Sanitation in peri-urban areas in Africa

The sanitation situation in the poor peri-urban areas in Africa is extremely bad. The inhabitants of these areas suffer from inconvenient, dangerous and unhygienic sanitation. The relevant utilities in these cities have no or very little involvement in sanitation in the poor peri-urban areas where the houses are not connected to sewerage systems. The absence of safe and private toilet facilities at walking distance has a significant negative impact on the dignity, health and well being of the inhabitants.

The Dutch partners WASTE, SNS Reaal Water Fund and Plan Nederland are collaborating to respond to the situation. The programme (2008 – 2012) aims to improve the sanitation situation in peri-urban areas of 5 cities in different countries in Africa (Mali, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia and Malawi) through a result-oriented and innovative sanitation approach. In each project city the relevant utility has to take up responsibility for dealing with the sanitation problem in the peri-urban areas, directly or through small-scale private sector.

Objective is to provide good toilet facilities at the household level or in public places in the peri-urban areas, together with a service to empty, collect, transport and dispose the excreta. Part of the funds obtained is a grant, part is a loan. The user has to pay for the service, and the utility will reimburse the loan from its income. The programme strives to use the excreta for agriculture, to recycle the nutrients and possibly use it for biogas. In the African context inorganic/artificial fertilizers are hardly used because of high prices, and human excreta can make a difference.

The inception phase of the programme has started early 2008, and so far three cities are defined and in various stages of business plan preparation. Preliminary discussions are ongoing for selection of the other two cities (i.e. authorities to approve and criteria to be met)

[Paper to be presented at the IRC symposium Sanitation for the Urban Poor, Delft, The Netherlands, 19 - 21 November 2008]