85589 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond The first round of Country Status Overviews (CSO1) published in 2006 benchmarked the preparedness of sectors of 16 countries in Africa to meet the WSS MDGs based on their medium-term spending plans and a set of ‘success factors’ selected from regional experience. Combined with a process of national stakeholder consultation, this prompted countries to ask whether they had those ‘success factors’ in place and, if not, whether they should put them in place. The second round of Country Status Overviews (CSO2) has built on both the method and the process developed in CSO1. The ‘success factors’ have been supplemented with additional factors drawn from country and regional analysis to develop the CSO2 scorecard. Together these reflect the essential steps, functions and results in translating finance into services through government systems—in line with Paris Principles for aid effectiveness. The data and summary assessments have been drawn from local data sources and compared with internationally reported data, and, wherever possible, the assessments have been subject to broad-based consultations with lead government agencies and country sector stakeholders, including donor institutions. This second set of 32 Country Status Overviews (CSO2) on water supply and sanitation was commissioned by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW). Development of the CSO2 was led by the World Bank administered Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO). This report was produced in collaboration with the Government of Benin and other stakeholders during 2009/10. Some sources cited may be informal documents that are not readily available. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this volume do not necessarily reflect the views of the collaborating institutions, their Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The collaborating institutions do not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of the collaborating institutions concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. The material in this publication is copyrighted. Requests for permission to reproduce portions of it should be sent to wsp@worldbank.org. The collaborating institutions encourage the dissemination of this work and will normally grant permission promptly. For more information, please visit www.amcow.net or www.wsp.org. Photograph credits: Marion Jenkins © 2011 Water and Sanitation Program An AMCOW Country Status Overview Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond 1 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Strategic Overview Since the early years of the 2000s, Benin and its Overall, it remains possible for Benin to achieve its development partners have been a leading example to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets for the water subregion for using programmatic approaches to drive supply subsectors provided the current level of financing progress in the water supply sector forward. is sustained; the targets set for the sanitation subsectors, however, are still a long way from being attained. The rural water supply subsector, in particular, has benefited from both significantly increased levels of financing (both The main challenge for the water supply and sanitation domestic and donor) and accelerated coverage. (WSS) sector over the next few years remains decentralization, for which improvements in the necessary The urban water supply subsector, which was separated competencies at both deconcentrated and decentralized from the electricity sector in 2004, has also seen positive levels are required. An additional challenge consists results, but efforts to mobilize finance need to be sustained of ensuring the management of facilities is carried out if demand from the rapidly increasing urban population is in a more professional manner so as to safeguard the to be met. sustainability of investment made in the rural water supply subsector. The rural sanitation subsector’s adoption of a programmatic approach is more recent, but its development is dependent This second AMCOW Country Status Overview (CSO2) upon promotional activities, the results of which have so far has been produced in collaboration with the Government been unsatisfactory. In urban areas there is still no sanitation of Benin and other stakeholders. policy: reform of the subsector only began in 2008. 2 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond Agreed priority actions to tackle these challenges, and ensure finance is effectively turned into services, are: Sectorwide • Secure employment conditions and further train contract employees working for the General Directorate of Water. At central and at deconcentrated levels, strengthen human resource capacity in both the General Directorate of Water and the Directorate of Hygiene and Basic Sanitation (DHAB: Direction de l’Hygiène et de l’Assainissement de Base). • Reinforce the planning, management, coordination, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation capacities of the DHAB and its deconcentrated departments. • Reinforce the human and financial resources dedicated to water supply, sanitation, and hygiene within the communes and improve their access to back-up support. • Continue to mobilize domestic and donor financing, as funding levels have been falling since 2009; in particular, increase financing for sanitation in both the urban and rural subsectors. • Systematically direct new financing towards those areas with the lowest access rates to water supply and sanitation to reduce regional disparities. • Improve the operation and management of the public expenditure system (public procurement procedures, disbursement procedures, and the transfer and authorization of expenditure) without creating parallel structures or channels, to improve the proportion of finance utilized. • Review the standards and definitions for access to water supply in rural areas so that access rates can be updated. • Update DG Water’s Integrated Database with additional facility and population data. • Improve monitoring and evaluation of the water supply and, in particular, the sanitation subsectors in rural areas by ensuring that the monitoring sheet templates are used by all external support agencies active in the sector and by ensuring that the data collection process involves the communes. Rural water supply • Direct new finance towards the most poorly-covered areas (Ouémé, Atlantique, and Borgou) to reduce geographical disparities. • Assess and review the recruitment procedures for operators including specifications and contracts to improve the technical and financial performance of village water systems. • Provide capacity-building to communes and delegated operators on the technical and financial aspects of managing water supply services through the further development of an ongoing training program and back-up support from the deconcentrated technical departments. Urban water supply • Increase the mobilization of finance required to meet MDG targets. • Reduce network losses by putting a rehabilitation program and preventative maintenance schedule in place. • Increase, systematize, and formalize the dialogue between SONEB (National Water Company of Benin: Société Nationale des Eaux du Bénin) and DG Water on planning within those communes where the two organizations operate, and between SONEB and the communes for the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of facility construction. 