Sanitation
Lack of sanitary facilities - a danger to people and nature
A breeding ground for disease: waste and sewage in rivers and streams. Source: Katharina Höfer
The term "sanitation" includes community hygiene, and sewage and waste disposal in the broadest sense. It can range from central sewerages in urban environments to hygienic latrines in rural regions.
The World Health Organisation and the United Nations' Children's Fund estimate that more than two billion people, over one-third of the world's population, still live without improved sanitation facilities. This means that they are using unhygienic latrines, buckets or community latrines or they have no access to sanitary facilities at all. Worst affected are the poor who live in fast-growing areas on the outskirts of cities, rural settlements, and in small and medium-sized low-income areas.
Much Remains to Be Done
Although there has been great progress in some parts of the world, the monitoring reports of the World Health Organisation and the United Nations' Children's Fund for Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa reveal that improvements in sanitation facilities are lagging behind. In Southern Asia there has been increased political backing for improved community hygiene and sanitation in the last few years and progress becomes visible. In Sub-Saharan Africa only very few countries have made progress so far (including Rwanda and Botswana). If this current trend continues, around 600 million people fewer than originally planned will be able to use improved sanitation facilities by 2015.
However, even in places where suitable sanitation facilities already exist most sewage is not, or not adequately, treated or the faecal sludge is not disposed of properly. Many existing treatment plants or decentralised facilities such as latrines in developing countries work only inadequately. Ground and surface water resources are contaminated by the sewage from settlements and industry and thus endanger not only human health but also the natural fauna and flora.
Numerous diseases are caused by contaminated water resources and inadequate hygiene. The World Health Organisation estimates that water-induced diseases such as diarrhoea or cholera cost the lives of around 5,000 people every day. The majority are children under the age of five. Improvements in sanitation and sewage management reduce health risks for the people and improve their standard of living.
Action by KfW Entwicklungsbank
The KfW Entwicklungsbank's activities in the area of sanitation and wastewater management are consistent with the provisions of the German Government's Sector Strategy on "Water". Its sewage projects contribute specifically to improving the living conditions and the environmental situation of millions of people. On behalf of the German Government, it is currently financing more that 110 investment projects regarding improved urban water management and sewage disposal. Around 1.6 billion euros funding has been committed to these ongoing projects. In over half of these projects additional improvements regarding the water supply or waste disposal are made.
In many cases partner countries contribute to the funding, thus the total volume of investment is even higher. Through this commitment the KfW Entwicklungsbank and its local partner organisations reach more than 35 million people. These people benefit significantly from improved sanitation facilities, a more hygienic living environment, or cleaner water in rivers, lakes and underground.
Further Information
Last updated: July 2011
