Community-led total sanitation

Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an innovative methodology for mobilizing communities to completely eliminate open defecation (OD). Originating in Bangladesh in 2000 by Dr. Kamal Kar for the NGO Village Education Resource Center, CLTS focuses on the behavioral change needed to ensure real and sustainable improvements. It does so by engaging with community members in a way that encourages them to conduct their own appraisal and analysis of open defecation and take their own action to become open defecation free (ODF).

Overview

At the heart of CLTS is the principle that communities can and should take the lead in their own sanitation processes. By facilitating a process of collective understanding of the dangers of open defecation, which include health risks such as the spread of diarrhea, cholera, and parasitic worm infections, communities are encouraged to devise and implement their own strategies to become ODF.

Methodology

The CLTS approach involves several key steps, starting with the triggering of the community. This is usually done through participatory workshops or activities that help the community recognize the problem of open defecation and its impact on health and well-being. Following this realization, communities are motivated to develop an action plan to end open defecation, which often includes the construction of latrines without external financial subsidies.

Impact

The impact of CLTS can be profound. It has been implemented in over 60 countries and has led to thousands of communities achieving ODF status. This has significant health benefits, including reductions in diarrhea and other diseases associated with poor sanitation. Moreover, the approach fosters community pride and ownership over the sanitation process, leading to more sustainable outcomes.

Challenges

Despite its successes, CLTS faces several challenges. These include ensuring the sustainability of ODF status, addressing the needs of vulnerable groups who may not be able to construct latrines without assistance, and scaling up the approach to reach a larger population.

Conclusion

Community-led Total Sanitation represents a paradigm shift in sanitation programming, from an approach that is often top-down and subsidy-driven, to one that is community-led and focuses on behavioral change. Its success across diverse contexts demonstrates its potential to contribute significantly to the global effort to end open defecation.

Community-led total sanitation Resources
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