Faecal Sludge Management in Peri-Urban Malawi: Investigating the Policy Gaps

Abstract

Faecal sludge management (FSM) in peri-urban settlements in developing countries has gained recent attention; this is due to rapid urbanisation leading to the mushrooming of informal settlements and onsite household sanitation facilities where there is a lack of sewer systems. Initiatives aimed at improving FSM have been reported in South Africa, Uganda, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso; however, the main focus in these countries has been emptying and disposal/treatment of faecal sludge. Little has been done on policy formulation to guide stakeholders on what should be done at each stage of the sanitation chain. This paper identifies the complementarities and antagonisms of existing legislation, pulling lessons learned from other countries and how these can be applied to Malawi. Criteria for FSM policy are proposed for Mzuzu City Council in northern Malawi and other similar situations worldwide