A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH TO PREDICT ... - SuSanA

which working well for them. 42 This argument shows that those who advocate ecosan
see a future where instead of controlling pollution after it has happened, prevent it
before it happens which goes with the saying “prevention is better than cure”. In the
subsequent paragraphs, some researches on ecosan with their findings will be discussed
in relation to the objective of this study.
Urwibutso 43 undertook a study of sanitation issues in Rwanda and assessed the
possibility of introducing some types of ecosan systems in a city called Kigali. The
outcome of the study was that one type of ecosan toilet known as Diverting Dehydrating
(UDD toilet) is an appropriate technology to be introduced in the area. However, one of
the barriers to the introduction is socio-cultural beliefs against handling of human
excreta. 44 This is because the UDD toilet is constructed in such a way that the urine can
be separated from the faeces so that they can be treated separately for use. He therefore
recommended that to ensure effective management, there will be a need for intensive
education before implementation. 45 Although this study was more policy oriented in the
sense that the researcher assessed the policies of government in the sanitation sector and
what government could do to improve it in that country and not on predicting people’s
behavioural intentions towards ecological sanitation, it discovered a problem similar to
the one identified in the research problem about perceptions and cultural practices.
One may say that some practices that exist in some part of Africa may not necessarily
exist in all parts of the continent and that beliefs in Rwanda cannot used as bases of
argument in Ghana. This may not be true because there are some studies done in Ghana
which also mention similar problems. De Silva 46 in a research on multi-criteria analysis
of options for urban sanitation and urban agriculture in Accra (Ghana) and Lima (Peru)
analysed the advantages and disadvantages of various sanitation systems and toilet types
as well as assessing problems associated with poor sanitation in Accra. He mentioned
that culture and perceptions on public health were some of the constraint to sanitation
provisions in the country. 47 This may hinder ecosan to play its role as it can be
influential in achieving sustainable development.
42 George, Rose, 2008, pp. 231-234
43 Urwibutso Noëlla, Joyeuse, 2008,
44 Ibid, p.46
45 Ibid
46 De Silva, 2007
47 De Silva, 2007, pp 12-34 and 52
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