3 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Rural sanitation and hygiene • Increase the Ministry of Health and development partner funding allocated to sanitation and direct it to communes to empower them to act as contracting authorities. • When allocating resources, ensure disadvantaged areas are taken into account. • Assess and review the approaches used to promote sanitation to the most disadvantaged populations. • Roll out a large-scale hygiene and sanitation promotion program that puts communes in the driving seat. • Put financing mechanisms in place to support and stimulate household demand for improved sanitation facilities, such as subsidies for the most disadvantaged households. • Develop and implement a human resources development plan for the DHAB and its divisions, in accordance with the 2007 audit, and improve the training provided to staff working in the sanitation and hygiene subsector at the commune level. • Accord greater priority to sanitation, notably at commune planning level, and consolidate the sanitation BPO based on commune planning and on a bottom-up approach. • Improve coordination between the different subsector stakeholders. • Improve the legal and regulatory framework of the sanitation and hygiene subsector. Urban sanitation and hygiene • Implement the wastewater management strategy action plan, and notably: o Request funding from the state and development partners to finance the development of sanitation master plan and priority investments; o Put a sustainable finance mechanism in place for the urban sanitation subsector by introducing a sewerage surcharge to the water bill; o Develop pit emptying and sludge disposal services in the large towns and secondary centers; and o Improve consultation and coordination between all stakeholders. 4 Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations............................................................................................................................ 6 1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................................... 7 2. Sector Overview: Coverage and Finance Trends................................................................................................ 8 3. Reform Context: Introducing the CSO2 Scorecard.......................................................................................... 11 4. Institutional Framework................................................................................................................................. 13 5. Financing and its Implementation................................................................................................................... 15 6. Sector Monitoring and Evaluation.................................................................................................................. 17 7. Subsector: Rural Water Supply....................................................................................................................... 19 8. Subsector: Urban Water Supply...................................................................................................................... 21 9. Subsector: Rural Sanitation and Hygiene........................................................................................................ 23 10. Subsector: Urban Sanitation and Hygiene....................................................................................................... 26 Notes and References.................................................................................................................................... 28 5 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Acronyms and Abbreviations ABS Sector Budget Support MDG Millennium Development Goal (Appui Budgétaire Sectoriel) M&E Monitoring and evaluation AEPA Water Supply and Sanitation MS Ministry of Health (Ministère de la Santé) (Approvisionnement en Eau Potable et MTEF Medium-Term Expenditure Framework Assainissement) NGO Nongovernmental organization AfDB African Development Bank O&M Operation and maintenance AMCOW African Ministers’ Council on Water OPEX Operations expenditure BDI DG Water’s integrated database PADEAR Assistance Program for the Development of (Base de Données Intégrée) the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector in BPO Objective-based program budget Rural Areas (Budget Programme par Objectif) (Programme d’Appui au Développement du CAPEX Capital expenditure secteur de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement en CSO2 Country Status Overview (second round) milieu Rural) DG Water General Directorate of Water PPDE Provisional business development plan (Direction Générale de l’Eau) (SONEB tool) (Plan Prévisionnel de DHAB Directorate of Hygiene and Basic Sanitation Développement de l’Entreprise) (Ministry of Health) RSH Rural sanitation and hygiene (Direction de l’Hygiène et de l’Assainissement RWS Rural water supply de Base (Ministère de la Santé)) SCRP Benin’s Growth Strategy for Poverty DP Development partner Reduction GoB Government of Benin (Stratégie de Croissance pour la GDP Gross domestic product Réduction de la Pauvreté) GNI Gross national income SONEB National Water Company of Benin INSAE National Institute of Statistics and (Société Nationale des Eaux du Bénin) Economic Analysis UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund (Institut National des Statistiques et de USH Urban sanitation and hygiene l’Analyse Economique) UWS Urban water supply IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management VWS Village water supply JMP Joint Monitoring Programme (UNICEF/WHO) WHO World Health Organization LIC Low-income country WSP Water and Sanitation Program MEE Ministry of Energy and Water WSS Water supply and sanitation (Ministère de l’Energie et de l’Eau) Exchange rate:1 2009 average: US$1 = 472.1863 CFA Francs. 2010 average: US$1 = 496.6657 CFA Francs. 6 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond 1. Introduction The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) commissioned the production of a second round of Country Status Overviews (CSOs) to better understand what underpins progress in water supply and sanitation and what its member governments can do to accelerate that progress across countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).2 AMCOW delegated this task to the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program and the African Development Bank who are implementing it in close partnership with UNICEF and WHO in over 30 countries across SSA. This CSO2 report has been produced in collaboration with the Government of Benin and other stakeholders during 2009/10. The analysis aims to help countries assess their own service delivery pathways for turning finance into water supply and sanitation services in each of four subsectors: rural and urban water supply, and rural and urban sanitation and hygiene. The CSO2 analysis has three main components: a review of past coverage; a costing model to assess the adequacy of future investments; and a scorecard which allows diagnosis of particular bottlenecks along the service delivery pathway. The CSO2’s contribution is to answer not only whether past trends and future finance are sufficient to meet sector targets, but what specific issues need to be addressed to ensure finance is effectively turned into accelerated coverage in water supply and sanitation. In this spirit, specific priority actions have been identified through consultation. A synthesis report, available separately, presents best practice and shared learning to help realize these priority actions. 