South-South Technology Transfer Offers Low-Cost Sanitation Solution for Africa’s Urban Poor

Published on September 24, 2013 06:29 by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Non Profit

South-south transfer of condominial sewer technology from Latin America could offer solutions for low-cost sanitation for African towns and cities grappling with the challenge of serving increasing populations of urban poor living in informal settlements. More than a third of Africa's one billion inhabitants currently live in urban areas, which are dominated by informal settlementsthat lack basic services such as water supply, sanitation and waste removal.In Zambia, the development of a condominial sewer network together with innovative sanitation marketing approaches are being tried on a pilot basis to provide affordable sanitation to 45,000 residents of Kalingalinga, a peri-urban settlement on the outskirts of Lusaka City.The pilot project is being implemented by the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC), with support from the Ministry of Local Government and Housing (MLGH), the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), and other partners.

Affordable piped sewer systems for informal settlementsAccess to sanitation is particularly low in Zambia's urban areas, especially in the peri-urban low income settlements of Lusaka which accommodate more than 60 percent of the city's population.Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company, which provides water and sewerage services in the city, is under pressure from informal settlements where increasing incomes have boosted residents' aspirations for better but affordable sanitation solutions, and better service delivery.While pit latrines offer practical and affordable ‘on-site' sanitation for the community, the proliferation of pit latrines could contaminate the rich underground water aquifers of Lusaka that provide 50 percent of the city's drinking water.

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