Municipal planners should ...

Municipal planners should recognize that the worst sanitary conditions tend to be found in poor areas. Construction of a toilet is generally regarded as the householder’s responsibility but, for poor households, investments in sanitation are often constrained by issues relating to: â–  Affordability, including the cost of connecting to sewer networks; â–  Uncertainty over land tenure ; â–  Space constraints; and â–  The low priority given to sanitation (people may not appreciate its importance). Special measures may therefore be needed to support service improvements for the poorest sections of the community. This does not just mean subsidies and awareness campaigns; technology options are also needed that suit the physical conditions in poor communities.