7 An AMCOW Country Status Overview 2. Sector Overview: Coverage and Finance Trends Coverage: Assessing Past Progress It should be noted that the access rates, shown in Figure 1, are based on combined rural and urban data. They According to the Government of Benin’s (GoB) estimates, therefore conceal large differences, with rural areas clearly the access rate to drinking water in the country stood lagging behind urban areas as regards both water supply at 51 percent at the end of 2008.3 If the current rate of and sanitation (see Sections 7 to 10). progress is maintained, the country will achieve its target access rate of 73 percent in 2015.4 The Joint Monitoring Investment Requirements: Programme (JMP), which does not use sector data but Testing the Sufficiency of Finance rather the results of the household surveys undertaken by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis In this CSO2 report, the cost of achieving the MDG targets (INSAE: Institut National de la Statistique et de l’Analyse has been estimated using JMP access data. The calculation Economique) since 1992,5 agrees with this assessment. method used draws on the following sources and According to JMP figures, the access rate increased from assumptions: United Nations population data;9 unit costs 56 percent to 75 percent between 1990 and 2008, taken from the Assistance Program for the Development meaning that Benin is on track to meet, or even exceed, of Water Supply and Sanitation in Rural Areas (PADEAR: its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of 79 Programme d’Assistance au Développement du secteur de percent in 2015.6 l’Eau et de l’Assainissement en milieu rural) and (for urban areas) from the investment plans of the National Water The same cannot be said for sanitation, however. With Company of Benin (SONEB: Société Nationale des Eaux an access rate of 37 percent in 20087 (only 12 percent du Bénin); a breakdown of the population based on the according to the JMP), Benin is a long way from achieving different types of improved technologies in use, identified the 2015 target (set at 69 percent by the government8 from the most recently available household survey (in and at 53 percent by the JMP). this case the Population and Health Survey [Enquête Figure 1 Progress in water supply and sanitation coverage Water supply Sanitation 100% 100% 80% 80% Coverage Coverage 60% 60% 40% 40% 20% 20% 0% 0% 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Government estimates Government target Government estimates Government target JMP estimates MDG target JMP estimates MDG target Source: JMP and national data. 8 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond Démographique et de Santé] of 2006). The results of this the state and US$53 million by development partners). analysis show that, for the MDG targets to be achieved, Almost 95 percent of these commitments have been around US$57 million per year will need to be invested obtained for the water supply subsectors. Assuming that in the water supply subsectors between 2009 and 2015, this level of contribution remains stable over the next few with US$196 million per year required for sanitation (see years, and that households contribute around US$8 million Figure 2 and Table 1).10 per year to investment (particularly within the sanitation subsectors, where they are expected to finance their Over the 2009–15 period, a total of US$1.77 billion will own facilities with virtually no external subsidy), a further be required, 77 percent of which is needed for sanitation. US$195 million per year will still be required up to 2015 if Whilst urban areas will absorb 61 percent of the funding the MDG targets are to be achieved. A sizeable additional for water supply, for sanitation the situation is reversed financial effort is therefore required, particularly for the (with 55 percent going to rural areas). sanitation subsectors which need to receive 96 percent of the financing still to be obtained (US$187 million). The level It should be noted that the investment requirements of funding currently allocated to sanitation and hygiene included in the calculation only relate to the water supply is far below that to which the government committed at and sanitation (WSS) facilities that need to be constructed the 2008 AfricaSan conference, and this level seems to be and rehabilitated to meet the MDG targets and exclude, falling rather than increasing. for instance, upfront investment required for mobilizing water resources, awareness-raising and hygiene education In addition to the investment requirements presented activities and the construction of wastewater treatment plants. In addition, had the 2008 access rate and 2015 above, around US$40 million per year will be required to targets provided by the government been used instead finance the operation and maintenance (O&M) of current of those of the JMP, the investment requirements would and future infrastructure, of which US$22 million is for the have been even higher (23 percent higher for water supply water supply subsectors and US$18 million for sanitation and 24 percent higher for sanitation). (CSO2 estimates, see Table 3). As in many countries, in Benin there is the implicit assumption that O&M costs The data available from the respective ministerial technical (OPEX) will be recovered from users, either out of their departments indicates that around US$60 million per year own budget (for household latrines) or through the water has already been committed up to 2011 (US$7 million by tariff (for water supply infrastructure). Figure 2 Required vs. anticipated (public) and assumed (household) expenditure for water Water supply Sanitation Required CAPEX Required OPEX Required CAPEX Required OPEX 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 50 100 150 200 250 US$ million/year US$ million/year Public CAPEX (anticipated) Public CAPEX (anticipated) Household CAPEX (assumed) Household CAPEX (assumed) CAPEX deficit Source: CSO2 estimates 9 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Table 1 Coverage and investment figures Coverage Target Population CAPEX Anticipated Assumed Total requiring requirements public CAPEX HH deficit access CAPEX 1990 2009 2015 Total Public Domestic External Total % % % ‘000/year US$ million/year Rural water supply 47% 69% 74% 119 22 21 6 25 31 2 - Urban water supply 72% 84% 86% 153 35 32 0 25 25 2 8 Water supply total 56% 75% 74% 272 57 53 6 50 56 3 8 Rural sanitation 1% 4% 51% 398 108 65 1 3 3 2 102 Urban sanitation 14% 24% 57% 263 88 18 0 1 1 2 85 Sanitation total 5% 12% 53% 661 196 82 1 3 4 5 187 Source: CSO2 costing.11 Table 2 The availability of finance is only part of the picture. Annual O&M requirements Bottlenecks can, in fact, occur throughout the service delivery pathway—all the institutions, processes. and actors Subsector O&M that translate sector funding into sustainable services. US$ million/year Where the pathway is well developed, sector funding Rural water supply 7 should turn into services at the estimated unit costs. Urban water supply 15 Water supply total 22 Where it is not, the above investment requirements may Rural sanitation 8 be gross underestimates. The rest of this report evaluates Urban sanitation 10 the service delivery pathway in its entirety, locating the Sanitation total 18 bottlenecks and presenting the agreed priority actions to help address them. Source: CSO2 estimates. 10 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond 3. Reform Context: Introducing the CSO2 Scorecard The CSO2 scorecard is an assessment tool providing a management in rural areas more professional, training snapshot of reform progress along the service delivery the private sector, improving maintenance, and so on). pathway. This scorecard looks at nine building blocks of Unfortunately, the poor policy and institutional framework the service delivery pathway, which correspond to specific of the sanitation sector has had a negative impact on the functions classified in three categories: three functions development of sanitation services: promotional activities that refer to enabling conditions for putting services in produce few results and there has only been a slow increase place (policy development, planning new undertakings, in access, especially in rural areas where both demand and budgeting); three actions that relate to developing the ability to pay are low. Until these organizational issues are service (expenditure of funds, equity in the use of these resolved, the sanitation sector will be unable to attract the funds, service output); and three functions that relate to financing