Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Response
Description Advantages/Disadvantages
Advantages
- Low cost
Clean up with a shovel and/or - May be appropriate in the short term but only in areas where latrines are
Excreta bury/cover excreta with soil. not used
clean up Involvement of communities in
the clean up. Disadvantages
- Labour intensive
- Not sustainable
Single, prefabricated plastic units
Advantages
incorporating a sit-down or
Chemical - Hygienic and odour is minimised
squatting pan toilet, lockable
Portaloo
door & effluent tank containing
Toilets Disadvantages
chemicals to aid digestion &
- High cost, difficult to transport and require regular emptying
reduce odour.
Advantages
Disposable plastic packets, or - Packets are lightweight and easy to transport
Packet plastic bags, in which users - Appropriate for flooded areas or where space is limited
latrine defecate. They contain a blend of
enzymes, which assists the Disadvantages
breakdown of excreta. - May be unacceptable to affected population
- Final disposal site must be clearly marked, accessible and used
Advantages
Buckets/containers with tight
- Defecation containers can be procured easily and transported
fitting lids, which can be emptied
- Once containers are provided only final disposal system needs to be
into sewage systems, landfill sites
Bucket established
or stabilisation ponds.
latrine
Disinfectants may be added to
Disadvantages
reduce disease transmission risks
- May be culturally inappropriate
& odour.
- Large number of containers and disinfectant required
Advantages
Large storage tanks situated - Large storage tanks are often available in relief shipments
Storage above ground, with wooden - Rapid to set up/construct and can be used in flooded or rocky areas
tank platforms and simple
latrine superstructure fitted above. Disadvantages
Effluent is collected in the tank. - Regular emptying required
- Large number of tanks may be needed which could be used for other
purposes such as water supply
Advantages
A superstructure and floor built - May be the only option in areas with high water tables and lack of space
Over-
over water. A squat hole or seat
hung
allows excreta to fall directly into Disadvantages
latrines
water below. - Risk of contamination where water is used for recreation, bathing, etc.
- Must be solidly constructed and safe for users
A pit, more than 2m in depth, Advantages
fitted with a slab and raised to - Cheap, quick to construct, easily understood and operate without water
prevent surface water entering.
Simple pit
Latrine is fitted with a squat hole/ Disadvantages
latrines
seat and covered with a suitable - Unsuitable in high water table areas or where ground is unstable or
lid. Superstructure can be made rocky. Often associated with bad odours.
from locally available materials. - Must be solidly constructed and safe for users
Advantages
- Rapid to implement on site
Consists of flat packed
- Quality hardware designed for easy transport
superstructures and slabs,
Kit
designed specifically for rapid
latrines Disadvantages
deployment in an emergency
- May require pits being dug
- Expensive and there may be delays in procuring & transporting to site
- May be culturally inappropriate
Table 2: Advantages and Disadvantages of 1st Phase Excreta Disposal Options
(adapted from Emergency Sanitation, 2002)
An increase in the number of vector host species Ultra-low Low-dosage applications to large
present volume spraying areas from fixed-wing aircraft or
helicopters.
Displacements from one location to another and
an increase in vector and human contact Space spraying Interior or exterior applications with
pesticide aerosols dispersed under
pressure from vaporizers.
In the post-flood period, the first priority is to Impregnation The treatment of materials such as
assess the risk of vector-borne disease bedding, clothing and mosquito nets
transmission, as quickly as possible. If an with pesticides in emulsion or
intervention is required, major vector control solution (by dipping and drying, or
by spraying with knapsack sprayers).
activity should take place as soon as possible.
The necessary resources must be mobilised Table 4: Pesticide application methods and
rapidly, and an operational management equipment (Wisner et al, 2003)
Where possible, the vector control activities communities themselves should be consulted
should be coordinated with the local authorities about the location of communal waste collection
and the relevant public health body. points and how they will be managed.
Environmental sanitation measures:
draining standing bodies of water, removing
vector breeding sites (such as piles of rubbish,
old tyres, water jars, bamboo poles, etc.),
protecting water storage containers, setting
traps (rats & flies) etc.
Personnel protection measures: includes
distribution of insect/mosquito repellent,
promoting use of long sleeves & trousers, fitting
houses/shelters with mosquito/fly netting on
windows & doors, distribution of insecticide
treated bed nets (ITNs), wearing rubber boots
etc.
