Lou Tinan Ange-Laetitia Tra
Ange-Laetitia at her PhD graduation ceremony. © 2026 Laetitia Tra
Summary
The provision of sanitation services in major African cities remains inadequate and rarely takes into account an urban planning model that includes deprived neighbourhoods. This research project aims to improve access to sanitation services in deprived neighbourhoods of major African cities, using Abidjan as a case study. It draws on an innovative approach combining urban engineering, sanitary engineering and artificial intelligence to develop more inclusive planning and management tools.
The research has identified the key determinants of access to safe sanitation services. The results show that socio-economic factors, such as income level and housing tenure status, play a central role. They also highlight the frequent use of unhygienic disposal practices, influenced in particular by environmental constraints such as proximity to water bodies or ravines.
The study also highlights structural shortcomings in the sector’s governance, notably the absence of price regulation, the lack of reliable data and the inadequacy of service monitoring tools, which limit the effectiveness of public policies on sanitation.
To address these challenges, a digital decision-support platform, Vidange Pro+, has been developed to optimise the management of emptying and transport operations. By facilitating coordination between the various stakeholders and improving transparency and service monitoring, this tool represents a promising lever for strengthening urban sanitation governance and can be adapted to other similar contexts in Africa.
Publications / Scientific news
Tra, L.T.AL, Dongo, K, SFD Report Municipality of Yopougon, Autonomous District of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. 2025
Tra, L.T.AL., Dongo, K., Pessoa Colombo, V. et al. Environmental and socio-economic determinants of fecal sludge emptying in Sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-sectional mixed-methods study in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 66497–66511 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35631-6
Tra, L.T.AL, Dongo, K, Pessoa Colombo, V. et al. Social determinants of access to basic sanitation in Sub-Saharan cities: a mixed-methods study in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health Impact factor: 4.4 (2024) — en soumission