Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/4757
Title: Designing a policy framework to universalise adequate household sanitation in Guyana
Authors: Shako, Darren Dwight
Issue Date: 2019
Publisher: Newcastle University
Abstract: Improving sanitation has been on the agenda of Guyana for over a century, but today almost half the population still lack access to facilities and engage in practices that cannot be classified as being adequate. The absence of a dedicated national public policy for sanitation has been cited as one of the factors responsible for the poor state of sanitation. This thesis examines how such a policy should be designed and implementation for Guyana to create the enabling environment to universalise and sustain an adequate level of household sanitation. The methodology adopted for this study combined a comprehensive assessment of the historical development of sanitation in Caribbean, a case study analysis of Barbados’ approach to sanitation improvement (a country with the highest human development index in the region and with almost universal sanitation coverage), and a systematic analysis of Guyana’s sanitation sector. Data was collected using a mixture of methods including desk studies, face-to-face interviews, questionnaires and structural observations. Findings showed that the existing state of sanitation in Guyana is influenced by crippling institutions formed in its formative years of development; institutions that contemporary developers have failed to effectively reverse or abolish. Sanitation viewed as a private responsibility, poor organisation of sanitation services, lack of standards and security of tenure and lack of sanitation consciousness all lead to inadequate sanitation conditions for many households. The results from Barbados showed that political will and leadership must be the cornerstone of a sanitation improvement strategy. Linking sanitation improvement to wider development objectives proved effective in ensuring sanitation improvement is central of development. In developing the sanitation policy framework for Guyana, four conditions were considered necessary; (1) a clear definition of sanitation, (2) establishment of country-appropriate standards, (3) adopting a collective approach that includes obscure groups such as households within informal settlements, and (4) a national approach that takes into account the varying geo-physical and cultural demography of the country.
Description: PhD Thesis
URI: http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/4757
Appears in Collections:School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

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