3. Waste Management in
a Rural Flood Setting
If large numbers of people have been forced
into camp type settings by the floods, it is likely
that waste management will become a major
issue. The first priority is to analyze the
emergency context and the nature of waste Figure 7: Waste pit (WEDC)
being generated. Following this, a system of
managing the waste, in a safe and
environmentally friendly manner, should be put Sphere: Key indicators
into place. A decision must be taken as to People from the affected population are involved
whether the waste will be dealt with on-site in the design and implementation of the solid
(burial), or whether it is necessary to transfer waste programme
the waste to a remote disposal site. The keys
Household waste is put in containers daily for
steps in waste management are: regular collection, burnt or buried in a specified
Collection, containment & storage refuse pit
All households have access to a refuse container
Waste transfer and/or are no more than 100 meters from a
Final waste disposal communal refuse pit
At least one 100-litre container is available per 10
families where domestic refuse is not buried on
For waste disposal on-site (burial in communal site
pits), then waste transfer will not be necessary
Refuse is removed from the settlement before it
(see Figure 7). If disposal is off-site, a means of becomes a nuisance or a health risk
collection, transportation and a final disposal
site must be identified. The municipal and other
relevant authorities should be consulted. The Table 5: Key Waste Management Indicators
agency in charge may have to provide the (SPHERE, 2004)
vehicles and manpower to operate the service.
Cleaning
growth
mould - Mix 50ml bleach per litre water
and clean/wash the item/surface 6. Disposal of Dead
with the solution
Bodies in a Rural
- Scrub rough surfaces with a
brush Flood Setting
- Rinse with clean water
Health risks
- Dry the item/surface or leave it
to air dry
There is a widespread belief that corpses (both
animal and human) pose a risk of
Table 6: Cleaning & sanitising with bleach after communicable diseases after a flood. Such
an emergency (CDC, 2008) beliefs are frequently mistaken, especially if
death has been caused by trauma or drowning.
Dead bodies are unlikely to cause outbreaks of
diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera or
5. Drainage in a Rural plague, though there may be a risk that water
Flood Setting sources become contaminated.
Recovering dead bodies
In the event of human deaths in a flood, the
Surface water in or near emergency settlements
main risk is of mental trauma caused to
may be contaminated with wastewater from
survivors of the event. In this situation, it is
septic tanks, toilets and/or latrines. The main
important to organise the collection of corpses
health risks are contamination of water
to minimise distress, and to allow the
supplies; damage to dwellings; vector breeding;
communities to grieve and bury/cremate their
and drowning. People should live in an
dead in line with their cultural practices and
environment where health and other risks are
traditions.
minimised.
Disposal of dead animal carcasses
To reduce potential health risks, a proper
drainage plan may be necessary to deal with Burial is the most common way of disposing of
storm water drainage. In the event that houses dead animal carcasses, and they should be
have been filled with floodwater, communities disposed of quickly and safely to avoid
should be mobilised to clear drainage channels attracting rats. The disposal of dead animal
and repair small breaches in flood defences carcasses should be undertaken with the
using a Cash-for-Work approach. Key Cash- relevant government/local authorities, if
for-Work activities include: possible. Protective clothing, including rubber
gloves, rubber boots, & goggles should be
Removing standing water near dwellings by worn, and any open wounds should be covered.
improving drainage to reduce vector After disposal of the carcasses, hands should be
breeding sites thoroughly washed with soap. Clothing should
Protecting shelters, paths and water and be disinfected and washed separately from
sanitation facilities from erosion and from other clothing items.
flood water
Providing sufficient appropriate tools for Further information
small drainage works and maintenance
CDC (2008). Re-entering your flooded home
where necessary
(Emergency Preparedness & Response)
Protecting existing surface or groundwater www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/mold/reenter.asp
sources from erosion or from
CDC (2008). Cleaning & sanitizing with bleach after an
contamination
emergency (Emergency Preparedness & Response)
Large-scale drainage is generally determined by www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/bleach.asp
site selection and the development of detailed
CDC (2008). After a hurricane or flood: cleanup of flood
drainage plans. It will be necessary to work water (Emergency Preparedness & Response)
closely with the competent authorities. www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/cleanupwater.asp
Embankment- Trench latrine with fence, lower slope of embankment Normally, no digging is allowed on
Temporary raised direct latrine using 5-rings, & mortar embankment
seals
Bucket latrine
Offset pour-flush toilet connected to pit at bottom of
embankment by drainpipe.
Roadside Trench latrine with a fence Unlikely to continue, but if so,
Temporary raised direct latrine using 5-rings, & mortar continue the immediate options
seals
Bucket latrine, large clay pot, etc
Containment by using an empty drum
Shelters Improvement of existing latrines Construct more permanent direct or
Communal, Trench latrine with fence (away or outside main offset latrines that are raised if
schools, premises) necessary
public Temporary raised direct latrine using 5-rings, & mortar
buildings seals
Bucket latrine (drum, clay-pot, plastic bag and other type
of containment)
Char Clay pot, Direct or offset latrine raised to the
Drum level of house plinth
Bamboo mat containment with plastic lining Bucket latrine
Raised HH Raised direct or offset latrine with sealed rings, stabilized Raised direct or offset latrine, in
by bamboo frames. flood prone levels raise to plinth
In flood prone levels raise to plinth level level
Bucket latrine
Bucket latrine (drum, clay-pot, plastic bag and other type
of containment)
Bamboo mat containment (plastic lining if necessary)
under the raised squatting.
Haor Clay pot Raised direct or offset latrine using
Drum 7-8 rings-steps or pathways.
Large containment. Latrine raised to level of house
Boat latrine plinth
Bucket latrine