A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Urban Environmental Management

Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2018

Access to safe sanitation is the most important need after air and water of human beings and several studies worldwide have proved the important role of sanitation in the living conditions of societies, but as in other cities of the country, access to improved and safe sanitation in Kandahar City is poor, therefore, the study aimed at assessing the current condition of existing sanitation facilities and their management, analyzing the issue and causes associated with the management and identifying effects of inadequate sanitation to develop management strategies for improving the quality of sanitation that will support better living conditions in Kandahar City. The study is a mixed method approach composed of both descriptive and exploratory information obtained from primary and secondary data which is collected through questionnaire survey and interviews with households and stakeholders in the study area. Later the data was analyzed for presenting the results in graphic and tabular forms and utilizing those results for strategies development. The results show that majority of households in Kandahar City face problems with sanitation facilities and its management. The key problems identified are linked with both facilities and their management for which the causes are also related with both physical and non-physical features such as socioeconomic factors, lack of infrastructure, institutional ability, budget and awareness affecting health and economy of the households and the environment. Thus, the study proposed strategies covering different aspects; administrative, technical, economic and financial and institutional of sanitary management that would help in improving of sanitation services, and it is likely to apply the proposed strategies in other developing countries as well considering their local situation. Finally, the study recommended for future studies to investigate the possibilities of upgrading unimproved facilities and study more specific about each component of the sanitation services delivery chain.