Integrity for sanitation, from containment to disposal

DEVELOPING REGULATORY AND RISK MANAGEMENT APPROACHES TO STRENGTHEN CITYWIDE INCLUSIVE SANITATION WITH INTEGRITY

LATEST

Synthesis of findings from research on regulation of urban sanitation in Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, and Bangladesh

Integrity is part and parcel of making urban sanitation regulation effective. It can be reinforced with:

• Specific focus on CWIS, or non-sewered systems.

• Specific regulatory measures to address integrity risks in different areas (procurement, human resources, or customer relations for example), in collaboration with cross-sector regulators and anti-corruption initiatives.

• A strong regulatory environment: autonomous and well-resourced regulation as well as transparency and engagement with stakeholders and civil society.

OPPORTUNITIES
Free training on CWIS, regulation, and integrity	Sign up for training

WHAT OUR PROGRAMME IS ABOUT

Sanitation is dignity, yet it lacks the attention and investment it deserves. The issues are not just technical. Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) provides a framework to address gaps by emphasising accountability and enabling environments for sanitation as a right. Unlike usual urban sanitation approaches, it focuses not only on piped sewerage systems but different systems (sewered or not) and suppliers (public, householde, private and informal vendors) that can ensure service throughout all parts of a city.

However, corruption and integrity failures hinder the expansion of sanitation services to all. They can also impact CWIS implementation. These failures are often misunderstood or ignored yet they are undermining the work of sanitation practitioners and regulators. They weaken service delivery, hamper the upgrading of infrastructure, erode public and household health, and deepen the oppression of women.

There are many ways to act for integrity and address these issues. Our work supports these efforts by identifying risks and offering targeted solutions. Regulators, service providers, and funders can seize these opportunities to ensure equitable sanitation for all while building trust and resilience across the value chain.

---

Make citywide inclusive sanitation a reality with integrity

Find out more, support the programme, collaborate on research.

Contact the programme coordinator:

Ivan Zupan, Programme Manager

---

INCLUSIVE SANITATION: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

There are significant integrity risks across the sanitation value chain. Sanitation is specifically vulnerable given:

• uneven and less intensive regulation,

• the involvement of more small or informal providers, and

• the often inadequate working conditions for sanitation workers.

Better sanitation services will depend on effectively addressing these risks. Five critical improvements are needed:

• Clear mandates of sanitation practitioners and autonomy of regulators

• Transparent criteria and decision-making processes for subsidies, tariffs, licencing, budget allocation, financing

• Proactive integrity risk assessments to target specific measures

• Better engagement with users

• Multi-stakeholder oversight of expenditure and service levels, buffered by better data

Regulators play a crucial role and can benefit from targeting integrity specifically. A proactive integrity approach requires cooperation and data sharing and combines:

• broad regulatory mechanisms that promote inclusion (service standards for different sanitation service models, pro-poor guidelines etc.), and

• specific regulatory mechanisms that address specific operational risks (financial management guidelines, criteria for technology selection, monitoring, saftey and health regulations etc.)

Read the research

Focus on regulation: Findings from Bangladesh, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia	Understanding integrity risks across the sanitation value chain and first paths for action	Country reports
SUMMARY		BANGLADESH
FULL SYNTHESIS REPORT		RWANDA
		TANZANIA
		ZAMBIA

---

MORE PROGRAMME BASICS

Dates

2023-Current

Location(s)

Global programme, Research in Bangladesh, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Partners

ESAWAS and ITN-BUETWith support from Aguaconsult and Blue Chain Consulting

---

Make citywide inclusive sanitation a reality with integrity

Find out more, support the programme, collaborate on research.

Contact the programme coordinator:

Ivan Zupan, Programme Manager