Urban sanitation is critical to human dignity and public health but it is often undermined by poor integrity which results in substandard service delivery, financial losses, and ongoing inequities.
A new report offers insight into integrity in the provision of urban sanitation services by focusing on the role of regulators. The reports, based on studies from Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, and Bangladesh, examine the current regulatory framework for urban sanitation, and unpack some best practices for the promotion of both Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) and integrity more broadly.
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Integrity Failures in Urban Sanitation: A Hidden Challenge
CWIS aims to provide safe sanitation services across entire cities, incorporating both sewered and non-sewered systems, and engaging private and informal providers alongside public utilities. CWIS and integrity approaches go hand in hand as they both address issues of inclusion and accountability. However, poor integrity can still compromise CWIS, as it can any urban sanitation.
Corruption, financial mismanagement, undue political interference, unfair labour practices and exploitation of sanitation workers, are all integrity risks that can undermine the delivery of safely managed sanitation in cities. Many integrity risks are driven by weak regulatory environments, where undue political interference and limited regulatory autonomy hamper efforts to hold service providers accountable.
The research from Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, and Bangladesh highlights the importance of an integrity approach to urban sanitation regulation and provision.
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Strengthening Regulation for Urban Sanitation
Regulation is essential for ensuring equitable, sustainable, and inclusive sanitation services. In countries like Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia, broad regulatory mechanisms are already being introduced to regulate non-sewered sanitation. This includes setting standards for monitoring urban sanitation provision including non-sewered sanitation, or expanding performance monitoring of different service providers in Tanzania, or a sanitation surcharge to finance sanitation developments in Zambia.
The studies point out that though much progress has already been made, also thanks to and through the CWIS approach, there is still a long way to go, especially in terms of addressing integrity risks. Comprehensive reform is required, though one challenge is that regulatory mechanisms for integrity are often developed and overseen by different agencies. This makes cooperation across agencies and data sharing a key element of reform.
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Regulating for Integrity in Sanitation Provision
A comprehensive regulatory framework should include:
broad regulatory mechanisms for expanded sanitation access, tailored to different service providers and technologies,
specific regulatory mechanisms to also address integrity risks in different processes, from human resources to procurement and customer relations,
a strengthened regulatory environment, with autonomy and resources for the regulator, as well as transparency and open civic space.
The findings underscore the importance of cross-government collaboration and civil society involvement in preventing corruption. Regulators, government bodies, and civil society organizations must work together to identify and address integrity risks at every stage of the sanitation service chain, from project planning and budget allocation, through procurement, to service delivery.
The Rwanda regulatory agency uses a bribery index report developed by civil society to inform its action. Zambia’s water watch groups are another interesting example that could be expanded to cover sanitation services, where citizens could be involved in reporting issues and monitoring service quality.
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Moving Forward
Improving urban sanitation is not just about expanding infrastructure—it’s about ensuring that the systems in place are fair, transparent, and sustainable. By focusing on integrity and enhancing the role of regulators, cities can move closer to achieving Citywide Inclusive Sanitation and realising the human right to sanitation.
Regulators should conduct regular assessments of urban sanitation regulation that include identification of key integrity and corruption risks. They can then plan for adaptations through a participatory process.
Stay tuned for individual country reports and more insight on integrity for regulation and integrity for CWIS.
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