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Excreta disposal in emergencies manual

Background to the EDIE project

It is generally accepted that excreta disposal is given less priority in emergencies than other humanitarian interventions such as health care, food and water supply. This is despite the fact that many of the most common diseases occurring in emergency situations are caused by inadequate sanitation facilities and poor hygiene practices. Many aid agencies are aware of these facts and wish to give a greater emphasis to excreta disposal. However, they are hampered by a lack of experience and resources to support their staff.

Although a number of publications address the issue of excreta disposal in emergencies there were no formal publication dealing solely with the issue. Existing publications such as Engineering in Emergencies (Davis & Lambert, 2003), Emergency Sanitation (Harvey et al., 2002) and Public Health Engineering in Emergency Situation (MSF, 1994) all contain useful information related to excreta disposal, but this is not comprehensive.

Oxfam’s Guidelines for Excreta Disposal in Emergencies attempted to fill the gap, but as a formal document it had a number of limitations and shortfalls. The need for a more comprehensive, high quality publication devoted solely to excreta disposal in emergency settings was clearly evident.

Project output

The output of the project is an A5 manual entitled ‘Excreta Disposal in Emergencies’. The manual comes along with an accompanying CD-ROM.

Manual objectives

The purpose of the manual is to provide practical guidance on how to select, design, construct and maintain appropriate excreta disposal systems in emergency situations. Contexts include; natural disasters, refugees settings, the internally displaced and more complex emergencies. Solutions for both rural and peri-urban settings are also covered, as are more complicated technical solutions.

Target audience

This manual is designed for use by field-based technicians or engineers (with limited experience) or non-technical staff responsible for sanitation planning, management and intervention in emergencies. This may include international personnel sent to an emergency, local, national and regional staff.

How the manual will be used

The manual presents a process, which can be followed to assess the current sanitation needs and priorities, and to design an appropriate programme to respond to those needs. It can also be used to select appropriate excreta disposal technologies, systems, and hygiene promotion interventions. The manual provides guidance on how to plan, design and construct systems, and how to maintain and promote appropriate use of those systems.

About the project partners

Through the Inter-agency coordination group, a common desire to produce information resources that can be shared by different implementing agencies and that promote consistent good field practice, has been the motor behind the project.

The manual was produced through a collaborative process between Oxfam, IFRC, UNHCR and UNICEF. WEDC was given the task of editing the manual, drawing on information from existing publications and specialist inputs. There is a strong emphasis on clear graphical representation throughout the document.

Review, finalisation and publication

The manual was peer reviewed by the main partners on two occasions. Firstly, in October 2005, and secondly, in October 2006. The book was printed and published by ITDG Publishing in May 2007.