IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i18p6743-d1237795.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Excreta Disgust and Adaptive Use of Ecological Sanitation By-Products: Perspectives of Rural Farmers in Burera District, Rwanda

Author

Listed:
  • Celestin Banamwana

    (Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali P.O. Box 3286, Rwanda
    Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7072, Uganda)

  • David Musoke

    (Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7072, Uganda)

  • Theoneste Ntakirutimana

    (Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali P.O. Box 3286, Rwanda)

  • Esther Buregyeya

    (Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7072, Uganda)

  • John Ssempebwa

    (Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7072, Uganda)

  • Gakenia Wamuyu-Maina

    (Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7072, Uganda)

  • Nazarius M. Tumwesigye

    (Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7072, Uganda)

Abstract

Ecological sanitation (Ecosan) by-products are inherently limited in their potential use as excreta resources. Disgust behind human excreta and derivatives continues to challenge the further use of Ecosan-by products. Although treated excreta, including Ecosan by-products, have gradually been adopted worldwide, diverse perspectives among users hinder their use in agro-practices. This study explored perceptions of the use of Ecosan-by products as relates to the disgust of human excreta among rural farmers in Burera district, Rwanda. A qualitative study was conducted amongst three farmers’ cooperatives using Ecosan by-products. We conducted six focus group discussions (FDGs) comprising a total of 48 participants taking into account the following three themes: core excreta disgust, perceived waste, and perceived resource. Thematic analysis was conducted with similar perspectives identified and grouped under emerging sub-themes. The perspectives regarding disgust elicitors included stigma, eversion, phobia, taboos, and health risks. Ecosan by-products were largely perceived as useful, with most farmers trusting and willing to touch the by-products. Psychosocial barriers to using the by-products continued to slow down the adoption of Ecosan for agricultural options. There is a need for increased awareness to scale up the use of Ecosan coupled with effective treatment practices for the products so as to reverse the psychological barriers resulting from traditional excreta disgust over Ecosan-products of faeces and urine.

Suggested Citation

  • Celestin Banamwana & David Musoke & Theoneste Ntakirutimana & Esther Buregyeya & John Ssempebwa & Gakenia Wamuyu-Maina & Nazarius M. Tumwesigye, 2023. "Excreta Disgust and Adaptive Use of Ecological Sanitation By-Products: Perspectives of Rural Farmers in Burera District, Rwanda," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(18), pages 1-11, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:18:p:6743-:d:1237795
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/18/6743/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/18/6743/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Simon Gwara & Edilegnaw Wale & Alfred Odindo & Chris Buckley, 2021. "Attitudes and Perceptions on the Agricultural Use of Human Excreta and Human Excreta Derived Materials: A Scoping Review," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-30, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shirish Singh & Mohammed Ali Ibrahim & Sumeet Pawar & Damir Brdjanovic, 2022. "Public Perceptions of Reuse of Faecal Sludge Co-Compost in Bhubaneswar, India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-13, April.
    2. Dinko Đurđević & Saša Žiković & Paolo Blecich, 2022. "Sustainable Sewage Sludge Management Technologies Selection Based on Techno-Economic-Environmental Criteria: Case Study of Croatia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-23, May.
    3. Hannah Larissa Nicholas & Keith H. Halfacree & Ian Mabbett, 2022. "Public Perceptions of Faecal Sludge Biochar and Biosolids Use in Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-21, November.
    4. Nimni Pannila & Madushan Madhava Jayalath & Amila Thibbotuwawa & Izabela Nielsen & T.G.G. Uthpala, 2022. "Challenges in Applying Circular Economy Concepts to Food Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-24, December.
    5. Haruna Sekabira & Ghislain T. Tepa-Yotto & Rousseau Djouaka & Victor Clottey & Christopher Gaitu & Manuele Tamò & Yusuf Kaweesa & Stanley Peter Ddungu, 2022. "Determinants for Deployment of Climate-Smart Integrated Pest Management Practices: A Meta-Analysis Approach," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-19, July.
    6. Nataliya Loiko & Oleg Kanunnikov & Yuriy Litti, 2023. "Use of Alcaligenes faecalis to Reduce Coliforms and Enhance the Stabilization of Faecal Sludge," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-15, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:18:p:6743-:d:1237795. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.