A comparative study of faecal sludge management in Malawi and Zambia: Status, challenges and opportunities in pit latrine emptying

Abstract

This review paper covers the issues of pit latrine emptying national policies and regulations with a
focus on Malawi and Zambia. With 2.4 billion people worldwide still lacking improved sanitation
facilities, developing countries need to look at policy, regulation and practice for household sanitation
service provision with a new lens. What happens “next,” when improved sanitation facilities eventually
become full? An emphasis on faecal sludge management has multiplied this important issue in the past
few years. The authors compare the pit latrine emptying situation in Malawi and Zambia with a focus on
status, challenges and opportunities. To build this comparison, a desk review of national policies, local
regulations and peer-reviewed journal papers was conducted. The paper concludes that existing
national policies and regulations taking faecal sludge management into account are weak and have wide
gaps in the two study countries. For the future, it is recommended, first, that household pit latrine
emptying should be seen as an opportunity to address national sanitation gaps and, second, national
policies and regulations need to be evaluated and updated.

Key words: Faecal sludge management, pit latrine, policy, private sector, sanitation.