Senegal

Senegal has made substantial improvements in its water supply and sanitation sector, thanks in part to institutional and legislative reforms that began in 1996 and have since improved the overall management of the sector in terms of quality of service delivery, efficiency of operations, and cost recovery. With 81 percent of the population having at least basic access to water services. Senegal is regarded as a model of public-private partnership in sub-Saharan Africa, and its experience has been replicated in other African countries.

Still, only 21 percent of the overall population have access to safely managed sanitation, and those in Senegal’s poorest regions have significantly lower access rates to safe drinking water and sanitation, the highest malnutrition rates, and are vulnerable to low and variable rainfall that negatively impacts agricultural yields.

USAID is increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation services throughout Senegal by promoting safe hygiene practices using market-based approaches, and closing financing gaps to achieve universal access to water and sanitation services. To make these efforts more sustainable, USAID is helping to create a demand-driven model for water and sanitation service provision, encourage private investment in the water and sanitation sectors, improve the management capacity of local water users’ associations and government actors, and improve the institutional and government environment to support these efforts.