laNd sHariNG

CHALLENGES

During our research, we identi fi ed a number of challenges which make it so diffi cult to develop sanitati on faciliti es that would bring dignity, safety and hygiene to people of Kampala.

First of all, it needs to be stressed that there is no integrated policy document in Uganda that would address the real sanitati on problems and propose a realisti c plan to solve them in the future. There are many insti tuti ons and actors which have some responsibiliti es and roles in the water and sanitati on sector, but their competences are oft en unclear or overlapping. There are very few cases in which those insti tuti ons collaborate to implement projects and initi ati ves together.

Another set of issues relates to the lack of proper planning and access to land. Illegal squatti ng and unresolved land ownership issues are very common in Kampala’s informal sett lements, which then may lead to evicti ons. It is understood that residents, governments and NGOs are hesitant to invest large amounts of money in sanitati on faciliti es before those issues are resolved. In cases when people struggle to secure adequate shelters for themselves, sanitati on becomes a secondary priority. The most common types of rentals in Kampala’s slums are the single-room “muzigo” dwellings, which may be occupied by up to 4-6 people. Rent for those units usually does not include access to any form of toilet faciliti es.

Further, there are challenges related to aff ordability of water, pit emptying and sewage disposal. Access to water in slum areas is oft en limited to communal taps, which means that users need to pay by demand. The rates they pay may diff er from area to area, but in general the price for water is much higher than what was originally set by the government. Other municipal services are also expensive, so slum dwellers are hesitant to get their faciliti es connected to the sewer network or they do not empty their pits and septi c tanks when they fi ll up.

Finally, the ineffi ciency of solid waste collecti on also contributes to the problem, as pits, septi c tanks, pipes and drainage channels get easily clogged with garbage, which then require frequent and expensive repairs.

LESSONS LEARNED

Before we started working on soluti ons and design proposals, we visited a number of toilets in diff erent slum areas to fi nd out what other issues need to be considered. Some of them are explained below:

• Toilets require fi nancial management plans to ensure their uninterrupted long-term functi oning • Proper esti mati on of daily usage should be incorporated in the planning process in order to get the scale of the unit right and help deciding on the locati on • Community members (especially women) that are involved in the fi nancing, design and implementati on process tend to take a bett er care of their toilets in the long term • Security measures may be necessary to prevent crime (stealing, vandalism, sexual harassment), especially at night • Sanitati on improvement among the poor is only possible when accompanied by campaigns promoti ng health and hygiene • Some communiti es may be hesitant to environmentally friendly toilet technologies, as they may not accept that their waste could be reused for composti ng or biogas for cooking so there may be no market for the end products TECHNOLOGY

The following toilet technologies were identi fi ed as applicable in Kampala’s slums: • Traditi onal pit latrine • Elevated Venti lated improved pit latrine (V.I.P.) • Elevated Pour fl ush latrine • Double-pit latrine • Water borne toilet • Bio gas / Urine diversion dry toilet (UDDT)

User Profile

Residents (Private) Illegal Squatters

Density Low Eviction Risk Public (Open)

Type

High Medium

Water Table

High Low Low

High Community Institutions Markets

Recommended sanitation options

OPTIONS ASSESSMENT

The next step in our analysis was to match the appropriate technologies and proposed unit designs to a set of representati ve informal sett lement types and user profi les in Kampala. This was done by identi fying the most important criteria that make some soluti ons work bett er than others, for example whether it has to be a public or private toilet, what is the sett lement’s populati on density, if there is any evicti on threat in the area, how deep is the ground water table and whether there is a chance or willingness to get the toilet connected to the sewer network. All this informati on needs to be collected before the best technology choice and design is chosen.

Based on the collected informati on, we developed three design proposals for toilet units in low-income neighborhoods.

