CONTEXT
Niger is an emerging democracy landlocked in the increasingly unstable Sahel region. It consistently ranks at or near the bottom of the United Nations Human Development Index. USAID assists the Nigerien government and local partners to create economic opportunities and increase civic and political participation for Nigerien youth to help undermine extremist messages and encourage stability in Niger and the region.
APPROACH
This blog originally appeared on KIWASH’s blog.
Did you know one out of every three people in the world lacks a hygienic toilet in their homes? Sanitation is more than just toilets, however — it encompasses the facilities, behaviors, and services that prevent diseases caused by contact with human waste. USAID helps partner countries reach the poor and underserved to end open defecation, gain first-time or improved access to basic sanitation services, and move progressively toward safely managed services.
The provision of sustainable sanitation for all is one of the world’s most important development priorities, yet 4.5 billion people lack access to a safe toilet. Past efforts to provide greater sanitation access, such as direct government provision and full, blanket subsidies for toilets, have proven to be ineffective or unsustainable in many developing countries, prompting some to focus on market-based sanitation (MBS) as an alternative. However, market-based approaches have proven difficult to scale up.
“The changes on the African continent are very much alarming—when we talk of sanitation and look at the growth of the populations in Africa, and also the urbanization phenomenon, with the growth of slums,” said Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Secretary of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), acknowledging the challenges facing the region in a recent interview with USAID’s Global Waters Radio.
Sylvia Cabus, the Senior Gender Advisor for USAID’s Office of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, recently chatted with Global Waters Radio about the connection between gender and water.
The Water and Health Conference: Where Science Meets Policy will take place October 29–November 2, 2018, at the University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill. The UNC Water Institute’s annual event has grown to become one of the most important gatherings in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector held in the United States. The conference this year focuses on five themes:
The latest podcast from Global Waters Radio features a conversation with both Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Secretary of the African Ministers’ Council on Water, and Richard Rapier, Chief of Party for the USAID-supported Water for Africa through Leadership and Institutional Support program.
On September 26, the USAID-funded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Partnerships and Learning for Sustainability (WASHPaLS) Project held this webinar and discussion on sanitation enterprises and design considerations. WASHPaLS presents a detailed discussion of the elements of a sanitation enterprise including mechanisms and practices, design approaches, and key considerations based upon the findings a recent WASHPaLS desk review.
