Building Resilient Sanitation Systems in Malawi: Pit-latrine Costs, Collapse, and Management

Rebekah Hinton , Modesta Banda Kanjaye, Christopher Macleod, Mads Troldborg, Robert Kalin

Despite widespread access to basic sanitation in Malawi, over 75% of the population lacks improved sanitation facilities. This national study investigates the resilience of pit-latrines across Malawi, focusing on the relationship between construction quality, facility lifespan, and collapse frequency. A survey of 268,000 pit-latrines revealed that high-quality latrines (lined and with a slab) collapse three times less frequently than low-quality latrines and last significantly longer. However, cost barriers remain substantial, with high-quality latrines costing five times more than low-quality facilities. Even when accounting for their extended lifespan, the annual cost of high-quality facilities is almost double that of low-quality options, highlighting a key financial challenge for widespread adoption.

Pit-latrine emptying, while offering a potential solution to extend the lifespan of latrines, is rarely practiced due to its high costs and cultural resistance. Manual emptying, the most common method, raises health and environmental concerns, while emptying costs remain prohibitively high for many households. The study emphasises the need for significant investment in resilient sanitation infrastructure, promotion of affordable emptying services, and the development of faecal waste management systems. Addressing these challenges is essential to ensuring equitable access to safe and sustainable sanitation in Malawi, ensuring climate resilience and sanitation justice.