Inclusive Urban Sanitation Case Stories
Extending sanitation services to informal settlements in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Informal settlements in the context of Ouagadougou are human settlements that are not structured (not shown in the cadastral plan) and occupied outside the official rules for acquiring housing land and in the absence of official land tenure.
Sanitation technologies in pit emptying, Nakuru, Kenya
On-site sanitation systems (OSSs), such as septic tanks and pit latrines, are a critical component of ensuring access to toilets in both rural and urban areas, and this is not limited to underdeveloped countries.
The Women in Sanitation campaign Celebrating women sanitation professionals
Women’s participation in the workforce is often under-represented in both informal and formal roles, which is a serious concern. In the sanitation sector, women are often seen as users, participants, or beneficiaries.
Bridging the sanitation data gap in Nakuru, Kenya
In the city of Nakuru, Kenya, there is a shared understanding among decision-makers of the urgent requirement to bridge the sanitation data gap. Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company (NAWASSCO) is the main utility in Nakuru County.
Sanitation in unauthorized areas, Brazilian cases
The city of São Paulo has 11,451,245 inhabitants and is the largest state capital in Brazil, according to the IBGE Census (2022). Its metropolitan region has about 22 million inhabitants
Faecal sludge and septage management in Maharashtra
Maharashtra is the second most urbanized state in India with a population of 64 million living in 412 cities regulated by their respective Urban Local Governments. The state was awarded the status of ODF in October 2017 and has continually focused on improving the entire sanitation service chain.
Financing incentives for household sanitation in Uganda
Sanitation funding gaps continue to exist while households lack finances that would facilitate the uptake of safely managed sanitary facilities. To bridge this funding gap and increase household access, alternative financing mechanisms must be sought.
Flood prevention via sustainable urban drainage systems, Hanoi, Vietnam
Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, faces many challenges in wastewater and faecal sludge management which are being intensified by water pollution and urban flooding. The rapid expansion of Hanoi has led to the inadequate management of the city’s wastewater
From obscurity to pride: Babuli's journey from invisible worker to Garima supervisor
India is home to over five million sanitation workers who form the backbone of its sanitation systems. In a labour-driven field, they work in unsafe conditions having to deal with human faeces. It is disheartening to see that despite their seminal contribution to the society
Gender-inclusive initiatives from Maharashtra, India
Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) plays an important role when it comes to improving gender inclusivity. To translate the spirit of current national guidelines that look at gender perspectives in sanitation into robust on-ground policies
Instalment payment model for toilets in Kampala's informal settlements
Water For People Uganda in partnership with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) under the City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation Programme implemented a project to upscale faecal sludge management services in the city through catalytic investments to increase access to improved OSS
Institutional & regulatory reform in the evolution of Dhaka's sanitation sector
Dhaka’s population has multiplied 14 times in 50 years since 1971. The megacity is now the seventh most populous in the world with over 21 million residents. Responsibility for sewered sanitation in the city resides with the utility, DWASA
Institutionalising health camps for sanitation workers
Sanitation workers provide an invaluable public service, but the nature of their work exposes them to various occupational and environmental hazards that put their health at risk. In many places, sanitation workers
Journey to inclusion of youth and women in leadership development, WaterAid Bangladesh
Bangladesh is facing multi-faceted Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) challenges. The crisis is evident for people living in urban and rural areas. The country’s WASH sector is also disproportionately staffed by male professionals including policy makers.
Making community and public toilets safe and hygienic
Community and Public Toilets (CT/PTs) play an essential role in the provision of safe sanitation services. The urban poor and commuters in transit are largely dependent on CT/PTs. Though a basic necessity, most CT/PTs across cities and towns in India are poorly maintained.
Mapping the sanitation regulation framework across Africa
Africa has made progress in expanding water supply and sanitation (WSS) services but this has not occurred at the pace required to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, and considerable further improvements are needed.
Mitigating river water pollution through wastewater treatment
With growing urbanization, sewage and septage have emerged as one of the biggest pollutants of water bodies in the urban areas of the State of Odisha in India. Absence of sewer networks in large parts of the State, lack of treatment facilities
Regulation as a means to ensuring CWIS in Zambia
Zambia like many other countries is making efforts to accelerate the provision of adequate sanitation to its people. Until recently, the focus for sanitation service provision and regulation was placed on a sewer system that could only serve the minority of the population.
