Improving Uptake and Sustainability of Sanitation Interventions in Timor-Leste: A Case Study

Naomi E Clarke, Clare E F Dyer, Salvador Amaral, Garyn Tan and Susana Vaz Nery
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Naomi E Clarke: Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Clare E F Dyer: Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Salvador Amaral: Research School of Population Health, College of Health & Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Garyn Tan: Research School of Population Health, College of Health & Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Susana Vaz Nery: Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: Open defecation (OD) is still a significant public health challenge worldwide. In Timor-Leste, where an estimated 20% of the population practiced OD in 2017, increasing access and use of improved sanitation facilities is a government priority. Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) has become a popular strategy to end OD since its inception in 2000, but evidence on the uptake of CLTS and related interventions and the long-term sustainability of OD-free (ODF) communities is limited. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach, encompassing quantitative monitoring and evaluation data from water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) agencies, and semi-structured interviews with staff working for these organizations and the government Department of Environmental Health, to examine sanitation interventions in Timor-Leste. Recommendations from WASH practitioners on how sanitation strategies can be optimized to ensure ODF sustainability are presented. Whilst uptake of interventions is generally good in Timor-Leste, lack of consistent monitoring and evaluation following intervention delivery may contribute to the observed slippage back to OD practices. Stakeholder views suggest that long-term support and monitoring after ODF certification are needed to sustain ODF communities.

Keywords: sanitation; WASH; CLTS; ODF; subsidies; Timor-Leste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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