Context
Safe sanitation and hygiene are a human right and have been included in the 2030 Agenda as one of the global Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 6.2. The protection of water resources by means of safe wastewater treatment is also part of this agenda (SDG 6.3).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), some 4.2 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe sanitation. More than 600 million schoolchildren lack of adequate toilet facilities and 1.5 billion people rely on services in medical centres without basic sanitation. According to UNICEF, at least 1,000 children under the age of five die every day of diarrhoeal disease caused by contaminated drinking water, lack of sanitation and poor hygiene. In many places, the Covid-19 pandemic is exacerbating these problems.
Access to sustainable sanitation has scarcely improved worldwide in the last 20 years, which is why the issue is now of high priority for development policy. Untreated urban and industrial wastewater continues to present a global challenge. In Latin America and the Caribbean, it is estimated that up to 80 per cent of household and industrial wastewater is discharged untreated into the environment – with fatal consequences for people and nature.
The reasons for this are manifold. The financial resources required to build and operate sanitary facilities and wastewater treatment plants are frequently lacking. Often, responsibilities are not clearly defined, and the necessary sanitation standards are missing or not implemented. In many cases, concepts creating incentives for private investment are not applied. In addition, in many places there is a lack of necessary skills to carry out the sustainable installation, operation, rehabilitation and maintenance as well as professional management of wastewater plants.
Objective
Disadvantaged and vulnerable population groups have access to safe and hygiene. Access to adequate sanitation has been improved in public places such as schools, health centres and mosques. Domestic and industrial wastewater is collected, treated and purified before being returned into the natural water cycle.
Approach
The Sanitation for Millions project is a platform for cooperation between international donors under the lead of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It receives additional funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the British solidarity fund Water Unite and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
In the Caribbean, the project promotes innovative financing mechanisms for water and wastewater management on behalf of the IDB. This is done within the CReW+ project, which is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
In all the countries, the project works closely with local players, carrying out pilot projects to test new concepts and technologies, which, if successful, are extended and integrated into existing structures hand in hand with the project partners. Gaps in the sanitation supply chain are identified and closed to ensure a comprehensive and safe supply for the population. Implementation involves building new sanitation facilities and developing institutional capacity and technical skills.
The project is developing financial mechanisms to bridge the funding gap resulting from the insufficient funds available to water suppliers and a lack of purchasing power among target groups. In addition, within the "Inclusive WASH" programme, it is promoting barrier-free access and a gender-sensitive approach to provide a girl and women-friendly infrastructure for menstrual hygiene. Innovative and nature-based solutions are used for wastewater management. This benefits the people in the region as well as the marine ecosystems.
The project builds and rehabilitates natural sewage treatment plants in line with the circular economy approach of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover’. It also advises political representatives and develops long-term financing and business models in the wastewater sector. A supra-regional knowledge management system for sanitation and wastewater is being established.
Results
-Access to safely managed sanitation has been provided for more than 650,000 people, 52 per cent of them women.
-More than 1,500 professionals have received advanced training and are qualified, above all in the maintenance and repair of sanitation facilities.
-A About 50,000 girls were reached through awareness and education campaigns on menstrual hygiene.
-More than 200 hand-washing facilities with hand-washing instructions have been installed, benefiting more than 50,000 schoolchildren in schools and public places.
-In collaboration with representatives of religious communities, hygiene messages posted on the social media and digital platforms have reached more than 500,000 people. By the same means, people have been educated about the coronavirus pandemic to combat the spread of the virus.Last update: April 2021
