A pit latrine is the most basic form of improved sanitation which is currently used by a number of people around the globe. In spite of the wide spread use, known successes and advantages associated with pit latrines, they have received little attention in form of research and development. This review focuses on the usage and performance (filling, smell and insect nuisance) of pit latrines in urban areas of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and proposes approaches for their improvements and sustainability. Current pit latrine usage within urban SSA was calculated from Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) water and sanitation country-files. We conducted a literature search and review of documents on pit latrine usage, filling, smell and insect nuisances in urban areas of SSA. Findings of the review are presented and discussed in this paper. Pit latrines are in use by more than half the urban population in SSA and especially among low income earners. An additional 36 million people in urban areas of SSA have adopted the pit latrine since 2007. However, their performance is unsatisfactory. Available literature shows that contributions have been made to address shortfalls related to pit latrine use in terms of science and technological innovations. However, further research is still needed. Any technology and process management innovations to pit latrines should involve scientifically guided approaches. In addition, development, dissemination and enforcement of minimum pit latrine design standards are important while the importance of hygienic latrines should also be emphasized.

The effects of climate change on groundwater recharge and baseflow in the upper Ssezibwa catchment, Uganda, are investigated. The study first examines historical data, which indeed reveal evidence of climate change based on trends observed in temperature and discharge. For the climate change study, the statistical downscaling model (SDSM) is used to downscale future climate change scenarios, which were obtained from the UK HadCM3 climate model. The downscaled climate is used as input to the WetSpa hydrological model, a physically-distributed rainfall-runoff model, which was used to simulate the resulting hydrological changes. Downscaled climate shows an increase in precipitation in the wet seasons (March-May; October-December) ranging from 30% in the 2020s to over 100% in the 2080s. The corresponding rise in temperature ranges between 1 and 4 degrees C. These changes are shown to give rise to intensification of the hydrological cycle. The mean annual daily baseflow for the current period of 157 mm/year (69% of discharge), is expected to increase by 20-80% between the 2020s and 2080s. The corresponding increase in recharge ranges from 20 to 100% from the current 245mm/year. The findings provide a basis for further research in the downscaling of climate data and sensitivity analysis for simulated hydrological changes in the catchment.status: publishe