Learning opportunities for sanitation improvements in informal settlements of East African cities

Progress towards full sanitation coverage in urban areas is slow, with one of the big challenges in East Africa and many other areas being reaching the large proportion who live in informal settlements. The unique characteristics of informal settlements impose varying challenges in installing adequate sanitation facilities. A comparative case study using mixed methods conducted in three East African cities revealed varied perceptions of the residents on barriers hindering the process of toilet installation. Lack of money, topography, lack of space, siting on marginal land, difficult to access sanitation material and services and lack of information were perceived as barriers by residents, but differed between cities. There are different examples of successful strategies to tackle the barriers to sanitation in each city and these offer some opportunities for each of the study cities, as well as other cities with similar challenges, to learn how the same challenges are tackled elsewhere.