Introduction

Even when there is impetus for sanitation improvement among the municipal authorities, the level of demand within the general population may be much lower. Since sanitation requires intervention at both household and community levels, raising the demand for such services from individuals is of paramount importance for the project’s success. Therefore, this step focuses on creating demand for sanitation services, by raising awareness through dissemination and information campaigns that create lasting behaviour changes among members of the community.

Demand for sanitation is created when end-users have motivation, opportunity and ability to invest in a sanitation system which suits their needs and aspirations. Sanitation is most effectively promoted from a holistic point of view showing the interlink between sanitation and health, both by hygiene improvements and by improved food production and nutritional status. This implies creating and exchanging knowledge in three areas: social attitudes and software (e.g. hygiene education, behavioural change); an enabling environment; and technology and hardware (e.g. different types of sanitation systems, operation and maintenance procedures, reuse opportunities of plant nutrients and water for increased crop production). The joint promotion of all three areas of sanitation is needed to obtain the maximum health and socio-economic benefits.

It is important to clarify, that awareness raising activities for hygiene behaviour change should start right from the beginning. Meanwhile activities oriented to the demand creation of specific technologies and sanitation systems should be carefully and in a step-wise order, introduced to the community. It is not wise to stimulate the demand for certain sanitation options until the priorities of the requirements of the users, as well as the local situation, are fully understood. However, the sanitation planning team, particularly the sanitation experts must know which technologies and services are available in the region, thus the need to identify a suitable sanitation supply chain.