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Embedding Sanitation and Hygiene in Town Planning in Babati, Tanzania

In 2019, Babati had neither proper wastewater management system nor sanitary solid waste disposal. The main challenge to address this was the reluctance of authorities to invest and work with other actors on sanitation and hygiene. This was partly due to the common misconception that sanitation has to be done with a sewerage system, with very large capital costs, even though the town relied on on-site sanitation. An action research programme took stock of the situation through a formative research, data collection with city authorities and communities, a political economy analysis and a Shit-Flow-Diagram. The results were used for a scenario planning workshop which brought together many town actors to identify which options for sanitation and for hygiene were possible and preferable.

Embedding Sanitation and Hygiene in Town Planning in Babati, Tanzania 

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

WASH, Governance, Planning, Capacity Building, Data  

ORGANISATION(S)

WaterAid Tanzania as project lead; the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) for lead on research; Babati Town Council (BTC) to lead locally and link with communities; the Babati Water and Sanitation Authority (BAWASA) for technical expertise; and Manyara Regional Secretariat to supervise the implementation of research.  

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

In 2019, Babati had neither proper wastewater management system nor sanitary solid waste disposal. The main challenge to address this was the reluctance of authorities to invest and work with other actors on sanitation and hygiene. This was partly due to the common misconception that sanitation has to be done with a sewerage system, with very large capital costs, even though the town relied on on-site sanitation. An action research programme took stock of the situation through a formative research, data collection with city authorities and communities, a political economy analysis and a Shit-Flow-Diagram. The results were used for a scenario planning workshop which brought together many town actors to identify which options for sanitation and for hygiene were possible and preferable. Local authorities of secondary cities can find themselves constrained when considering sanitation: their size and the typical engineers’ training seems to mandate sewerage, which is very expensive to install and maintain. This attitude can create paralysis and prevent any meaningful investment in infrastructure improvements. This project has shown a method to accompany authorities in finding out which greater range of options is available to them and prioritise investments. Click here for more information.

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • “Cities and human settlements are responsible for ensuring delivery of essential services including water, sanitation, healthcare, education, public transport, and housing, upon which their citizens depend.” 
  • “Sustainable urbanisation requires a commitment to good governance, integrated planning, effective service delivery together with fiscal and political empowerment.” 
  • “Sustainable urbanisation demands collective action – genuine multi-level governance – to empower, enable and support cities and their citizens.”   

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

WaterAid: https://www.wateraid.org/uk/