ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
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waste are disposed of to surface water drainage canals
and ditches. Poor solid waste disposal causes blockages
in drainage systems, resulting in flooding. Uncollected
wastewater and urban runoff flows are often equivalent to
sewered wastewater in terms of toxicity and health risks.
Although many slums rely on on-site sanitation, faecal
matter is not usually contained and wastewater is still
produced as residents often use latrines as bathrooms for
personal ablutions with so called ‘bucket showers’.
Slum dwellers frequently have to rely on un-sewered
communal public toilets, use open space or dispose of
faeces in polythene bags (i.e. flying toilet). Communal
toilets are not widely used, due to lack of water, poor
maintenance, and the cost to the user. A study in the
slums of Delhi found that the average low-income family
of five could spend 37% of its income on communal
toilet facilities (Sheikh, 2008). Finding a suitable
place to go to the toilet is especially problematic for
women, causing risks related to personal security,
embarrassment and hygiene. PA
Note: Countries emerging from conflicts included in the aggregate figures as: Angola, Cambodia, Central African Republic,
Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Mozambique,
Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan.
Source: Based on data from UN-Habitat (2012, Table 3, p. 127).
Figure 2: Proportion of urban population living in slums 2000–2012.
In the next edition of Plumbing Africa, we look at the
composition of municipal and urban wastewater.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
September 2018 Volume 24 I Number 7