Design 1 : Elevated Compact Double Pit Toilet for high-density residenti al sett lements with high water table

• Size: 2 stances, assumed 50 users, 2 showers • Incremental • Requires litt le maintenance

Design 2 : Elevated Pour Flush Toilet with Septi c Tank for more established medium-density residenti al sett lements with high water table

• Size: 4 stances, assumed 100 users • Caretaker may be present - opportunity for additi onal income • Adverti sing • Rainwater harvesti ng

Design 3 : Pour-Flush Biogas Public Toilet for marketplaces, public spaces or high density residenti al sett lements

• Size: 4 stances, 1 handicap, assumed 250 users, 2 showers, 2 urinals, 2 sinks • Caretaker is present – opportunity for additi onal income • Incremental • Bio gas can be used to lit security lights at night • Rainwater harvesti ng • May act as a centre for acti vity and environmental learning for children CONCLUSIONS

Working on sanitati on issues in Uganda has defi nitely been a life changing experience for us; not only because we learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t, but also because we could realize the disparity in living conditi ons, which then made us appreciate what we have. This fi eldwork inspired us to take further acti on to improve quality of life of all those people who suff er from lack of sanitati on and hygiene and other basic human needs.

Time is passing by, but some things will never change, like our biological needs. Therefore our general recommendati ons for the improvement of sanitati on are: long term thinking, getti ng the users involved, and making sanitati on a priority in decision making. Sanitati on should no longer be a taboo, especially if it is defi cient, like the example from Kampala shows.

We feel very fortunate to be given an opportunity to parti cipate in the fi eld work in Uganda and make a contributi on. Having any of our proposals realized would defi nitely be a great reward and encouragement for us and anyone else who would like to have a real impact. We would defi nitely recommend all of you to take part in similar projects in the developing countries.

Kinawataka market

This section summarizes actions undertaken to plan for the redevelopment of Kinawataka Market located in Kinawataka, an informal settlement found in Mbuya I - Nakawa Division, east of Kampala the capital city of Uganda in Africa. For more than 20 years this market, which consists of 126 business premises divided into stalls and lock-ups, has served the local communities of Mbuya, Kinawataka and some parts of Banda. (ACTogether, 2012) In addition to being important for the supply of food to the neighborhood, the market also employs more than 120 vendors and is therefore an important source of livelihood in the neighborhood.

However, Kinawataka market currently has a poor customer base due to lack of visibility, the deplorable state of the market stalls and narrow circulation passage ways. It also doesn’t live up to the standards for markets set by the planning authorities. The project therefore sheds light on the complex needs of markets in lowincome communities especially that of redevelopment that seeks to maintain the social structures of the market vendors and the community, as opposed to resettlement to a new site. As part of a strategic plan for an inclusive city, it also seeks to demonstrate other alternatives to eviction, mainly through creation of partnerships between the community, planning authorities, concerned ministries and other stakeholders.

Markets in Uganda

Historically, markets in Uganda are open-air in nature characterized by temporary, permanent, semipermanent or no structures at all, depending on the context and whether or not it is located in an area gazetted for the activity. With the expansion of the population, growth of the economy and overall development of the country, newer markets have continued to spring up in upcoming suburbs and urban centers, albeit constructed with temporary/semi-permanent structures. However, the current trend for new emerging/redeveloped markets in Uganda is the construction of market halls, which is being driven by high land market values coupled with the new transformation of the city. However, this trend is not accommodative of low income market vendors.

To understand the importance of market redevelopment projects to the country, it needs to be noted that the Ugandan economy is dependant and dominated by agriculture, and of the population of over 27 million people (est. 2005), 85% live in the rural areas and mainly depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.(Kata, 2006) Therefore the state’s focus on market infrastructure development has been heavily influenced by the need to market agricultural produce internally and enhance the income of the 85% dependent on agriculture as a source of livelihood. This has been made possible through financial commitment, policy development and the creation of conducive working environments that foster strong partnerships between different development partners. Despite these efforts, the government is still grappling with the main challenges of insufficient funding for market infrastructure upgrades coupled with unresolved land ownership issues. (KCCA, 2012) The development of these market infrastructures is one way of addressing the question of urban food insecurity in cities. In Uganda the existing food security policy relates only to the rural agricultural sector. Therefore, for the case of the urban poor community, the key issues that arise with regard to food security are the need to bring markets closer, making them accessible to everyone, and the need to ensure that food prices are favorable for the average buyer. (Brown, 2013) The approach to this project involved; the understanding of the different stakeholders and their expectations, analysis of different case studies, analysis and understanding of the site and context, all this leading to the development of a new design proposal for Kinawataka market.

