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Perceptions and Attitudes of the Rural Population of Morocco Towards EcoSan Latrines UDDTs

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Abstract

In Morocco, most of the rural population is not connected to sewerage systems and many households and public buildings in rural areas lack any kind of sanitation facilities. This lack of sanitation, constitute a real burden on the health of the population and environment. Traditional methods of defecation such as the simple pit latrines and the open air are still widely used in rural areas of Morocco. In response to resolve this situation, the first EcoSan latrines (UDDTs) were introduced in a rural village called ‘Ait Daoud Ou Moussa’ in Morocco in December 2009. In this study, a questionnaire survey, a group discussion and an interview with stakeholders in the field of sanitation were taken to assess the socio-cultural acceptance of the EcoSan latrines in this village. Survey results showed that these eco-toilets have been generally accepted by almost all users and non-users. However, the use of excreta after treatment in their agriculture has not been accepted (psychic effect).At the end of this study, we propose some recommendations to encourage the village’s population to reuse the treated excreta in their own fields.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the survey participants for providing critical information and all who contributed directly or indirectly to this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Agrophysiology, Biotechnology, Environment and Qualities, Faculty of Sciences, University IbnTofail of Kenitra, BP: 133, 14000, Kenitra, Morocco

    A. Taouraout, D. Belghyti & M. Najy

  2. Laboratory of Natural Resources Management and Development Team, Health and Environment, Faculty of Science, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco

    A. Taouraout, A. Chahlaoui & I. Taha

  3. RU: Applied Hydrosciences Research Unit, Higher Institute of Water Sciences and Techniques, University of Gabès, Campus universitaire, 6072, Gabès, Tunisia

    A. Kharroubi

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  1. A. Taouraout
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  2. A. Chahlaoui
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  3. D. Belghyti
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  4. M. Najy
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  5. I. Taha
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  6. A. Kharroubi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Taouraout .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Association Méditerranéenne des Sciences et Technologies, Tangier, Morocco

    Mohamed Ben Ahmed

  2. Association Méditerranéenne des Sciences et Technologies, Tangier, Morocco

    Anouar Abdelhakim Boudhir

  3. Faculty of Sciences, Présidence UAE, Tétouan, Morocco

    Ali Younes

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Taouraout, A., Chahlaoui, A., Belghyti, D., Najy, M., Taha, I., Kharroubi, A. (2019). Perceptions and Attitudes of the Rural Population of Morocco Towards EcoSan Latrines UDDTs. In: Ben Ahmed, M., Boudhir, A., Younes, A. (eds) Innovations in Smart Cities Applications Edition 2. SCA 2018. Lecture Notes in Intelligent Transportation and Infrastructure. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11196-0_11

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