Rapid urbanization is challenging municipal service delivery for water and sanitation services in West Africa. To accelerate progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6—ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all—Tetra Tech is implementing the West Africa Municipal Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (MuniWASH) Activity, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Through MuniWASH, we work with city governments, national ministries and directorates, utilities, and service providers in Benin and Côte d’Ivoire to improve and expand urban WASH services that reach poor and underserved citizens.
Benefits
- Supported more than 50,000 people in receiving improved sanitation service quality
- Nearly 6,000 people gained access to basic sanitation service
- Mobilized more than $1.3M in new WASH funding
- Strengthened 16 water and sanitation sector institutions
- Trained more than 100 people in technical public and private sector institutional roles
MuniWASH contributes to each country’s self-reliance in urban WASH service provision using interventions that invest in institutional strengthening, promote good governance, and achieve sustainable performance improvements in priority municipalities. The Activity collaborates with partners to:
- Increase financial sustainability of and private sector investment in water and sanitation utilities or service providers
- Improve operational reliability of water and sanitation utilities or service providers
- Enhance water and sanitation sector governance and management capacity at the subnational level
- Increase regional learning and knowledge sharing to replicate successful approaches
Tetra Tech’s approach emphasizes the need for an improved enabling environment and service provider performance (technical, operational, and financial) to expand customer access and increase opportunities for investment using citywide inclusive sanitation (CWIS) principles. We document and share lessons learned from this process in close collaboration with the African Water Association (AfWA) to ensure local ownership and sustainability.
The way MuniWASH works with all the stakeholders by including them is very much appreciated. The USAID/Benin Country Representative received very good feedback from mayors during a series of one-on-one meetings.
