Identifying Demand Drivers for Sanitation Technologies: The Case of Ecosan in Africa

Ecological Sanitation (Ecosan) has made little progress in Africa despite decades of promotion by donors. The practical and environmental benefits of 'closing the loop' (i.e. recycling the nutriens in excreta) seem remote to most poor African households. This lack of demand for Ecosan in turn makes many sector practitioners question its potential. There are, however, a number of physical conditions - including high water table and hard rocky ground - which can increase the comparative advantage of many forms of Ecosan technology.

But beyond these physical conditions there are many factors that influence demand by households that have to be considered as well, such as the presence of small local operators involved in excreta handling.

This paper examines a number of physical and non physical demand drivers that may encourage households to adopt Ecosan solutions. It also discusses practical activities within the different segments of 'the resource loop' and a number of factors, beyond the household level, that affect the communal adoption of Ecosan and re-use of excreta.