Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Part 3: Accountability Mechanisms and Institutional Arrangements

Summary

The video script addresses the escalating global sanitation crisis, particularly in developing nations, where rapid urbanization outpaces access to basic sanitation. It emphasizes the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6, aiming for universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030. The script showcases innovative strategies like C-WISE, which reframes sanitation practices to address urban realities. It highlights Malaysia's success with a robust institutional framework, Zambia's inclusive sanitation through partnerships, and the Asian Development Bank's capacity-building initiatives. The script calls for a holistic approach, rethinking traditional sanitation methods to achieve sustainable, city-wide services.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Urbanization is rapidly changing the world, especially in developing nations where it outpaces access to basic sanitation and hygiene services.
• 🚽 The United Nations' sixth sustainable development goal aims to achieve universal access to safe water supply and sanitation by 2030.
• 🌆 By 2030, the world's population is projected to increase by 60.4%, leading to 43 mega-cities with 10 million people, exacerbating the global sanitation crisis.
• 💡 There is a need for innovative and unconventional ways to provide equitable and sustainable sanitation services that leave no one behind.
• 🏢 Despite investments, city sanitation services lag, indicating that infrastructure alone is not enough; institutional capacity and accountability are crucial.
• 🇲🇾 Malaysia serves as a model, having connected around 70% of its population to proper sewerage services through clear objectives and strong institutional arrangements.
• 🔗 Effective sanitation requires a clear definition of roles, responsibilities, and accountability mechanisms among various stakeholders.
• 🇿🇲 Zambia has made strides by investing in non-sewage sanitation and fostering partnerships between regulators and utilities.
• 🏞️ Baguio City, Philippines, has benefited from soft interventions to improve asset management and operations of its sanitation system, highlighting the importance of soft infrastructure.
• 🌟 The World Bank's PIR framework emphasizes the importance of understanding the local context and the interplay of factors in promoting safely managed and inclusive sanitation.

Q & A

What is the United Nations' sixth sustainable development goal regarding sanitation?

The United Nations' sixth sustainable development goal is to achieve universal access to safe water supply and sanitation by 2030.

How has urbanization affected access to sanitation and hygiene services in developing nations?

Urbanization has outpaced access to basic sanitation and hygiene services, especially in poor communities, making the effects of urbanization more challenging than ever.

What is the projected increase in the world's population by 2030, and how does it affect mega-cities?

The world's population is projected to increase by 60.4 percent by 2030, leading to 10 million people populating 43 mega-cities, which exacerbates the global sanitation crisis.

What does the term 'C-WISE' refer to in the context of the video script?

C-WISE stands for 'City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation,' which is a framework that builds on existing sanitation good practices and reframes them with solutions that address diverse realities in developing cities.

How has Malaysia managed to connect a significant portion of its population to proper sewerage services?

Malaysia has managed to connect around 70 percent of its population to proper sewerage services by having a clear set of objectives focused on protecting public health, water resources, and the environment, along with a strong institutional and accountability framework.

What is SPAN and what role does it play in Malaysia's water and sewerage services?

SPAN is Malaysia's National Water Services Commission, which works autonomously yet synergistically with authorities and private developers to regulate sanitation services and pricing, ensuring quality and technology standards.

What is the significance of the World Bank's PIR incentives initiative in promoting inclusive sanitation?

The World Bank's PIR (Policies, Institutions, and Regulations) incentives initiative aims to understand interplaying factors to promote safely managed and inclusive sanitation by addressing weak financial institutional capacity, overlapping roles, and unrealistic policies.

How does Baguio City in the Philippines address the challenges posed by its tourist population and sanitation?

Baguio City, being a popular tourist destination, addresses sanitation challenges through adequate legislation, guidelines, and complex institutional arrangements. It also receives support from the Asian Development Bank for capacity building in asset management and operations.

What is the key to achieving City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) according to the video script?

Achieving CWIS requires a holistic approach where every stakeholder is partnered with, and everyone is participatory. It involves understanding the local context, setting clear goals, and having a coordinated approach from the accountability perspective.

How does the video script suggest we should approach the mission for universal sanitation?

The video script suggests that we should approach the mission for universal sanitation by looking at sanitation services with fresh eyes, identifying what's been holding us back, and what will drive us forward, thus accelerating progress through frameworks like C-WISE.