ENG - UN CC:Learn

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
SRI LANKA
EcoSan: Clean Water and Sanitation for the Poor
QUICK FACTS
CURRENT PORTFOLIO BUDGET
Total UNDP-GEF and Co-Finance: $6,051,900
Total UNDP and Co-Finance: $4,270,660
Total MPU and Bilateral: $1,700,864
Total: $12,023,424
SPOTLIGHT
INDIA
Jaffna
Anuradhapura
Negombo
SRI LANKA
Kandy
Indian
Ocean
Trincomalee
Batticaloa
Approximately three billion people today lack safe sanitation.
Open defecation is widespread in South Asia, which
Colombo
when coupled with poor hygiene, a high water table and
the proximity of communal wells to private soak-aways or
pit latrines, creates a large risk of highly contaminated wells.
Galle
This often results in endemic intestinal worms and diarrhea,
young people with polio-infected limbs and annual outbreaks of cholera and
dysentery. In the rural lowland of Sri Lanka a community working the tea plantations lacked proper sanitation and shared a
small number of toilets that were constantly blocked and extremely unpleasant.
To address this problem, in 2000 a UNDP project called Ecological Sanitation, or “Ecosan”, successfully
installed 30 urine-diverting toilets in rural and urban areas of Sri Lanka, in collaboration
with the expert organization EcoSolutions. These toilets recycle nutrients by using
the human excreta as fertilizer, thus protecting the environment while conserving
resources.The toilets promote health and prevent disease by treating the faecal matter in
the toilet, rather than flushing it downstream. In the rural lowland community the urinediverting
toilets were met with excitement from the community, which participated in
building the toilets and were trained to operate and understand the devices. Five banana
trees were also planted, which are thriving on the recycled urine and wash water.
The project has been successful as it provides communities with direct and concrete benefits to
their health, quality of life and immediate environment, and involves the local community and families
in managing the toilets. UNDP is currently working with resource centers on ecological sanitation in Mexico, Zimbabwe,
India and Sweden, and EcoSolutions is continuing its successful work, including a project in India where some 200 toilets were
installed.
WATER
Cumulative Total ODS Phased-Out:
91.0 ODP tonnes
202