Download Issues of Sanitation Definition

Environmental Sanitation Policy
& the MDGs
The National Environmental Sanitation
Policy (NESP)
• The main objective was to develop and maintain
a clean, safe and pleasant physical environment
in all human settlements, to promote the social,
economic and physical well-being of all sections
of the population
Main areas covered in the Policy
• The policy provides guidelines for Metropolitan, Municipal and
District Assemblies in the implementation, provision and
maintenance of environmental sanitation services and facilities
• The broad spectrum of environmental sanitation includes solid
and liquid waste, industrial and hazardous waste, stormwater
drainage, environmental and hygiene
education, vectors of disease, and disposal of the dead
• It also defines the roles of related institutions and organizations.
Technical aspects, cost recovery and the legal framework are also
addressed in the policy.
Main Targets
• Creating awareness through establishment and
observation of a National Environmental
Sanitation Day.
• Managing all of the solid waste generated
• 90% of the population having access to in-house
approved sanitation facilities, and the remaining
10% using hygienic public sanitation facilities
• Safe and sound disposal of solid waste in wellmanaged landfills
• Liquid waste being totally treated and disposed in
appropriate treatment plants
• Phasing out of pan latrines by 2010
• Active sanitary inspections of premises and
vector control programmes
• Strict enforcement of regulations and
standards
• 80% of environmental sanitation services
being delivered by the private sector
MEASURES PUT IN PLACE TO IMPLEMENT ESP
• Assigning responsibilities and roles: Establishing an
institutional framework with clearly defined roles and
linkages to support implementation of the policy
• Establishing technical capacity within the Ministry of
Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to
orient and support the District assemblies in the
provision of environmental sanitation services.
• Developing skilled professional and sub-professional
manpower for the sector
• Legislation: Modernize, strengthen and enforce
environmental sanitation legislation.
MEASURES PUT IN PLACE TO IMPLEMENT ESP
• Develop capacity in the Assemblies to manage
environmental sanitation
• Strengthen community’s role in environmental
sanitation.
• Increase private sector participation in
environmental sanitation service deliver and,
wherever possible, recover costs directly from
service beneficiaries.
• Develop clean and appropriate technical systems
and promote research into technologies.
SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE POLICY
STRENGTHS
• There is now an Environmental Sanitation Sub-Sector as part of the
national development programme.
• The policy caters for both urban and rural areas and covers the broad
definition of environmental sanitation and encompasses all aspects of
wastes management, drainage, cleansing of public places, pest and
vector control, food hygiene etc.
• The policy defines the scope of environmental sanitation, institutional
responsibility, legal framework as well as elements such as cost recovery
and technical aspects.
• The roles and responsibilities of the District Assemblies and the various
stakeholders in planning and delivery of sanitation services within the
Local Government System are clearly and unambiguously defined in legal
provisions and in the policy.
• Generally the issue of sanitation has been recognized and the issue has a
high level of political support.
SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE POLICY (Cont’d)
WEAKNESSES
• Not much is said about sanitation in schools, thus development in this area could
be stifled.
• Although women are more directly involved in the problem of water and
sanitation availability, the policy does not specify the roles of men and women,
leaving the women and children burdened with the consequences.
• There is poor coordination between stakeholder institutions involved in
sanitation, especially between the MLGRD and CWSA, which is one of the major
role players.
• The policy does very little towards increasing funding, even though it is highly
supported by the government, and has not adequately tackled the question of
financial sustainability.
• The policy does not specify how to achieve the human resource development (a
sufficient number of suitably qualified sanitary engineers and specially trained
staff) for the provision of adequate sanitation which it emphasizes.
• Management of sanitation information was not part of the policy.
SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE POLICY (Cont’d)
OPPORTUNITIES
• The mentioning of sanitation in the National Poverty
Reduction Strategy as a key area is important as it
could pave the way for increased resource allocation.
• The sector may be portrayed as an attractive option
for investors.
• The sector may come out with a strategy or
institution delegated to monitor or store information
on sanitation.
SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE POLICY (Cont’d)
THREATS
•
•
•
•
A gap exists between the MLGRD and the CWSA.
There is lack of human resources and resource allocation.
There also exists corruption and bribery in legislation.
The financial responsibility for the provision of household
excreta disposal facility lies on the individual households.
• The low level of funding influences the effectiveness and
ability of sector MDAs to live up to the tremendous challenge
of the agreed goals.
• Applied research in the area of technical options has been
very low.
SWOT OF ESP IN RELATION TO MDGs
• Goal 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
• Target 1: Halve the proportion of those in extreme poverty between
1990 and 2015.
