Ecological Sanitation Option in Wajir Town - ALDEF Kenya with ecosan

by Adan A. Hassan - Project Officer Water and Sanitation ALDEF (Arid Lands Development Focus)


Principals Technologies and Project as Sustainable Waste and Human Excreta Management. In order to reach the  MGD and VISION 2030 for significantly reducing the number of people with out access to adequate sanitation, new holistic concept are needed, focusing on economically feasible closed the loop ecological sanitations rather than on expensive piping technologies , thus enabling every individual house hold to finances and maintain sustainable sanitary systems .

Ecological sanitation system advance a new philosophy of dealing with what to date has been considered as merely waste water. Ecological sanitation system is based on systematic implementation of the reuse and recycling of nutrients, organic and water as a hygienically safe, close – loop and holistic alternative to conventional solutions for the last few years an increasing number of pilot and demonstration Ecosan projects have been implemented in the Muslim communities in the Northern Kenya. These are some of the recent achievements for further development and upscalling of Ecological sanitation technologies and operating and reuse option  and have provided large amount of experience with this new holistic approach, over 90% of the sewage in the developed countries are discharging un treated, polluting rivers, lakes, and the coastal strips. Conventional sanitation concepts based on flush toilets, a water wasting technology are neither an Ecological nor economical solution in both industrialized and developing. The water based sewage system were designed and constructed on the premises that human excreta are a waste suitable only  for disposal and the environment is capable of assimilating this waste.

Construction of UDDT unit in Wajir under supervision of ALDEF

Finished UDDT unit in Wajir (North Eastern Kenya)

A sanitation that provides Ecological Sanitation is a cycle – Sustainable, Safe, Close loop system which closes the gap between Sanitation, hygiene and Agriculture. The Ecological Sanitation option/approach is resources minded and presents holistic concept towards ecologically healthy and economically sound sanitation, underlying aims is to close. Nutrients and water are recycled with as less expenditure on materials and energy as possible to contribute to a sustainable development.  Human excreta are treated as a useful resource and usually processed on site. The nutrients are contained in excreta are recycled and to recondition the so soil for Agriculture.
Ecological Sanitation option in Wajir Town.Wajir Town is serviced by infamous and the barbaric type of sanitation which is bucket latrine, this sanitation option was found to be the best sanitation option by then colonial government since there the water table is high and the only source of water available  are shallow wells which were not protected and are uncovered. Due to the population and tremendous increases in the construction bucket latrine which made impossible for proper disposal of human excreta from the town which posed high level of water and environmental contamination and a result there outbreaks water born and water related diseases including cholera, dysentery, diarrhea and due to continuous health problems Aldef Kenya thought of alternative option to bucket latrine which is the Ecological sanitation which is environmentally friendly. This was piloted first in 2004 starting with first early adapters. The dehydrated and urine separated type of

Ecological sanitation is being practiced in Wajir. Ash is used as dehydrating agent with help of the solar plate painted black and duration makes the human excreta treated and can easily be handling by the family members by using soil condition while the urine is directed in to suck pit.
Here billow is one the early adaptor who is using the human excreta from her Ecosan toilet for growing pawpaw for both sell and family use. Councilor Fatuma Maalim Abass is one of our early adaptors who are closing the loop.

A proud user of UDDT in Wajir town

A user is showing the well-grown pawpaw fruits
that are fertilised by urine from a UDDT