Open defecation | EPFL Graph Search

Open defecation is the human practice of defecating outside ("in the open") rather than into a toilet. People may choose fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals, or other open spaces for defecation. They do so either because they do not have a toilet readily accessible or due to traditional cultural practices. The practice is common where sanitation infrastructure and services are not available. Even if toilets are available, behavior change efforts may still be needed to promote the use of toilets. 'Open defecation free' (ODF) is a term used to describe communities that have shifted to using toilets instead of open defecation. This can happen, for example, after community-led total sanitation programs have been implemented. Open defecation can pollute the environment and cause health problems and diseases. High levels of open defecation are linked to high child mortality, poor nutrition, poverty, and large disparities between rich and poor. Ending open defecation is an indicator being used to measure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal Number 6. Extreme poverty and lack of sanitation are statistically linked. Therefore, eliminating open defecation is thought to be an important part of the effort to eliminate poverty. an estimated 673 million people practice open defecation, down from about 892 million people (12 percent of the global population) in 2016. In that year, 76 percent (678 million) of the people practicing open defecation in the world lived in just seven countries. In ancient times, there were more open spaces and less population pressure on land. It was believed that defecating in the open causes little harm when done in areas with low population, forests, or camping-type situations. With development and urbanization, open defecating started becoming a challenge and thereby an important public health issue, and an issue of human dignity. With the increase in population in smaller areas, such as cities and towns, more attention was given to hygiene and health.

PLASMA SHAPE AND FUELING DEPENDENCE ON THE SMALL ELMS REGIME IN TCV AND AUG

Benoît Labit, Antoine Pierre Emmanuel Alexis Merle, Umar Sheikh, Pedro Andres Molina Cabrera, Roberto Maurizio

A series of experiments has been conducted at AUG and TCV to disentangle the role of fueling, plasma triangularity and closeness to a double null (DN) configuration for the onset of the small ELM regime. At AUG, the role of the SOL density has been revisit ...

2018

Towards sustainable sanitation: Identifying and mitigating microbial health risks in the production of urine-derived fertilizers

Tamar Kohn, Simon Schindelholz, Timothy R. Julian

Sanitation systems that systematically recover and reuse waste can promote social enterprise, reduce discharge of harmful nutrients, pathogens and other contaminants to the environment, replace synthetic fertilizer sources, and increase access to sanitatio ...

2017