• Indicator: Proportion below national basic needs, poverty line.
• Target 2: Halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by
2015.
• Indicator: Prevalence of underweight children (children under 5)
• Increasing access to safe water and improvements in environmental
health ensures healthy people who are able to secure improved
livelihoods and break the cycle of poverty and ill-health. Poverty can
also be eradicated through improved access to quality education
particularly at the primary level.
• Goal 2. Achieve universal primary education.
• Target 3: Achieve universal access to primary
education by 2015.
• Indicator: Gross primary enrolment ratio.
• Attendance and participation in school will be
increased when diarrhea and other diseases
are minimized or eradicated. School sanitation
must however be addressed to encourage
girls’ participation.
Goal 3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
• Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education
by 2005.
• Indicator: Ratio of females to males in primary, junior and senior
secondary schools.
• Target 5: Achieve equal access for boys and girls to senior secondary by
the year 2005.
• Indicator: Ratio of females to males in senior secondary schools.
• As part of their empowerment, women in the secondary and tertiary
institutions should be encouraged to study water and sanitation related
courses to equip them to assume strategic positions and contribute
directly to decision-making on water and sanitation issues. Effective
interventions in environmental health risks would improve women’s lives
and through increased participation. Also, improved access to safe water
and sanitation will enable women to put more of their time to financially
productive use, leading to poverty reduction.
• Goal 4. Reduce child mortality.
• Target 6: Reduce under-five mortality by twothirds by 2015.
• Indicator: Under-five mortality rate.
• The number of children under five who die as a
result of unsafe water, unsanitary and
unhygienic conditions would be significantly
reduced if proper environmental health
practices are implemented by the government
and adhered to in the provision of child health
and nutrition.
• Goal 5. Improve maternal health.
• Target 7: Reduce maternal mortality ratio by
three-quarters by 2015.
• Indicator: Maternal mortality per 100,000.
• This again borders on availability and adequacy
of proper sanitation conditions and potable
water. Improved access to water and sustained
sanitation facilities will reduce the incidence of
maternal illness, and will in turn lead to
improved livelihood and childhood care.
• Goal 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
diseases.
• Target 8: Halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by
2015.
• Target 9: Halt and reverse the incidence of Malaria.
• Environmental health measures should be put in place
to prevent health treatments. The collection and
disposal of waste water to prevent breeding of
mosquitoes should be implemented. Prevention of
illnesses would be cost-effective compared to fighting
them.
• Goal 7. Ensure environmental
sustainability.
• Target 10: Integrate the principles of sustainable
development into country policies and programmes
and reverse loss of environmental resources by 2015.
• Indicator: Proportion of land area covered by forest.
• Target 11: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people
without sustainable access to safe drinking water.
• Indicator: Proportion of population with sustainable
access to an improved water source.
• Goal 7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
• Measures to educate the public on the need to preserve
natural resources would lead to reduced destruction of
forests through bush fires. Also, implementing litigation
against illegal timber contractors would preserve natural
forest resources. Environmental health improvements and
measures should be implemented and a sustainable
means of generating income for ensuring sanitation and
adequate water supply should be put in place. Adequate
water supply promotes improved sanitation which in turn
reduces or prevents pollution of water resources.
• Goal 8. Develop global partnerships for development.
• Target 15: Deal comprehensively with Least
Developed Countries (LDC) debt and make debt
sustainable in the long term.
• Indicator: Debt service as a percentage of
exports.
• Funding of sanitation projects and transfer of
technology can come about by forming
development partnerships.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Sanitation policies should be reflected into laws to
ensure compliance. There is the need to update
enforcement procedures of sanitation bye-laws and
review institutional arrangements.
2. Sanitation should be seen as a developmental
problem linked with poverty reduction and be given
a high priority. Sanitation strategies should also be
gender sensitive and promote hygiene and
sanitation improvements.
3. Strengthening the institutional capacity of the Policy
Division of the MLGRD to play the lead role in the
implementation of the Environmental Sanitation
Policy.
4. There is “political will towards promulgation of policies”
BUT, there is a “perception that there is a lack of
implementation support”. There is a need for increased
implementation support, political advocacy for
implementation by key organizations such as NESPoCC
5. There is a need to improve capacity at all levels including
the MLGRDE and MMDAs in environmental sanitation.
Applied research in area of technical options should be
promoted in the training of professionals.
6. There is the need to strengthen partnership and
coordination between the many institutions involved in
promotion and development of sanitation.