The Sanitation Tours: Understanding India's Experiments in Rural Sanitation

Does the Indian experience hold any lessons for African nations? 

Exposure Visit to India for African Journalists
January 20-24, 2020

Africa and India. Two vast lands, two peoples, but similar issues, problems and concerns. Whether it is open defecation or the devastating effects of climate change, we struggle and toil with the same kinds of environmental problems and with similar impacts. However, the way we respond to these problems and challenges may differ from country to country – and therein lies an opportunity to understand these issues better and to learn from each other about solutions, about what is working and where.

India, which has for long struggled with the challenge of sanitation, recently declared itself open defecation free (ODF). From being vilified as the nation with the biggest population of open defecators in the world, its mission to clean up is now being seen as a huge step forward. Africa, too, has millions who have to resort to open defecation in the absence of viable sanitation systems and infrastructure.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a leading New Delhi (India) - based research and advocacy body, has been working to highlight issues, concerns and practices related to rural sanitation in India and Africa.

CSE organized an Exposure Visit-cum-Briefing Tour to India for journalists in Africa, to understand the linkages that exist between environmental issues (such as sanitation) of the two regions and their communities; to witness and know about best practices; and to share reporting experiences with Indian counterparts.  The exposure visit brought together 9 journalists from different African countries. The visit involved road travel (by buses) to villages and locations in the Indian state of Rajasthan

Sukanya Nair
The CSE Media Resource Centre
E-mail: sukanya.nair@cseindia.org
India cellphone: +91 88168 18864