Some 70% of the estimated 120,000 residents of Bhutan’s capital Thimphu rely on on-site sanitation, while beyond the capital, regional towns also continue to promote on-site sanitation but without a corresponding focus on sludge management services.
The growing issues are difficult to ignore, with leaking septic tanks and infrequent and unsafe emptying practices posing both environmental and health risks for Bhutan’s new urban residents.
Seeking a solution to this fast-developing problem, SNV partnered with Bhutan’s Ministry of Works and Human Settlements to research the issue and identify barriers to improved septic tank management amongst building owners in the Bhutanese capital, building understanding of behavioural determinants and consumer preferences.
Using a sanitation behaviour change framework, the research focused on prioritised behavioural determinants of knowledge of septic tank management and services, willingness to pay and the use of enforcements. The research findings were then used to develop a practical, evidence-based behaviour change communication strategy for the city to promote safe and timely emptying practices, improve services and increase demand from households, business and institutions.