Regulating for Citywide Inclusive Sanitation

Through the IWA initiative “Regulating for Citywide Inclusive Sanitation” and in collaboration with its partners, namely representatives from regulators and organisations across the globe, the International Water Association aims at identifying the needs, opportunities, and tools for action to support and inspire regulators in their contribution to achieving citywide inclusive sanitation in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Citywide inclusive sanitation is a public service approach to planning and implementing urban sanitation systems to achieve outcomes summarised in Sustainable Development Goal 6: safe, equitable and sustainable sanitation for all, irrespective of where people live within the city or what technologies are used to serve them.

To achieve citywide inclusive sanitation, a radical shift in mindsets and practices is needed in sanitation and urban development. It means that everybody benefits from adequate sanitation service delivery outcomes. Regulation plays a critical role here as cities need to develop comprehensive approaches to sanitation improvement based on sustainable management of these essential services. Urban sanitation services need to benefit all, and not only those who have access to piped sewers. To make this possible, the enabling environment requires enforceable legal and regulatory frameworks with independent compliance monitoring and effective institutional arrangements.

Good, evidence-based, water and sanitation policies and regulations are the corollaries of a collective and interdependent effort of stakeholders which includes good science through to the practical experience of those at the heart of delivering sanitation services.

Regulators have an important role to play in ensuring this by becoming a driver for innovative investments and inclusive sustainable growth.

Shared Goals (2020-21)

Jointly with the Task Force of this initiative, the IWA will host a series of meetings to dive into the “Areas of Priority” (the identified needs) for regulators to enable citywide inclusive sanitation (CWIS), examine existing opportunities and identify actions for regulators to drive citywide inclusive sanitation. Through this the initiative aims to achieve the following shared goals:

– Citywide inclusive sanitation (CWIS) to be recognised as an essential public service and an important part of regulators’ mission to advance the dedicated water goal SDG 6 (Available and sustainable water and sanitation management for all) and the goal on cities and settlements SDG 11 (Inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and settlements).

– Regulators’ role in the path towards achieving CWIS is understood. Regulators and service providers are enabled to act and be engaged as champions for joint action in support of this mission.

Objectives

a) Clearly define regulatory systems, and wherever relevant articulate the role of regulators and of regulation to enable citywide inclusive sanitation with a public service approach, irrespective of infrastructure context and business models.

b) Understand and identify the drivers, existing tools and examples of institutional settings, regulators and regulatory frameworks that are driving city wide inclusive sanitation services;

c) Assessment of relevant challenges, trade-offs, possible synergies and opportunities;

d) Identify entry points, champions and potential actions; and,

e) Support and help inform existing and future capacity building programs for regulators and operators.

In 2021, IWA developed a “Call to Action” for regulators on Citywide Inclusive Sanitation. The document aims to act as a strategic contribution to the SDG6 Global Acceleration Framework, building on the foundations of the IWA 2015 Lisbon Charter. The document is available in English and Portuguese and will soon be available in Czech and Spanish.

How to get involved

This initiative consists of a project team at the IWA Secretariat as well as both an Advisory Board and Task Force.

In addition, there are also opportunities for IWA members to get involved and help shape the outcomes of this initative and contribute to its mission of achieving citywide inclusive sanitation. IWA members can do this by doing the following:

-Attend upcoming webinars from this initiative, more information will be posted in due course on the IWA Learn section of the website.

-Join the initative’s IWA Connect Group where you can share knowledge, lessons learnt and insights on regulating for citywide inclusive sanitation from different contexts

-Get in touch with one of the project team members based within the IWA Secretariat (Laura White or Daniela Bemfica) if you are working on any similar projects or initiatives that have synergies with this initiative or likewise if you have any relevant case studies you wish to share with us.

Advisory Board

In order to ensure that the initiative’s efforts synergise with those of others, the IWA have established an Advisory Board. The Advisory Board comprises representatives of various organisations and international entities with complementing or similar goals and objectives to those of this initiative. The purpose of the advisory board is to confirm and provide advice on the specific deliverables so they can contribute to the project goals whilst taking advantage of possible synergies with other initiatives. Please find attached the Terms of Reference for the Advisory Board.

Task Force

The members of the Task Force (TF) are regulators, experts and service providers that are members of IWA or network members of IWA, with sound understanding and experience on regulation of urban sanitation and a special interest in citywide inclusive sanitation. The main objective of the TF is to examine existing experiences, opportunities and barriers for regulators to enable citywide inclusive sanitation.