Review
Environmental Sciences
Anna VerKuilen, Lauren Sprouse, Rachel Beardsley, Sarah Lebu, Aaron Salzberg, Musa Manga
Summary: In 2016, a high rate of open defecation was observed in India, which was significantly higher than the global average. The government implemented the Swachh Bharat Mission to achieve open defecation-free status across all Indian states by 2019. However, the true success of this mission is questionable and various challenges, such as financial constraints and cultural beliefs, still hinder efforts to reduce open defecation. Strategies involving community incentives, leadership involvement, and behavior-change campaigns have shown promise in addressing this issue.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Parvati Singh, Manisha Shah, Tim A. Bruckner
Summary: This study found that the introduction of the national sanitation campaign SBM in India is associated with a reduction in stunting and wasting among under 5-year-old children. The increase in toilet availability post-SBM is linked to a decrease in child stunting, especially in rural areas and districts with higher pre-SBM toilet availability.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Srayasi Prakash, Pradeep Kumar, Preeti Dhillon, Sayeed Unisa
Summary: This study assesses the level of sanitation facilities accessed by households and examines the socioeconomic characteristics of households that received financial benefits from the Swachh Bharat Mission. The findings reveal disparities in access to sanitation facilities based on state, region, and rural-urban differences.
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hemez Ange Aurelien Kouassi, Harinaivo Anderson Andrianisa, Maimouna Bologo Traore, Seyram Kossi Sossou, Rikyelle Momo Nguematio, Sidesse Sonia Saapi Ymele, Mahugnon Samuel Ahossouhe
Summary: Open-defecation is a widespread sanitation practice causing diarrheal diseases and deaths in low-income countries. Community-Led-Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an approach to eradicate this practice, but its long-term results are not encouraging. This research identifies five categories of factors affecting the sustainability of Open-Defecation-Free (ODF) status in communities, including the socio-political factors not previously reported.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Heather K. Amato, Douglas Martin, Christopher M. Hoover, Jay P. Graham
Summary: Installing public toilets in San Francisco, especially in neighborhoods with people experiencing homelessness, and providing restroom attendants can reduce the number of feces reports on the streets.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Muhammad Irfan Malik, Shahzada Muhammad Naeem Nawaz, Muhammad Nadeem
Summary: Using household data from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, this study found that factors such as place of residence, education, poverty status, social norms, geopolitical regions, and living space significantly predict open defecation behavior in Pakistan. The study recommends promoting toilet ownership among households and communities, as well as behavior change interventions, with political commitment and effective administration being key to ending open defecation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ankita Pran Dadhich, Pran N. Dadhich, Rohit Goyal
Summary: Rural areas in India lack improved drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) facilities. This study conducted a household survey using GPS technology to evaluate WaSH conditions in the region and utilized machine learning algorithms for risk mapping and prediction. Results showed that while toilet facilities have improved, there is still a gap between ownership and usage. Factors such as the presence of toilets in houses, water supply in toilets, and high literacy rates were found to increase toilet usage. The study highlights the association between gender inequalities and WaSH conditions, emphasizing the potential of the WaSH index as a monitoring tool.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Benedique Paul, David Jean Simon, Ann Kiragu, Woodley Geneus, Evens Emmanuel
Summary: This study used data from the Haiti Demographic and Health Survey to examine the socio-economic and demographic factors influencing open defecation practices among households in Haiti. The results showed that factors such as age and sex of the household head, household size, education level, wealth index, and access to mass media were significant predictors of open defecation. To accelerate the elimination of open defecation, the government should address wealth disparities, raise awareness through mass media and community networks, and implement specific interventions for rural and urban areas.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Sandeep Tembhurkar, Rahul Ralegaonkar, Afonso Azevedo, Mangesh Madurwar
Summary: This article presents a case study on a low-cost geopolymer modular toilet unit for the Open Defecation Free (ODF) initiative in India. The toilet, cast with Geopolymer Concrete (GPC) incorporating industrial wastes, provides an easy and quick solution to waste disposal. Compared to conventional toilets, the GPC toilet unit performs better in terms of energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, land area, cost, and material saving.
CASE STUDIES IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Kopal Khare, Lavanya Suresh
Summary: The Swachh Bharat Mission-Rural (SBM-R) is a flagship programme aimed at ending open defecation in rural India. In this paper, the implementation of the SBM-R programme is studied using Amartya Sen's conception of justice and the Sanitation Well-being Framework. The findings reveal the prevalence of slippage in sanitation and identify 26 capability factors that contribute to it.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Alhassan Abdul Mumin, Abdul-Rahim Mohammed, Toyibu Issahaku, Baba Iddrisu Musah
Summary: The study assessed the impact of community-led total sanitation (CLTS) on open defecation in the Tamale Metropolis. It found that poor maintenance of latrines, financial hardship, and social norms contribute to frequent open defecation. The study also revealed that CLTS has significantly reduced open defecation in the area and identified policy environment, community participation, and implementation quality as key factors for effective CLTS implementation.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jabir Ali, Waseem Khan
Summary: This study examines the importance of demographic, social and economic factors in determining the adoption of green toilets among rural households in India. Using data from the Rural Impact Survey of the World Bank, the study finds that about 36.2 percent of surveyed rural households have access to green toilets with proper effluent discharge systems. The analysis also reveals a significant association between the adoption of green toilets and various demographic, social, and economic characteristics. Regression analysis further highlights the marginal effects of factors such as age, education, income, and social category on the adoption of green toilets in rural India.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Geography
Pallavi Gupta
Summary: Waiting is a spatial, gendered, and hidden behavior. It can be viewed as a multivalent lens to understand power, space, and labor relations. It reveals the unevenness and diversity of urban worlds and is integral to the production of clean infrastructures, yet it remains invisible. Waiting as a method and praxis helps reveal the relational spaces and everydayness of capitalism.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GEOGRAPHERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shubhagato Dasgupta, Neha Agarwal, Anindita Mukherjee
Summary: Wastewater management in low and lower-middle income countries predominantly relies on On-Site Sanitation (OSS) systems. In India, the lack of regulatory oversight has led to households constructing and operating OSS systems that do not comply with national technical standards, posing a risk to water sources and public health. The paper suggests that local and national governments should rethink system design, promote prefabrication of systems, and update technical standards to unlock the potential of OSS as a safe and long-term wastewater management solution for sustainable urban sanitation futures.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Madhur D. Gajbhiye, Sandhiya Lakshmanan, Naresh Kumar, Sujit Bhattacharya, Shivnarayan Nishad
Summary: In an effort to reduce vehicular emissions, India has implemented Bharat Stage (BS) emission standards since 2000 and shifted to BS-VI norms from April 2020. This study analyzes the impact of different stages of BS emission standards on pollutant emissions. The results show reductions in CO, NMVOC, OC, and BC emissions in 2021 compared to 2017, but an increase in NOx emissions. The findings highlight the need for a balanced integration of emission control technologies to address the new pollutants and increase in NOx levels.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART D-TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
