Sanitation
Exploring the sustainable development potential of
sanitation in Africa
By Caspar Trimmer and Linus Dagerskog
particularly smallholder farmers, who too often neglect to
consider recycling human excreta even as they carefully
manage local natural resources to ensure sustained crop
production. It can also reduce pollution and degradation
of local water resources. However, there is also vast
potential in SSA’s fast-growing urban centres, where
existing sewerage networks and sewage treatment systems
often meet only a fraction of even today’s demand.
Looking back and looking ahead
Productive sanitation, taken to scale, could be a key
to broad-ranging sustainable development in many
African countries. An SEI side event at AfricaSan 4
revisited past experiences for lessons on how to make
it happen.
Food security and access to decent sanitation and hygiene
services are fundamental to healthy and productive lives;
but far too many people in low- and middle-income
countries lack both. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) a quarter
of the population were undernourished in 2011-2013,
80% have no electricity access, and a s