Supporting Lake Wide Inclusive Sanitation for Improving Water Quality in Lake Victoria Basin

Project Summary:

Residing in the Nile Equatorial Lake region, the Lake Victoria Basin plays an important economic role in the life of East African communities. Emissions associated with long periods of fecal waste in anaerobic tanks and in improper septic tanks, discharge from tanks and pits to open drains, illegal dumping of fecal wastes, leakages from sewers and non-capture of methane at treatment plants account for large proportions of total GHG emission in regional cities. Therefore, the grant aims to contribute to the improvement of the overall environmental, human, and economic health of Lake Victoria and its surrounding communities and cities through a holistic, cost-effective, longer-term Lake Basin wide sanitation approach. More specifically, it will provide technical support for sanitation planning in the basin to improve targeting of development partner and public sector resources for improving water quality in Lake Victoria. The grant is linked to the on-going Nile Cooperation for Climate Resilience project.  

List of Activities:

• Provide technical assistance and advisory support for lake-wide sanitation planning and identification of regional and national strategy to improve access to safe sanitation in the Lake Victoria Basin.  

• Provide technical assistance and advisory support for identification of opportunities for promoting private sector engagement and job creation in sanitation.  

• Provide technical assistance and advisory support for promoting technology and efficiency in sanitation and re-use.

Outcomes:

Output 1:

• Development of Basin wide Inclusive Sanitation Plan
• Scoping of infrastructure investment projects
• Exposure visits for decision-makers and bureaucrats to increase awareness and build ownership

Output 2:

• Feasibility study identifying opportunities to scale up local SME service delivery, job creation, and public sector programs/ regulatory frameworks to support private sector participation and job creation in LVB

Output 3:

• Feasibility study for integrating green-gray solutions for waste-management in LVB
• Feasibility study on implementing disruptive innovations and technologies in sanitation service delivery
• K&L events on technology, efficiency, and reuse in waste management in LVB

Outcomes:

• Improved targeting of development partner resources for improving sanitation access, advancing the role of private sector and adoption of innovative solutions in sanitation service delivery.  

• Bank investments for safe sanitation access scaled up.  

• Increased political will and commitment, and improved capacity to address sanitation challenges.  

• Greener and more resilient path to waste management.  

Collaboration with K-Partners and Others:

• K-water to organize training and capacity building workshops as well facilitating consulting services on lake water quality management, sewage treatment, water quality modeling, IT and instrumentation.
• Cooperation in International Waters (CIWA), which has been supporting the Nile Cooperation for Climate Resilience project to address water quality.