Raising Awareness for Sustainable Faecal Treatment Using Augmented Reality

Pit latrines—the simplest on-site sanitation system—have been extensively used in developing countries in Asia for a long time. However, pit latrines are pollution and health risk hotspots that can cause widespread contamination. It is preferable to upgrade them to septic tanks, which are more advanced, effective, and simple alternatives. This study encourages the transition from pit latrines to septic tanks by making people aware of the health and environmental risks associated with the use of pit latrines. As decisions about sanitation technologies are mostly made by individual households, it is important to find communication tools for the average household to understand the basic information to make informed decisions. To this end, this study used augmented reality as a communication tool. A survey was conducted with Sri Lankan households that use pit latrines, and experiments were carried out in a university laboratory in Japan. The use of augmented reality increased people’s understanding of the environmental and health risks of pit latrines. This understanding was retained for some time because people found the use of augmented reality ‘enjoyable’. Hence, our findings contribute to the promotion of the transition from pit latrines to septic tanks in low- and middle-income countries.