it so desperately needs. sustaining these services (facility maintenance, expansion of infrastructure, use of the service).12 Each building block Table 3 provides a summary of the main steps taken as part is assessed against specific indicators and scored from 1 of the WSS sector reform process in Benin since the 1990s. (poor) to 3 (excellent) accordingly. Sections 4 to 6 highlight progress and challenges across three thematic areas—the institutional framework, finance Figure 3 shows the overall scorecard results for Benin and and monitoring and evaluation (M&E)—benchmarking compares these with the results obtained by other low- Benin against its peer countries based on a grouping by income SSA countries.13 For all three of the categories gross national income. The related indicators are extracted under consideration, the results for Benin are within the from the scorecard and presented in charts at the beginning average of its peer-group countries. of each section. The scorecards for each subsector are presented in their entirety in Sections 7 to 10. Since the beginning of the year 2000, the sector has become far more structured. Water supply and sanitation are identified as priority sectors within Benin’s Figure 3 Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, the Growth Strategy for Average scorecard results for enabling, Poverty Reduction (SCRP: Stratégie de Croissance pour la developing, and sustaining service delivery, and Réduction de la Pauvreté; the first SCRP was developed in peer-group comparison 2002–03). The implementation of a sectorwide approach, Enabling the adoption of policy and strategy documents aligned to MDG targets, and the development of multiyear investment plans for water supply have all considerably improved the sector context, despite the fact that greater effort is still required in the sanitation subsectors. Political will and the support of external support agencies have both been key to this progress. The impact on service development has been immediate: the absorption and budget implementation capacity of Sustaining Developing the water supply sector has increased considerably over Benin average scores the course of the last few years. Access to services has significantly improved and reforms have been implemented Averages, LICs, GNI p.p. >$500 to ensure these improvements remain sustainable (making Source: CSO2 scorecard. 11 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Table 3 Key dates in the reform of the sector in Benin Year Event 1992 Adoption of the Water and Sanitation Strategy in Rural Areas. 1994 The first PADEARs are launched, which are major water and sanitation programs for rural areas, in the départments of Zou, Collines, and Atlantique. 1995 Adoption of the National Sanitation Policy. 1998 The deconcentration of the departments of the Directorate of Water Resources (under the supervision of the Mini try of Mines, Energy, and Water) into the départements begins. 1999 Adoption of Law No. 97-029 of January 15, 1999, pertaining to the organization of Communes: the principle of decentralizing the water supply and sanitation sector is officially established. 2002 Development of the first objective-based program budget (BPO: Budget Programme par Objectifs) for the water supply sector. 2003 First elections held to appoint mayors in the 77 communes. Decentralization takes effect. Development of a National Program, an Implementation Strategy and an Action Plan for hygiene and basic sanitation that all take account of MDG targets. Decision taken to separate the water supply and electricity operations of Benin’s water and electricity company, Société Béninoise de l’Eau et de l’Electricité (SBEE). In January 2004, the National Water Company of Benin (SONEB: Société Nationale des Eaux du Bénin) undertakes the management of water supply. Organization of the first sector review for the rural water supply subsector. 2005 Approval of the new 2005–15 Rural Water Supply Strategy, supported by a 2005–15 Action Plan. 2006 The General Directorate of Water Resources becomes the General Directorate of Water (Direction Générale de l’Eau), and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is included as one of its activities. Implementation of an objective-based program budget for the rural water supply subsector. 2007 Approval of the 2006–15 Urban Water Supply Strategy. First objective-based program budget introduced for sanitation. 2008 Adoption of the National Wastewater Management Strategy for urban areas. Creation of a dedicated wastewater management department within SONEB. 2009 Adoption of a new National Water Policy. Development of a new Growth Strategy for Poverty Reduction. Adoption of the 2009–18 National Healthcare Development Plan. 12 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond 4. Institutional Framework Priority actions for the institutional framework • Secure employment conditions and further train contract employees working for the General Directorate of Water. At central and at deconcentrated levels strengthen human resource capacity in both the General Directorate of Water and the Directorate of Hygiene and Basic Sanitation. • Reinforce the planning, management, coordination, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation capacities of DHAB and its deconcentrated departments. • Reinforce the human and financial resources dedicated to water supply, sanitation, and hygiene within the communes and improve their access to back-up support. At central administration level, the General Directorate of Figure 4 Water (DG Water: Direction Générale de l’Eau), part of the Scorecard indicator scores relating to institutional Ministry of Energy and Water (MEE: Ministère de l’Energie framework compared to peer group14 et de l’Eau), is responsible for developing and overseeing RWS implementation of the policy and strategy relating to water supply and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The following policy developments have been strengthened since 2005: Water Supply Strategies for the rural (2005) and urban (2007) subsectors have been USH UWS aligned to MDG targets; the National Policy (2009) has been updated to include IWRM; and the revised Water Code (Law) was presented to Parliament in 2010. The DG Water is also responsible for coordinating interventions, M&E, and regulation. RSH In urban areas, development and operation of the water supply services are the responsibility of the National Benin average scores Water Company of Benin (SONEB), created following the Averages, LICs, GNI p.p. >$500 separation of the water supply and electricity activities Source: CSO2 scorecard. of the ex-Water and Electricity Company of Benin (SBEE: Société Béninoise de l’Eau et de l’Electricité) in 2003. SONEB, a state-owned company, is overseen by the sector. The Directorate of Hygiene and Basic Sanitation ministry but has extensive management autonomy. In (DHAB: Direction de l’Hygiène et de l’Assainissement de theory, its service area covers the urban agglomerations, Base), attached to the Ministry of Health (MS: Ministère as well as the 77 commune administrative centers; in de la Santé), is responsible for hygiene education and the practice, however, SONEB is only currently active in 69 promotion of (basic) on-site sanitation across the national centers. In rural areas, responsibility for water supply territory, including urban areas. The DHAB implements the services lies with the communes. policy and strategy orientations developed by both MEE and MS, in particular: the National Sanitation Policy (which The institutional framework for sanitation is more complex. dates from 1995 but is currently being updated to ensure it There are four different ministries working within the is adapted to the context of decentralization); the National 13 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Program for Hygiene and Basic Sanitation in