Search Result

The issue of sanitation and urban hygiene is a crucial aspect of sustainable urban development. In the case of Togolese cities in general and Lomé in particular, despite the fact that the State, local authorities, and NGOs have implemented numerous initiatives, the results observed remain insufficient, largely due to a crisis of eco-citizenship among urban residents. The crisis of eco-citizenship refers to a lack of awareness, commitment, and responsible behavior by citizens towards the urban environment. This crisis is manifested in daily practices that undermine public sanitation and hygiene policies. Using a methodological approach that is both qualitative and quantitative, through questionnaires, structured interviews, field observation, and documentary research, this study shows that the failure of sanitation and hygiene policies, evidenced by the persistence of unsanitary conditions in Togolese cities, and more specifically in Lomé, results from a complex interaction between public policies insufficiently embraced by the population and citizen practices characterized by a lack of environmental responsibility. The analysis of the case of Lomé highlights that the failure of sanitation and hygiene policies cannot be understood independently of the crisis of eco-citizenship. If financial, technical, and institutional constraints are real obstacles, they are not sufficient to explain the persistence of urban unsanitariness. The lack of citizen engagement, the normalization of polluting practicies, and the weak social appropriation of public policies play a decisive role in this failure.