title: Decision support system for the provision of emergency sanitation.
abstract: Proper provision of sanitation in emergencies is considered a life-saving intervention. Without access to sanitation, refugees at emergency camps are at a high risk of contracting diseases. Even the most knowledgeable relief agencies have experienced difficulties providing sanitation alternatives in such challenging scenarios. This study developed a computer-based decision support system (DSS) to plan a sanitation response in emergencies. The sanitation alternatives suggested by the DSS are based on a sanitation chain concept that considers different steps in the faecal sludge management, from the toilet or latrine to the safe disposal of faecal matters. The DSS first screens individual sanitation technologies using the user's given input. Remaining sanitation options are then built into a feasible sanitation chain. Subsequently, each technology in the chain is evaluated on a scoring system. Different sanitation chains can later be ranked based on the total evaluation scores. The DSS addresses several deficiencies encountered in the provision of sanitation in emergencies including: the application of standard practices and intuition, the omission of site specific conditions, the limited knowledge exhibited by emergency planners, and the provision of sanitation focused exclusively on the collection step (i.e., just the provision of toilets).
authors: Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, Netherlands. Electronic address: f.zakaria@unesco-ihe.org.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Zakaria
authors: Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, Netherlands.
authors: H A
authors: HA
authors: Garcia
authors: Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, Netherlands.
authors: C M
authors: CM
authors: Hooijmans
authors: Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, Netherlands; Faculty of Applied Sciences, Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, Netherlands.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Brdjanovic
keywords: Decision support system; Disasters; Emergency sanitation; Sanitation chain; Sanitation technologies