Assessing Sustainability in Water Efficient Sanitation
Isle Utilities conducted sustainability reviews for six non-sewered sanitation centres participating in Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)-led water efficient sanitation projects.
With 2.3 billion people around the world lacking access to even the most basic sanitation services, addressing this global crisis is more urgent than ever. Challenges such as rapid population growth, ageing infrastructure, climate stress and increasing water scarcity intensify the need for effective solutions. However, policy changes and proactive investment in sustainable non-sewered sanitation can improve both access and quality of life for vulnerable communities, helping turn the tide towards a more equitable future.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)’s focus on Water, Sanitation & Hygiene aims to ‘enable widespread use of safely managed, sustainable sanitation services that contribute to positive health, economic, and gender equality outcomes for the world’s poorest people’.
This project evaluated Centers and Expert Groups across South Africa, India, Thailand, and China, focusing on their sustainability, business models, innovation and capabilities.
Isle was contracted to undertake performance, opportunity and sustainability assessments, and produce guiding reports and recommendations for future investment. A secondary project aim was to explore the feasibility of an Africa-Asia Sanitation Research Network (AARN). The AARN would serve as a long-term, self-sustained research and innovation network across partners focused on sustainable and water efficient sanitation research, innovation and technology adoption.
Through independent reviews, Isle Utilities and external experts from Steam-A, Trade and Industrial Policies and Strategies (TIPS) and North Carolina State University identified national contexts, key strengths and areas for improvement within each Centre/Expert Group that would support their 2024-2030 institutional strategies. Experts in NSS and sustainable sanitation to develop a collaborative framework for improving market development and technology adoption. Together, partners across South Africa, India, Thailand, China, the US and UK co-created a Network Roadmap 2024-2030 to build on and support market adoption of sanitation technology and innovation priorities.
Benefits of Approach/Innovation
- Informing Long Term Planning: Provided tailored guidance for medium- to long-term strategies of each Center/Expert Group across South Africa, India, Thailand and China, based on reviews. This empowers each group to align with future goals.
- Stress Testing Research and Innovation Strategies: Created opportunities to test current research and innovation strategies, ensuring they are robust and adaptable to future needs and challenges.
- Assessing Capabilities: Developed a critical capabilities view to help the Expert Groups and the BMGF understand the impact of past investments and advise future decision making and planning.
- Developing Pathways to Commercialization: Advised pathways for commercialization of NSS and water efficient sanitation technologies, supporting the transition of emerging technologies into market solutions.
- Fostering Innovation: Conceptualized and facilitated co-creation and ideation sessions, promoting a collaborative environment to spark new ideas.
- Developing Technology Roadmap: Developed and delivered an Africa-Asia sanitation roadmap to guide technology deployment and market development.
Specialist Services Involved:
In order to support the outcomes of the project, a combination of specialist skill sets and experts were involved:
- Innovation Strategy: Provided a thorough understanding of the link between academia, industry, policymakers and market dynamics to help drive innovation.
- Sustainability Analysis: Conducted financial, business model, technology, research and social inclusivity assessments to support sustainable, strategic decision making.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Developed low- and middle-income country (LMIC) indicators, criteria and frameworks to ensure consistent evaluation of project outcomes.
- Facilitation: Organised timed, focussed sessions that fostered brainstorming, discovery and collaborative problem solving among cross-sector stakeholders.
- Change Management: Created and executed a change management plan to support information access, ensure buy-in and promote participation. This included onboarding processes, communication channels, and both virtual and in-person engagement strategies.
- Technology scanning: Undertook a technology search and assessment; curated recommendations based on LMIC criteria.
Outcomes:
- Independent Reviews: Provided an independent review to help guide the medium to long-term strategies of each Center or Group.
- Horizon Scan: Identified emerging technologies and opportunities necessary to advance non-sewered sanitation solutions.
- Africa-Asia Non-Sewered Sanitation Roadmap: Developed a cross-continental roadmap to prioritise technology deployment, partnerships, and market development for partners in Africa and Asia.
- Sustainability Analysis Frameworks: Established frameworks to evaluate the financial viability, technological effectiveness, social inclusivity, and environmental impact to inform sustainable non-sewered sanitation solutions.
Key Contacts:
For enquiries and further information, please contact Chantal R-Kotze, Managing Director – South Africa at Isle Utilities.