Lokal Council, Nakawa Division

- Act as a catalyst for further development - Improved livelihood of the community - Increased land values

Market vendors

- More customers, leading to more income and a bett er source of livelihood - Bett er management - Form of organizati on - Security of tenure - Security of merchandize - Revenue from leasing out spaces

MoLHUD, MoLG

- Streamlining the project to nati onal regulatory frameworks and standards

KCCA

- Source of revenue - Reduce pressure on central markets - Reduce dependency on motorized transport for access to basic products - Safety and sanitati on for public health - Project to be in tandem with KPDP

ACTogether, SDI, NSDFU

- Slum upgrading - Improved structure and infrastructure layout - Secure tenure - Diversify the market - Formalize the marketplace - Increase security of businesses and occupants - Act as a catalyst for further development - Facilitate community partners - Cost effi ciency APPROACH

In analysis of the site and context, diff erent studies were carried out: a neighborhood study, land-use study, microclimati c study and sensory study. These studies aided the understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, opportuniti es and threats of the site.

The diff erent case studies analyzed provided diff erent ideas that could be integrated into the proposal for Kinawataka market. These included; •The provisions of diff erent functi ons within a market, adding more faciliti es that the neighborhood needs •Recycling of waste generated in the market •The need to focus att enti on on community parti cipati on •The need to plan for and design public markets that are fl exible in nature and can easily adapt to new user

Micro-climate study

Sun path Breeze directi on Sensory study

Views Sounds Smells

Sun path Breeze Site Undesirable views of context. Create pleasant views into site.

Nodes Traffi c confl ict points Access routes Neighborhood study An upgrade of Kinawataka market will contruibute to reducti on of pressure on the central markets of Kampala. needs and the changing face of the citi es we live in •The need to create a public market that is much more than successful commercial enterprise but also draws the community in by functi oning as a successful public space – a “place” •Retenti on of a sense of connecti on with the outdoors on all sides of the market •Visibility of the energy inside the market by uti lizing the structure of the building to create a sense of openness and draw people in from the surrounding area •Creati on of an interior courtyard into which the market stalls open up, allowing people to fl ow freely between the diff erent functi ons The new proposal for Kinawataka market approaches the design of the market from the larger context, ensuring the market is not alien or opposing within its site. As such, the new design ‘grows’ from its site and is infl uenced by diff erent factors in the immediate neighborhood. In response to the ever changing needs of the vendors and users of the market, it is designed to be fl exible in character. The design also incorporates key issues of;

•Access •Visibility •Circulati on •Waste management

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

The design of this new proposal is based on the understanding of how an example of a farmer’s market stall functi ons. The nature of the stall gives the vendor great fl exibility with regard to the display of his goods. Reinterpreti ng this into the design of the market, the market is understood as one big stall consisti ng of and formed by a structural shell. This shell would then be gradually fi lled-in with the diff erent functi ons the market contains.

This approach to design leads to the formati on of an incremental market. The use of a structural shell ensures that the open-air character of the current market is maintained albeit reinterpreted. The lockups and other functi ons contained within the storey structure can then be slipped in as cubes of a more economical and light-weight material that can easily be adapted to the changing needs of the vendors. The use of the shell ensures maximum fl exibility as far use and gradual expansion of the market are concerned whilst minimizing costs of constructi on and operati on. WAY FORWARD

Financing of the project will depend upon a concerted eff ort from all the stakeholders in many ways either human resource i.e. labor from the vendors and the community, fi nancial resource from SUUBI development initi ati ve, urban poor fund from SDI, a private investor and KCCA availing land for the market development.

In conclusion a way forward is developed that looks into the need to streamline the unresolved market land ownership and transfer issues, understand the management operati on of the market that highly rely upon the vendors associati on and the need to go deeper into detailed design specifying the layout and diff erent functi ons.