Ecological Sanitation (ECOSAN) in Oasis Communities: Lessons From a Pilot Project in Five Villages of Draa Tafilalet, Morocco

Introduction

A global expansion in drylands by 3.1% in the period between 1980 and 2008 was recorded by Li et al., (2019) and this trend is projected to continue due to global warming (Koutroulis, 2019). Arid ecosystems and populations are threatened by climate change (CC), increasing human pressure (Liu et al., 2016), and water scarcity. The Moroccan arid oasis zones are particularly vulnerable. In fact, these zones are susceptible to anthropogenic and CC influences (Karmaoui et al., 2014, 2019). Morocco's agriculture sector is particularly threatened by rising temperatures and decreased precipitation in the coming years compared to other North Africa countries (Schilling et al. 2012). Increasing degradation of the oasis is accelerated by the local socio-economic vulnerability (high rate of poverty), which increases the dependence of local communities on the oasis ecosystem and the promotion of water-intensive cash crops such as watermelons (Karmaoui et al. 2014). The region is characterized by the high rate of population and poverty conjugated to high soil and water vulnerability. The socioeconomic fragility has impacted the sustainability of ecosystem services management, mainly water, and soil. Wells are dug deeper to reach receding water tables, which increases the salinity of the soil, harming crops. Composting human waste instead of using flush toilets is one way to conserve water resources in the region. In fact, Ecosan systems have a variety of benefits that include conserving water resources, enriching soil fertility, and improving food security and health (Langergraber & Muellegger 2004, 441).

Human waste systems such as septic tanks, latrines, or open defecation run the risk of contaminating food and water sources in socio-economically fragile regions. In fact, many studies have shown that feces can include various pathogenic species such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and worms. Bacterial (E. coli and enterococci) (Wanjugi et al., 2016). Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides infections associated with human excreta (Pham-Duc et al., 2013). Viruses, human adenoviruses, and polyomavirus were detected to be associated with human excreta (Dias et al., 2018). For example, enteric viruses are the pathogens that cause waterborne diseases such as hepatitis, meningitis, and gastroenteritis (Rodríguez-Lázaro et al., 2011). Septic tanks, which are used to store human waste in the study region, run the risk of seeping into water tables, contaminating drinking water and soil. In absence of a sanitation network along the Draa and Ziz river valleys (wadis), the dug septic tanks have largely contributed to the fecal contamination of the water and general bacteriological pollution (Messouli et al., 2008 & Ben Salem et al., 2011). In addition to the impact on health, human wastes have considerable repercussions on the environment including water, soil quality, and soil biodiversity.

Protecting the environment for human well-being requires awareness and change in our production, consumption, and waste disposal patterns. However, changing these behaviors depends first on education. Several approaches and techniques for protecting the environment can be taught and anchored in schools such as a sustainable development toolkit developed by teachers and implemented in a participatory manner by students, teachers, and the administration. For our case, we chose the implementation of the Ecosan technique, the abbreviation of the concept of ecological sanitation. This technique safely recycles nutrients from excreta to use in gardening and agriculture after disinfection. Simha & Ganesapillai (2017) define it as “a sustainable approach to promote closed-loop flows of resources and nutrients from sanitation to agriculture.” Langergraber and Muellegger (2004) go further, explaining that Ecosan is a system as well as an attitude that views human excrement as a resource rather than a disposable waste. The Ecosan technique requires a conceptual shift in the dominant mentality of discarding human waste, to focus instead on its nutrient value and role in the ecological cycle. The technology is designed as a three-step process of containment, sanitization, and recycling (Rajbhandari 2008, 62) that separates the nutrients from harmful pathogens in the waste to use as a soil conditioner and fertilizer and support local food security.