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A New Model for Rural Water Infrastructure in Kenya: Why Sustainability Lies Not in Building More, But in Maintaining Better
In Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands, water is more than a basic need: It is a lifeline. Yet according to Cecilia Gamba at LeFil Consulting, despite billions in donor investments in water infrastructure over the past two decades, much of rural Kenya remains underserved. As she explains, one reason for this lack of progress is that rural water systems routinely collapse due to a chronic failure to fund and manage operations and maintenance. She shares learnings from a pilot program that tested an innovative market-based approach to managing rural water systems, exploring their implications for other water-focused businesses and initiatives serving rural communities.
- Categories
- WASH
- Tags
- governance, rural development, water
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Building Sustainable Sanitation Markets in Africa: Lessons from Uganda and Malawi
Much of Africa's urban population relies on pit latrines, due to the absence of sewer systems. As a result, creating viable markets for affordable and sustainable pit-emptying services is an essential part of ensuring access to safe sanitation across these communities. Cecilia Gamba at LeFil Consulting shares research from Uganda and Malawi, which sheds light on the challenges, opportunities and scalable business models that are emerging in this critical sector.
- Categories
- WASH
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Bringing Digital Transformation to the Water Sector: How New Technologies Can Boost Water Access in LMICs
Digital technologies have the potential to revolutionize the management and distribution of clean water in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). But according to Ellie Gabel, an environmental science writer at Revolutionized, many countries don't have access to these technologies, or lack the capacity to implement them. She explores this challenge in the context of Kenya, and discusses five essential factors that may aid or hamper digital transformation in the water sector across LMICs.
- Categories
- Technology, WASH
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To Truly Innovate, WASH Funders Need to Get Their Hands Dirty: Key Learnings from Five Years of Pioneering Impact-Linked Finance in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
The water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector faces a funding gap of around US $138 billion per year if it hopes to reach SDG 6’s goal of universal WASH access by 2030. According to Arnaud Alt and Annemarie Mastenbroek at Aqua for All, and Christina Moehrle, to address this shortfall, funders need to develop more hands-on financing approaches, working closely with entrepreneurs and organizations to better understand their context, challenges and needs. They explain why Impact-Linked Finance (ILF) represents one such approach, and share two key lessons from Aqua for All's "ILF for WASH" program.
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Disrupting Waste Management in Emerging Markets: Four Lessons for Strengthening Businesses While Empowering Women and Communities
Early-stage companies in emerging markets whose workforces and value chains are dependent on women face several common challenges. According to Yaquta Fatehi at the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan and John F. Akwetey, these issues are especially relevant in the waste management sector. They share insights from a study of waste management businesses and practices in Kenya, which show the impacts of treating women’s empowerment and community engagement as integral elements of business strategies rather than peripheral concerns.
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An Emerging Priority in Climate Resilience: How Zambia’s Green Growth Strategy — And its Business Sector — Are Addressing the Risk of Climate-Induced Social Instability
Zambia — like other countries across Southern Africa — is confronting its worst drought in four decades, one of multiple climate-related crises it faces. According to Gracsious Maviza and Giulia Caroli at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and Ibukun Taiwo at CGIAR, these issues are putting a growing strain on the nation’s social fabric. They explore how Zambia's National Green Growth Strategy is addressing these challenges, highlighting four "Climate Security Pathways" in the strategy that can improve social stability — and generate immense opportunities for the private sector.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, WASH
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Water Scarcity Can’t be Solved by a Single Sector: How Businesses and NGOs Can Work Together to Advance Water Security
Around the world, 2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, and a staggering 3.6 billion people lack basic sanitation, as of 2021. Amelia Metcalf at Water Unite argues that the vast scale of these challenges has created an urgent need for collaborative action between water-focused non-profits/NGOs and for-profit businesses, especially corporations and larger enterprises. She explains how this sort of partnership can deliver benefits to both sides — while offering a key opportunity to combat water scarcity at a global scale.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing, WASH
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Making ICT4D Green: Three Focus Areas for Improving the Environmental Impact of the Information and Communication Technology for Development Sector
The global digital transformation is generating many positive impacts, and digital technologies have become essential tools for climate and environmental action. But according to Nora Lindström at Catholic Relief Services, the growing use of digital technology is also causing some significant environmental challenges — and the “Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D)” sector must address them. She discusses several ways to increase the tech industry's sustainability, focusing on three key elements of ICT: generative AI, broadband access and electronic equipment.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Technology, Telecommunications, WASH
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