Cambodia Rural Sanitation Development Impact Bond
Activity Description
The world’s first Development Impact Bond (DIB) for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), the Cambodia Rural Sanitation DIB, accelerated the end of the high rates of open defecation in the country and supported the Cambodian government’s efforts to reach universal sanitation by 2025. This DIB is a role model for creating impact at scale demonstrating how innovative financing can unlock innovative approaches. It is a partnership between the Stone Family Foundation, iDE, and USAID, with support and facilitation by Social Finance.
The Stone Family Foundation is providing the upfront risk capital, in the form of an investment, required to achieve sanitation outcomes, which will be delivered through the third phase of iDE’s effective Sanitation Marketing Scale Up program. USAID is providing up to $9.99M in outcomes funding to the Stone Family Foundation, but only where results (open defecation-free villages) are achieved. The DIB model allows iDE and the Stone Family Foundation to learn, adjust, and innovate in order to achieve the goal of 1,600 open defecation free villages while reaching the most vulnerable households.
Activity Objectives
- Eradicate the open defecation in Cambodia and accelerate the Cambodian government’s efforts to reach nationwide open defecation free (ODF) by 2025, which leads to prevent the spread of diseases and improve health in rural communities—especially reducing stunting among children.
Results
- 1,780 villages are now open defecation free (ODF) exceeding the 1,600 villages targeted.
- 350,000 households were provided access to improved sanitation.
- Increased basic sanitation coverage from 67% to 88% in target provinces.
- Since November 2019, the DIB facilitated the sales and delivery through sanitation markets of over 81,500 improved latrines, 16,800 on-site fecal sludge management (FSM) systems, and 10,500 toilet shelters.
- Svay Rieng, Prey Veng, and Kandal, all provinces supported with sanitation marketing by the DIB, were the first in Cambodia to be declared ODF provinces.
- Engaged approximately 62 latrine business owners (LBOs) across the target provinces of DIB.
