TY - JOUR

T1 - The latrine ownership ladder

T2 - A conceptual framework for enhancing sanitation uptake in low-income peri-urban settings

AU - Obeng, Peter Appiah

AU - Keraita, Bernard

AU - Oduro-Kwarteng, Sampson

AU - Bregnhøj, Henrik

AU - Abaid, Robert C.

AU - Konradsen, Flemming

PY - 2015/8/10

Y1 - 2015/8/10

N2 - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the latrine ownership ladder as a conceptual policy framework to enhance sanitation uptake in low-income peri-urban areas. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws from literature and a case study in a Ghanaian peri-urban community to highlight the challenges that undermine sanitation uptake in low-income peri-urban areas and the prospects of various levels of facility sharing as conceived in the latrine ownership ladder approach. Findings – The authors argue that the infrastructural and other socio-economic challenges of low-income peri-urban areas prevent some households from acquiring their own latrines. For such households, a more responsive approach to latrine promotion and prevention of open defecation would be the recognition of shared ownership regimes such as co-tenant shared, neighbourhood shared and community shared, in addition to the promotion of household latrines. The paper identifies provision of special concessions for peri-urban areas in policy formulation, education and technical support to households, regulation and enforcement of sanitation by-laws among complimentary policy interventions to make the latrine ownership ladder approach more effective. Originality/value – The paper provides an insight into the debate on redefining improved sanitation in the post-2015 era of the Millennium Development Goals and offers policy alternatives to policy makers in low-income countries seeking to accelerate the uptake of improved latrines among peri-urban and urban slum dwellers.

AB - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the latrine ownership ladder as a conceptual policy framework to enhance sanitation uptake in low-income peri-urban areas. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws from literature and a case study in a Ghanaian peri-urban community to highlight the challenges that undermine sanitation uptake in low-income peri-urban areas and the prospects of various levels of facility sharing as conceived in the latrine ownership ladder approach. Findings – The authors argue that the infrastructural and other socio-economic challenges of low-income peri-urban areas prevent some households from acquiring their own latrines. For such households, a more responsive approach to latrine promotion and prevention of open defecation would be the recognition of shared ownership regimes such as co-tenant shared, neighbourhood shared and community shared, in addition to the promotion of household latrines. The paper identifies provision of special concessions for peri-urban areas in policy formulation, education and technical support to households, regulation and enforcement of sanitation by-laws among complimentary policy interventions to make the latrine ownership ladder approach more effective. Originality/value – The paper provides an insight into the debate on redefining improved sanitation in the post-2015 era of the Millennium Development Goals and offers policy alternatives to policy makers in low-income countries seeking to accelerate the uptake of improved latrines among peri-urban and urban slum dwellers.

KW - Ghana

KW - Improved latrines

KW - Latrine ownership ladder

KW - Low-income countries

KW - Peri-urban settings

KW - Sanitation policy

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84938225578&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1108/MEQ-05-2014-0079

DO - 10.1108/MEQ-05-2014-0079

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84938225578

VL - 26

SP - 752

EP - 763

JO - Management of Environmental Quality

JF - Management of Environmental Quality

SN - 1477-7835

IS - 5

ER -