Rural and in place since 2007.15 The BPO for the rural water supply Urban Areas, along with its Implementation Strategy and subsector is drawn up through a bottom-up process based Action Plan (2003); the National Healthcare Development on the annual planning undertaken by the communes, a Plan (2009) which has led to hygiene and basic sanitation process which has not yet been adopted by the sanitation taking on new importance in the ministry’s activities. In subsectors. The communes play an increasingly important 2008, a National Strategy for Wastewater Management role as, due to decentralization (in the early 2000s), they was adopted to develop interventions within urban and are now responsible for the services in their area. Their peri-urban areas. This was accompanied by the creation, relatively large size—the 77 communes have just over in the same year, of a service dedicated to sanitation 100,000 inhabitants on average in 2008—means they within SONEB. However, major urban redevelopment can both realize economies of scale and recruit specialist work is usually supervised by the ministry in charge of staff. Nevertheless, the communes would benefit from urban development and housing, with the ministry in the transfer of financial resources, as well as from back- charge of the environment being responsible for part of up support from the deconcentrated departments of the regulation. As a result, although the government body DG Water and DHAB on both technical aspects and exercising real leadership over the sector is the DHAB, public procurement procedures. The deconcentrated public policy and project implementation are dispersed departments, themselves, also need to be further among the various ministries in charge of health, water, reinforced (for example, human resources, competencies, urban development, and the environment, thus reducing expenditure authorization). Deconcentration in the both the visibility and coherence of the rural and urban sanitation subsectors is, nonetheless, more advanced in sanitation subsectors. Benin than in most other countries in the subregion due to the fact that they are linked to the Ministry of Health. The WSS sector in Benin has progressively been adopting a programmatic approach, first, for the rural water Overall, as shown in Figure 4, the institutional framework supply subsector, as of 2002, and then, more recently, of the water supply subsector in Benin is strong. In for hygiene and basic sanitation, for which a three-year contrast, Benin’s sanitation subsectors are lagging slightly rolling objective-based program budget (BPO) has been behind those of its economic peer group countries. 14 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond 5. Financing and its Implementation Priority actions for financing • Continue to mobilize domestic and donor financing, as funding levels have been falling since 2009; in particular, increase financing for sanitation in both the urban and rural subsectors. • Systematically direct new financing (including that from NGOs) towards those areas with the lowest access rates to water supply and sanitation to reduce regional disparities. • Improve the operation and management of the public expenditure system (public procurement procedures, including those within SONEB, disbursement procedures and the transfer and authorization of expenditure) without creating parallel structures or channels, to improve the proportion of finance utilized. The budget reform undertaken at the beginning of the 2003 and 2010. The most important of these are: Germany, decade of 2000 and the gradual implementation of the Denmark, the Netherlands, and France for bilateral aid; programmatic approach included in the SCRP, initially in the and for multilateral aid, the World Bank, the European rural water supply subsector then in the other subsectors, Union, AfDB, and UNICEF are becoming more and more have had a highly positive impact on financing within involved. The total amount of finance committed has risen the sector at all levels. The Medium-Term Expenditure accordingly. For example, the level of financial contributions Framework (MTEF) has improved the way in which state made to the rural water supply (RWS) subsector increased financing is forecast. The monitoring of domestic and donor fivefold between 2001 and 2008, rising from US$8.7 million financing, in particular, has improved considerably since to US$44 million.17 Since 2009, however, a downward 2007.16 The number of external support agencies active in trend in funding levels has been observed in both the water the sector has increased, rising from four to 10 between supply and sanitation subsectors.18 Figure 5 Overall and per capita investment requirements and contribution of anticipated financing by source Rural water supply: Urban water supply: Rural sanitation: Urban sanitation: Total: $22,100,000 Total: $34,500,000 Total: $108,000,000 Total: $88,100,000 Per capita (new): $70 Per capita (new): $126 Per capita (new): $165 Per capita (new): $164 Domestic anticipated investment Assumed household investment External anticipated investment GAP Source: CSO2 estimates. 15 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Sanitation should be considered a priority: as mentioned Figure 6 above, funding deficits of US$110 million per year for Scorecard indicator scores relating to financing, rural areas and US$90 million per year for urban areas compared to peer group20 need be addressed if the MDG targets are to be achieved. Regional equity is also not being respected: in both the RWS water supply and sanitation subsectors, urban areas are being overlooked in favor of rural areas (see Figure 5). The levels of financing committed by external support agencies have increased at a faster rate than those USH UWS committed by the government: donors currently finance around 80 percent of investment, increasing the dependence of the sector on international aid.19 Aid is still mainly provided in the form of project aid, RSH particularly in the sanitation subsector; however, Benin was the first country in the subregion to put sector budget Benin average scores support (ABS: Appui Budgétaire Sectoriel) in place in the Averages, LICs, GNI p.p. >$500 RWS and sanitation subsectors in 2005. A basket fund was Source: CSO2 scorecard. also set up, first for RWS, then for the urban water supply (UWS) subsector. These new financing mechanisms were made possible by the adoption and regular monitoring of suitably qualified staff at both central and deconcentrated BPOs on the one hand, and by increased dialogue between levels are the two main factors impacting on the sector’s the technical ministries and the Ministry of Finance on the lack of absorption capacity. The simplification of public other. Monitoring of the percentage of finance utilized is procurement procedures and staffing deconcentrated continually improving. For the RWS subsector, where the departments, both initiated in 2004, have so far failed to data is more accurate, there was an average of 62 percent have the desired effect. utilization of domestic commitments and 40 percent of donor commitments utilized over the 2006–09 period.21 As far as financing the sector is concerned, the CSO2 The fact that the utilization rate is so low constitutes a scorecard performance of Benin is satisfactory for RWS, major constraint for the sector. The cumbersome nature but results for the other three subsectors are below the of the public procurement procedures and the lack of peer-group average (see Figure 6). 