Perceptions of Local Sustainability in Planning Sanitation Projects in West Africa

Paper in proceeding, 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine local perceptions of sustainability in the context of sanitation interventions in Burkina Faso and Mali, West Africa. A series of interviews with local actors were used to define criteria for sustainable sanitation in the local context. These local criteria were compared with criteria found in international literature and planning practices used in two sanitation projects. The results from the interview study emphasize criteria related to behaviour change processes, while criteria in literature are either technically and best-practice oriented. The case studies show an attempt to merge academic and pragmatic perspectives by addressing both the technical requirements and social change processes, however challenges still remain for balancing the various criteria and achieving lasting sanitation improvements.