Multi-level sanitation governance: understanding and overcoming challenges in the sanitation sector in sub-Saharan Africa
Abstract
The provision of sanitation facilities - a basic necessity for human health, well-being, dignity, and development - remains a mammoth challenge for developing countries where the vast majority of the 2.5 billion people without improved sanitation facilities reside. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is one of the regions where decent, dignified, and functional toilet facilities remain largely inaccessible. Most of the countries in SSA will miss the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for sanitation. There are sharp contradictions in the region between formal and informal sanitation institutions. There is also a disconnect between actors at the macro, meso, and micro governance levels. This paper shows how multi-level governance analysis, path dependency, and institutional inertia can be used to improve understanding of some challenges in the sanitation sector in SSA, and discusses approaches that can contribute to improving the sanitation situation in a sustainable way. In addition, the paper asserts that demand-driven strategies and private sector involvement in the sanitation sector is paramount for establishing new sanitation paradigms and sociotechnical regimes. We conclude that a good understanding of actors at all levels - their various roles, interactions, and the way they interpret and respond to policies - is key to accelerating progress in sustainable sanitation coverage in SSA.
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On-site sanitation provision at household level is the responsibility of the owners.
“It has also been noted that sanitation service delivery is done via a multi-level process involving a number of actors [45] of which on site sanitation provision at household level is the responsibility of the owners.”
From Are pit latrines in urban areas of Sub-Saharan Africa performing? A review of usage, filling, insects and odour nuisances (2015) · cites this paper as [45]
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Nakagiri, A., Niwagaba, C. B., Nyenje, P. M., Kulabako, R. N., Tumuhairwe, J. B., & Kansiime, F. (2015) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-016-2772-z · Cited by 133 · see citing works
“One such case is Rwanda, where political will was successfully leveraged as all sanitation governance levels [45], and improved pit latrine coverage now stands at 82.”
Background
- Authors
- Nelson Ekane, N. E., Björn Nykvist, B. N., Marianne Kjellén, M. K., Stacey Noel, S. N., & Nina Weitz, N. W.
- Venue
- Waterlines
- Publisher
- Practical Action Publishing
- Published
- 2014-07-01
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 242-256
- ISSN
- 0262-8104 (ISSN-L)
- 1756-3488
- OpenAlex
- W2154716580
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 17.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Waterlines (publishedVersion)
- University of Twente Research Information (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Water Governance and Infrastructure
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water Resource Management and Quality
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Keywords
- sanitation governance, multi-level governance, sub-Saharan Africa, path dependence, institutional inertia, private sector participation, socio-technical regimes, sanitation coverage, policy implementation
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