Social inclusion and gender mainstreaming in non-sewered sanitation
Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC), a Quasi-Government Limited Company, was formed in 1988 under a Company Act and started operating in 1990. The shareholders are the local authorities in Lusaka and satellite districts.
The Mayors’ Forum: governance for sustainable WASH services in Kampala
Strong government leadership is needed to ensure that sustainable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is prioritized for investment and that WASH interventions are coordinated to reach the most marginalized.
Towards improving faecal sludge management in Kigali, Rwanda
The national coverage of improved sanitation in Rwanda stands at 89.6% (NISR, 2021). However, because of the absence of sewer networks and centralized wastewater treatment plants, On-Site Sanitation (OSS) facilities are the only types of sanitation used in Rwanda.
Town Sanitation Planning in Northern Uganda
High urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has led to the proliferation of small towns, with significant challenges in achieving safely managed sanitation. The predominant toilet system is the pit latrines, which are abandoned when full
Transgender led operation and management of septage treatment plant in Cuttack, Odisha, India
Cuttack is the second most populous city in the eastern Indian state of Odisha with an estimated population of 763,000 in 2022, including outgrowth areas. Due to the city’s location flanked by two rivers, widespread urban settlement
Upgrading on-site sanitation systems in low-income settlements in Dakar, Kampala and Lusaka
In cities of many low-income countries, households living in the Low-Income Settlements (LISs) often rely on On-site Sanitation (OSS) Systems – septic tanks or pit latrines – for their sanitation needs
Waling’s faecal sludge treatment plant as a recreation centre and learning hub
Under the Municipalities Network Advocacy on Sanitation in South Asia phase 1 (MuNASS I) project, a Shit Flow Diagram (SFD) Survey was conducted in 2019. MuNASS I project was implemented in Nepal from March 2018 to December 2020
Women Leadership and WASH, Nepal
According to the 2021 census, 51.04% of the population of Nepal is female[1]. The federal election of 2017 has been a new step towards gender and social inclusion in the government, ending age-old exclusionary processes.
Beyond toilets: the Wai–Sinnar model for safe and sustainable CWIS
Wai and Sinnar are located in Maharashtra. Wai is a pilgrim city with a population of 43,000, whereas Sinnar is a rapidly emerging industrial city with a population of 74,000. Together these two are representatives of more than 7,400 small and medium cities in India where over 40% of India’s urban population resides.
City wide inclusive sanitation: the Durban experience
eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) is a municipal department providing water and sanitation services to the 3.7 million citizens of eThekwini Municipality in South Africa. EWS’s vision is to ensure integrated use of resources through sustainable water and sanitation management
Malaysia: sanitation transformation
Soon after independence, Malaysia grew to become one of the most affluent countries in South-East Asia. Its Infrastructure was developed in tandem and approached world class standards. However, sanitation lagged behind.
Regulatory approaches towards CWIS in Metro Manila, Philippines
Similarly to many developing urban cities, Metro Manila has experienced an increase in population density and an urban sprawl with a disproportionate portion of households found at the bottom of the national income distribution.
Subsidies for faecal sludge emptying: lessons from Kampala and Lusaka
Globally, most cities in low-income countries have limited or no access to centralized sewers. Households in these cities, especially those living in Low-Income Settlements (LISs), have a high degree of reliance on On-Site Sanitation (OSS) systems
Water and sanitation for the poorest communities in Colombia’s cities
By 2020, Colombia had achieved 81% coverage for urban sewerage and 85% for urban drinking water. However, these high percentages mask gaps and inequalities that affect principally the poorest inhabitants in the country.
Women’s network initiative to empower female professionals in WASH
Though women predominantly use and manage water and sanitation at the household level, they are rarely given a seat at the decision-making table where the policies that heavily affect them are made.
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For enquiries about the Inclusive Urban Sanitation Case Stories, please contact Patrick Ronoh.
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