16 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond 6. Sector Monitoring and Evaluation Priority actions for sector monitoring and evaluation • Review the standards and definitions for access to water supply in rural areas so that access rates can be updated. • Update DG Water’s database with additional facility and population data. • Improve monitoring and evaluation of the water supply and, in particular, the sanitation subsectors in rural areas by ensuring that the monitoring sheet templates are used by all external support agencies active in the sector (inclusive of any facilities built outside the BPO, particularly those constructed by NGOs and decentralized cooperations) and by ensuring that the data collection process involves the communes. • Provide support to the communes and reinforce their competencies to enable them to undertake monitoring and evaluation tasks. The introduction of the programmatic approach and, Figure 7 in particular, of the sector budget support, acted as a Scorecard indicator scores relating to sector M&E, catalyst for reinforcing both the M&E system and sector compared to peer group22 coordination by creating a culture based on responsibility and results. RWS Specific targets and indicators have been defined in the BPOs. A system for collecting physical and financial data is in the process of being set up, notably in the RWS subsector, which will serve to inform sector budget support USH UWS disbursement decisions. A water point inventory was carried out in 2004–05, which gives a clearer indication of the situation regarding access to drinking water. This was then fed into the DG Water’s integrated database (BDI), the reliability of which is improving as a result of RSH the communes’ annual planning reviews that have been Benin average scores taking place since 2008. However, the fact that there is Averages, LICs, GNI p.p. >$500 still some data on facilities and, particularly, the population Source: CSO2 scorecard. of the communes missing from the database impacts on the reliability of the statistics produced. Furthermore, the standards and calculation methods used in relation to The number of facilities constructed annually, notably access to water supply need to be updated.23 by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), is poorly monitored. One of the characteristics of development As can be seen in Figure 7, the monitoring system for aid in the WSS sector in Benin is the high involvement of sanitation is less developed and this is particularly true NGOs and decentralized cooperation24 (several hundred of of the urban sanitation (USH) subsector. The current these arrangements are active in the country). Progressive approach relies solely on those household surveys carried decentralization has considerably reinforced decentralized out by INSAE, which provide information on the indicator cooperation activity, meaning that communes are set out in the SCRP and the BPO at regular intervals. emerging as influential partners at local level. However, 17 An AMCOW Country Status Overview this funding is not always fully included in sector planning central and deconcentrated departments, communes, and monitoring due to a lack of communication between development partners (DPs), the private sector, NGOs, NGOs and the national authorities—although the situation and civil society representatives. At each review, working is improving.25 The major challenge in terms of M&E lies in groups focus on those areas considered priorities and transferring as many tasks as possible to the communes. implementation of the recommendations from the previous An initiative is currently being undertaken to equip the review are verified. The joint drafting of the review summary communes with the appropriate tools for carrying out (aide-mémoire) by the central technical departments and inventories and planning as well as to provide capacity- their DPs, the fact that a joint annual state-DP meeting building to commune staff. is held, and the organization of evaluation assignments that bring together several external support agencies, Progress against sector targets is assessed in an annual all attest to there being a good level of consultation and report produced by the DG Water (extremely detailed), trust between national stakeholders and partners. The DPs DHAB, and SONEB and the findings are presented at also have their own consultation framework and organize the annual reviews, to which all stakeholders are invited: regular meetings. 18 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond 7. Subsector: Rural Water Supply Priority actions for rural water supply Direct new finance towards the most poorly-equipped areas (the ‘départements’ of Ouémé, Atlantique, and Borgou) to reduce geographical disparities. Assess and review the recruitment procedures for operators including specifications and contracts to improve the technical and financial performance of village water systems. Provide capacity-building to communes and delegated operators on the technical and financial aspects of managing water supply services through the further development of an ongoing training program and back- up support from the deconcentrated technical departments. During the 2000s, the level of financing allocated to the If the current pace at which financing is mobilized is RWS subsector increased fivefold over the course of only a sustained, the subsector requirements (US$22 million few years. Simultaneous improvements in the subsector’s per year for investment) will be met before 2015 (see implementation and absorption capacities crucially Figure 9). The additional cost of US$7 million that has led to a rise in the access rates (see Figure 8). Detailed been estimated for the O&M of facilities is to be borne analysis shows that there has been a notable increase by users. in the number of water points constructed since 2004, rising from 400–600 per year between 1990 and 2003 to Figures 10 and 11 show the overall performance of the over 2,300 in 2009—whereas the rate required to meet subsector as being highly satisfactory, with results that the MDG targets was estimated to be 1,450 per year.26 are above the average of those seen in Benin’s peer-group This recent progress in access to services (38 percent countries. It is clear that this positive performance is the coverage in 2004, 50 percent in 200827) means that the result of strong political will and the reforms undertaken subsector should come close to, or even reach, the target since 2002, which have been supported by the DPs. The of 71 percent set by the government for 2015.28 This is institutional, strategic, programmatic, and budgetary confirmed by the JMP, which has estimated the access context of the sector is currently very sound. rate to be even higher (69 percent in 2008). Figure 8 Figure 9 Rural water supply coverage Rural water investment requirements 100% Required CAPEX Required OPEX 80% Coverage 60% 40% 20% 0% 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 0 10 20 30 40 US$ million/year Government estimates Government target Public CAPEX (anticipated) JMP, improved JMP, piped on premises Household CAPEX (assumed) Sources: JMP and national data. Source: CSO2 estimates. 