Densely Populated Communities Require Setting Up Long-Term Sanitation Solutions.

Urbanization today, as centered in the context of Uganda, is leading upfront to the growth of new, smaller, cities year in, year out and time to time. Such growth developments can bring about much more positive opportunities for higher incomes, better living conditions, as well as new ventures in different industries for the people. Over time, we have seen the possibility of urban numbers taking up an increase in percentage compared to people living rural areas. In fact, many people of the recent times are moving from rural areas to areas where their urban centers as witnessed in many developing countries in this century. Such movements come with many challenges.  As a result, urban centers become anticipated agendas for a new name of densely populated commercial and residential. Urban dense places are dependent on on public infrastructure to function well, including, in exceptional, the models for the management of human faecal waste. A great deal remains to be done on this front in most parts of the developing world and Uganda.

Uganda’s densely growing cities fall off the line of being able to live within sustainable unoccupied areas with reasonable numbers where there can be shared resources which would also make limitations to over-crowding and low resources. Uganda’s infrastructures in urban cities have a serious problem with the rapid growth in population, and the influx of migrants.

Uganda’s urban cities planning is still lacking in many areas of development as well as for the isolated camps that have become homes of refugees. The attributions of Uganda’s increase in population and densely populated areas partially are attached to influx of migrants and refugees where we see poor settlements lacking in infrastructures that guarantee a sustainable life style. In 2017, the Ugandan government launched the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework. … It hosts over 1.4 million refugees. The refugee population makes up 3.6 % of the country’s total population of 39 million. Most refugees are from South Sudan (74 %), 19 % are from the DRC, and 3% are from Burundi.

Although many development agencies like the United Nations among others are delivering support measures in helping out in service delivery, development and provision of infrastructure bases in urban cities and refugee areas, it is absolutely not enough especially when you look at facilities that push for good health.

Sanitation issues in Uganda’s cities and solutions:

In Uganda, 61% people lack access clean water to 75% lack access to safe sanitation systems that improve their health conditions as well as live a good health life which puts their lives in danger. With such exposure, many people in dense areas are at risk for contracting potentially fatal diseases like cholera and typhoid as well as Guinea worms and other parasites cholera and typhoid as well as Guinea worms and other parasites.

There is an estimate of about 78% of human fecal waste that is generated in Uganda goes untreated into the environment. Like most of the developing world, rely heavily on on-site sanitation containment (septic tanks and pit latrines). This is true for all small cities as well as for parts of large metropolitan cities. These areas require decentralised, non-sewered solutions for treatment and disposal, which are both sustainable and appropriate

Faecal waste must be treated and disposed of safely, through effective faecal sludge management (FSM) which will, in turn, accrue both public health and environmental benefits. To deliver on this, we need change at multiple levels, including central, state and city governments, the private sector, and citizen engagement.

Organizations working in areas of WASH like Joelex have a model that is a solution to accessible water and sanitation problems in Uganda. Joelex Uganda provides clean, safe water for domestic use to the urban poor communities of Kampala. With a current release of approximately 27000litres of water every month for the people of Kyaliwajjala and continues expanding to building more water ATMs in other communities.

On top of providing clean water. Joelex is also solving the toilet problem in dense areas of urban cities. Joelex understands that sanitation is an important aspect in the wellbeing of a person. This is why a chance to clean spaces for the busy business people, residents and passers-by in urban cities is fundamental.

Currently, effective faecal and water management is a strong public health issue and needs to be a key focus as part of the sustainability of all the sanitation and that is the solution to an existing problem in developing countries.

That way, we shall have a clean environment with health increasing population.