits and septic tanks can befound. In
comparison with conventional methods of human excreta disposal, ecological sanitation (eco-san) is a viable and
feasible alternative in these peri-urban areas since it has a lot of advantages, viz.: recovery and re-use of nutrients
for urban agriculture; minimal risk from spread of diseases; cost-effectiveness; minimal/no use of water and no
contamination of ground water. As such adoption of eco-san is the likely way forward for planning for sanitation
services in Africa s peri-urban areas
Description
Paper presented at the Disparities in developing countries types, challenges and the way forward fourth international conference proceedings of the association of third world studies, inc. Kenya Chapter Kenyatta University Nairobi, Kenya September 17th to 19th, 2003