19 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Figure 10 Rural water supply scorecard29 Enabling Developing Sustaining Policy Planning Budget Expenditure Equity Output Maintenance Expansion Use 3 3 3 1.5 3 2.5 3 1 1.5 Source: CSO2 scorecard. With regard to the roll-out of services, it is worth Figure 11 mentioning that equity is one of DG Water’s main concerns Average RWS scorecard scores for enabling, and is monitored in its annual reports. Nevertheless, this developing, and sustaining service delivery, and needs to be improved as investment is not currently being peer-group comparison directed towards those départements with low rates of Enabling access to drinking water (Ouémé, Atlantique, and Borgou, where coverage rates are less than 50 percent). As a result, there are still an insufficient numbers of facilities being constructed in these areas.30 Sustainability of the water supply service in rural areas is in the process of being strengthened following the implementation of four successive reforms. First, in the 1990s the Assistance Program for the Development of Sustaining Developing the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector in Rural Areas (PADEAR: Programme d’Assistance au Développement du Benin average scores secteur de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement en milieu rural, co- Averages, LICs, GNI p.p. >$500 financed by several external support agencies) expanded Source: CSO2 scorecard. the principle of paying for water from small piped systems (known as village water supply—VWS—systems and which, in 2010, provided access to around one-third of the rural the management of VWS systems to local associations population). The tariff is set at a level that enables O&M or small private operators, who replaced the previous costs to be recovered. In parallel to this, a maintenance water point management committees whose overall system for handpumps has been set up. The private sector management was poor. In 2010, over 200, or 25 percent, has been involved in managing the spare parts supply of the VWS systems were being managed through chain under the DG Water’s supervision. Today, spare lease contracts. As in all countries in the subregion that parts are available in all of Benin’s départements. Second, have introduced this reform, there are issues relating to during the 2000s, the decentralization process gave acceptance and profitability. It is, therefore, necessary to responsibility for managing services to the communes: improve communication and the selection/contracting they set out investment requirements in their commune methods used for new operators. The training of operators development plans, and are responsible for managing on technical, financial, and accounting aspects should public procurement procedures and carrying out also be continued. Nevertheless, all of these reforms, community outreach activities (information, education, coupled with a major rehabilitation program, have already and communication—IEC). Specific manuals and tools had a positive impact on the quality and sustainability of have been developed to assist them in this. The communes the service: the overall breakdown rate of VWS systems were quickly encouraged, notably as part of the ‘Water and handpumps fell from 23 percent in 2003 to 10 Initiative for Small Towns’ launched in 2004, to delegate percent in 2009.31 20 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond 8. Subsector: Urban Water Supply Priority actions for urban water supply • Increase the mobilization of finance required to meet MDG targets. • Reduce network losses by putting a rehabilitation program and preventative maintenance schedule in place. • Increase, systematize, and formalize the dialogue between SONEB and DG Water on planning within those communes where the two organizations operate, and between SONEB and the communes for the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of facility construction. The subsector context is set to support the development from 72 percent to 84 percent between 1990 and 2008. of SONEB: since commencing operations in January 2004, SONEB’s estimate is lower, with an access rate of 64 percent the company has signed a contract with the state that sets at the end of 200833 compared to the national target out their respective responsibilities and targets; has drawn of 75 percent for 201534 (see Figure 12). If the current up a five-year rolling business development plan (Plan pace of development is maintained, it will be possible to Prévisionnel de Développement de l’Entreprise); and has achieve the 2015 target regardless of the data source worked with its supervisory ministry to develop a national used. However, for this pace to be sustained, efforts to water supply strategy for urban areas for 2006-2015 mobilize financing will need to be redoubled. period. The two main components of the strategy relate to extending the network with a view to achieving MDG The current pace at which financing is mobilized (2009– targets, initially towards the outlying and disadvantaged 11 period) is too slow: according to CSO2 estimates, settlements, and reinforcing the economic and financial it will ultimately (up to 2015) only cover 70 percent of viability of the service providers.32 SONEB’s requirements. SONEB still needs to find around US$10 million per year for investment (see Figure 13), Progress made in extending services has been steady and US$15 million for O&M.35 Investment needs to be since 1990 with development of the network and annual directed towards those areas identified as priorities in increases in both the number of connections and access SONEB’s national strategy and investment program; these rates. According to the JMP, this access rate increased are mainly the outlying settlements of large towns but Figure 12 Figure 13 Urban water supply coverage Urban water supply investment requirements 100% 80% Required CAPEX Required OPEX Coverage 60% 40% 20% 0% 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 0 20 40 60 US$ million/year Government estimates Government target Public CAPEX (anticipated) Household CAPEX (assumed) JMP, improved JMP, piped on premises CAPEX deficit Source: JMP and national data. Source: CSO2 estimates. 21 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Figure 14 Urban water supply scorecard Enabling Developing Sustaining Policy Planning Budget Expenditure Equity Output Maintenance Expansion Use 3 2.5 2.5 1.5 1.5 2 2.5 2.5 2.5 Source: CSO2 scorecard. also the secondary centers where those people with no Figure 15 household connection or access to a standpipe have to Average UWS scorecard scores for enabling, buy their water from resellers at an inflated price. The developing, and sustaining service delivery, and reliability of services also needs to be improved as the peer-group comparison pumping stations lack a stable supply of electricity. The Enabling maintenance requirements for the existing infrastructure and, consequently, the associated cost forecasts are high: the proportion of nonrevenue water stood at 28 percent in 2009, up from 24 percent in 2008.36 Over the course of the last few years, progress has been made to improve SONEB’s economic and financial viability and, more generally, the sustainability of the service: financial, commercial, and technical management Sustaining Developing procedures have been updated, regular internal audits conducted by the regional directorates and their offices Benin average scores have improved control, and staff have received client Averages, LICs, GNI p.p. >$500 management training. A training center for the water Source: CSO2 scorecard. profession is due to be created shortly within SONEB to provide initial and ongoing training to the company’s staff and other sector stakeholders. However, the most important reform has undoubtedly been the review of SONEB acting as delegated contracting authority in the tariff structure. Up until July 2009, the tariff structure urban areas. The communes now have an important role consisted of only two brackets, with no distinction made to play, notably in investment planning, in monitoring between the different categories of users. The new services, and in mediating between the company and its structure has introduced a tariff that is fairly apportioned clients. To carry out this role successfully, dialogue and among the poorest and richest users, a social tariff consultation between SONEB and the communes needs bracket and a specific tariff for water obtained from to systematized, for example, through the signing of shared facilities (standpipe, VWS systems, and so on). As partnership agreements or the creation of a consultation a result, the tariff structure promotes access to drinking platform. Reinforcing the communes’ role will also make water for the poor whilst guaranteeing SONEB’s financial it easier for decentralized cooperation to work inside the sustainability. SONEB is also able to wholly self-finance the service area of the urban operator. operation, maintenance, and renewal of electromechanical equipment. Whilst there are a few aspects that could be improved, Figures 14 and 15 show that, overall, the urban water Decentralization has led to the communes taking on supply subsector is operating well in Benin, with results the role of contracting authority for WSS services, with that are generally higher than the peer-group average. 