The provision of appropriate sanitation services for all citizens is one of the biggest
challenges for a sustainable development in Namibia. Considering the arid climate, the water
scarcity and the high percentage of people without access to sanitation, especially in rural
areas, dry sanitation systems seem to be an appropriate solution to reach the Millennium
Development Goals which implicate the improvement of the access to basic sanitation.
The following report provides detailed information on a project study which was conducted to
identify factors contributing to the success and/or failure of dry sanitation systems in Namibia
on a long term.
During the project study several implemented dry sanitation systems around Namibia were
evaluated. The evaluation was conducted by observing already implemented dry toilets
(mainly Otji-Toilets), carrying out standardized interviews with users of dry sanitation
systems as well as expert interviews with stakeholders related to the sanitation sector in
Namibia. The accomplished survey in this context was structured regarding participation,
financial, technical and maintenance aspects, cultural background as well as natural
conditions.
Implemented on individual household level, dry toilets work quite well in Namibia. Besides
the sensitization and the involvement of potential users of dry sanitation it is essential to
empty the dry toilets on a regular basis and to allocate precise responsibilities for the entire
maintenance process. For an increasing provision of dry sanitation on a larger scale in
Namibia, new instruments for financing and subsidization have to be developed and a higher
political support is needed.