Sanitation
The world can ’ t wait for sewers : Is container-based sanitation a viable answer to the global sanitation crisis ?
By WSUP For many people living in low-income urban areas , a flush toilet or sewer connection is little more than a pipe dream . Often the infrastructure doesn ’ t exist or can ’ t be constructed in such densely populated or topographically challenging areas , or service fees are simply too high . The world needs a viable , high-quality alternative to piped sanitation that can reach people living in these areas – like container-based sanitation ( CBS ) businesses . These enterprises are uniquely suited to the challenges of serving dense urban populations , but are not without their challenges . This new joint report by EY and Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor ( WSUP ) considers those obstacles , presenting insights aiming to improve CBS businesses ’ prospects for success . The report focuses on Clean Team Ghana , a CBS business set up and managed by WSUP . Following the CBS model , Clean Team provides customers with stand-alone toilets that store waste in sealable , removable cartridges that can then be safely removed and taken to a treatment or resource recovery centre . But the business has faced challenges ; negative associations with old-style , poorly managed bucket latrines can be hard to overcome , and questions remain over whether the CBS model can be reliably scaled as a successful business . With Clean Team having grappled with these challenges in Kumasi for several years , WSUP engaged EY to help , with a team from Enterprise Growth Services ( EY ’ s notfor-profit practice dedicated to supporting social impact businesses in low-income countries ) working with Clean Team to identify how it could achieve profitability and get to scale . The outcomes of that analysis are presented in this report in the form of insights aimed at improving prospects for success – not just for Clean Team but for other CBS enterprises worldwide , offering the potential for them to achieve the scale and impact necessary for CBS to gain official recognition as an improved sanitation option . “ We hope this report provides water , sanitation and hygiene stakeholders with a blueprint for taking CBS to the next level , gaining the recognition that it deserves as an
improved sanitation option and scaling it as an important contributor to the achievement of SDG targets .” Jon Shepard , Director – Enterprise Growth Services , EY & Neil Jeffery , CEO – Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor
Country overview
Burkina Faso is a low-income ($ 615 gross per capita income in 2015 ), landlocked Sub-Saharan country , with limited natural resources . Its population , which is growing at an average annual rate of 3 %, was estimated at almost 18.11 million inhabitants in 2015 ( World Bank data ). The economy is heavily reliant on agricultural production , with close to 80 % of the active population employed in the sector . Cotton is the country ’ s most important cash crop , while gold exports have gained importance in recent years .
Medium-term outlook
The forecast for growth over the next three years is positive , despite a gloomy international economic environment , characterized by the decline in the price of exports ( gold and cotton ) and insecurity in the subregion . In the medium term , economic growth should be more sustained , driven in particular by mining exports ( thanks to the commissioning of new mines ), investments and consumption . Growth in 2016 is projected at approximately 5.2 %, while inflation should remain below the WAEMU threshold of 3 %.
Statistics
Total population ( 2015 ) 18,106,000 Gross national income per capita ( PPP international $, 2013 ) 1 Life expectancy at birth m / f ( years , 2015 ) 59 / 60 Probability of dying under five ( per 1 000 live births , 0 ) not available Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m / f ( per 1 000 population , 2015 ) 275 / 248 Total expenditure on health per capita ( Intl $, 2014 ) 82 Total expenditure on health as % of GDP ( 2014 ) 5.0
About the Author Sarah Mackenzie is a Communication Consultant with IRC Burkina Faso
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