The optimization of public toilet maintenance in Covid-19 pandemic era

Abstract

In the Covid-19 pandemic situation, various diseases generate society's anxiety. Covid-19 is transmitted through nose or mouth droplets and faeces of humans infected with the virus. Such condition requires people to keep both private and public toilets clean to avoid the risk of Covid-19 transmission. In Indonesia, many people still defecate haphazardly (open defecation), resulting in environmental pollution and disease spread. For that reason, a policy is required to appeal to the people to plan public toilet construction as ruled and to maintain it routinely. This research studies the social reality of many people still having open defecation behaviour in Surakarta, Indonesia, which requires environmental management. This case study was conducted through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation related to the phenomenon. The research shows some factors causing many people to still defecate haphazardly in Surakarta: firstly, no toilet or no funds to construct it;secondly, limited access to clean water;and thirdly, population-dense urban settlement. The community-Based Total Sanitation Approach (CBTSA) appears as the government's response to optimize the cleanliness of toilets by the community. © 2023 Author(s).