22 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond 9. Subsector: Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Priority actions for rural sanitation and hygiene • Increase the Ministry of Health and development partner (DP) funding allocated to sanitation and direct it to communes to empower them to act as contracting authorities. • When allocating resources, ensure disadvantaged areas are taken into account. • Assess and review the approaches used to promote sanitation to the most disadvantaged populations. • Roll out a large-scale hygiene and sanitation promotion program that puts communes in the driving seat. • Put financing mechanisms in place to support and stimulate household demand for improved sanitation facilities, such as subsidies for the most disadvantaged households. • Develop and implement a human resources development plan for the DHAB and its divisions, in accordance with the 2007 audit, and improve the training provided to staff working in the sanitation and hygiene subsector at the commune level. • Accord greater priority to sanitation, notably at commune planning level, and consolidate the sanitation BPO based on commune planning and on a bottom-up approach. • Improve coordination between the different subsector stakeholders. • Improve the legal and regulatory framework of the sanitation and hygiene subsector. Since 2003, the political, institutional, and strategic planning remains slow. According to the DHAB, only 19.7 percent of context of the rural hygiene and sanitation (RSH) subsector the rural population had access to sanitation at the end has improved considerably with the adoption of a strategy, of 2008 (one person in five), compared to 14 percent in an activity program and a BPO, the transfer of competencies 2005,37 with the 2015 target set at around 66 percent (two to communes, and a high level of deconcentration of the out of three people)38 (this has been extrapolated from the Directorate of Hygiene and Basic Sanitation’s services. target of 69 percent set at national level, as no specific Nonetheless, improvement in access to services in rural areas target has been defined for rural areas). Figure 16 Figure 17 Rural sanitation coverage Rural sanitation investment requirements 100% 80% Required CAPEX Required OPEX Coverage 60% 40% 20% 0% 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 0 50 100 150 US$ million/year Government estimates Government target Public CAPEX (anticipated) CAPEX deficit JMP, improved JMP, improved + shared Household CAPEX (assumed) Source: JMP and national data. Source: CSO2 estimates. 23 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Figure 18 Rural sanitation and hygiene scorecard Enabling Developing Sustaining Policy Planning Budget Expenditure Equity Output Markets Uptake Use 2.5 2 1 2.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 0 0.5 Source: CSO2 scorecard. According to the JMP, the situation is even worse as Figure 19 the 2008 access rate is estimated at only 4 percent. The Average RSH scorecard scores for enabling, discrepancy in access rate estimates is mainly due to the developing and sustaining service delivery, and fact that latrines shared between several households are peer-group comparison not considered improved by the JMP. As a result, they are Enabling excluded from the access rate, even though at least one in 10 people use this type of latrine.39 Regardless of the data source used, however, it is clear that Benin will not achieve its 2015 targets for rural sanitation coverage (see Figure 16). The fact that the anticipated increase in access rates has not materialized is mainly due to the lack of financing.40 Although the budget allocated to sanitation and hygiene Sustaining Developing by the Ministry of Health increased between 2002 and Benin average scores 2008, the level of this contribution remains far too low Averages, LICs, GNI p.p. >$500 to meet the subsector’s investment requirements of Source: CSO2 scorecard. around US$100 million per year between 2009 and 2015. Moreover, this figure only corresponds to capital programs that have been conducted to date. The impact investment (latrines) and excludes the cost of social of community outreach has been equally poor as no intermediation and training activities. A further US$8 financial support (subsidies, prefinancing, and repayment million per year also needs to be added for facilities mechanisms or others) has been provided to encourage maintenance (see Figure 17). The funding requirements households to invest in latrines. Households are expected are therefore huge yet, since 2009, there has been a to find their own means of financing their access to reduction in public financing of the subsector.41 Financing sanitation facilities. This approach has so far had little levels need to increase a hundredfold, with priority funding success: it is unrealistic given the level of poverty seen in being given to those départements with the lowest access rural areas. As a result, an insufficient number of latrines rates, namely Donga, Atacora, Plateau, Borgou, Collines have been built (a few thousand latrines are constructed and Alibori, and Couffo (where access rates are below per year, mainly SanPlat latrines, whereas around 45,000 20 percent, whereas in Littoral the rate stands at nearly latrines need to be built if the targets are to be met) and 80 percent42). projects provide no assistance to the poorest populations. The 2005–15 strategy and the national program advocate A further bottleneck hindering the development of access the promotion of sanitation facilities that are adapted to sanitation is caused by the lack of large-scale, long- to household demand. Demand, however, is low and term policies. There are too few projects and programs has not been stimulated by any of the awareness-raising in place as the state, external support agencies, NGOs, 24 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond and decentralized cooperation are yet to show sufficient in the construction of improved slabs. This effort needs interest in sanitation in Benin, despite all the international to be sustained. Some NGOs have trained artisans in the declarations and commitments made. Although far better construction of eco latrines or latrines that are specifically organized than in other countries in the West African adapted to particular conditions in certain areas (raised subregion and whilst continuing to operate in closest latrines in lake areas, for instance). proximity to communities throughout the country, the intermediary entities at the local level (deconcentrated In 2009, the DHAB launched a mass communication technical departments, municipal services) still lack the campaign to encourage people to practice handwashing resources to successfully undertake the roles allocated to with soap. The situation is alarming as, in 2003, only 4 them. In addition, the communes need to start according percent of the rural population was found to practice greater priority to sanitation and hygiene in their commune handwashing with soap.43 development plans (through a commune hygiene and sanitation plan). Overall, a lot more work needs to be done on promoting hygiene practices, extending access to sanitation and, in Projects and programs have contributed to the training of particular, ensuring that services remain sustainable (see artisans specializing in the construction of latrines, notably Figures 18 and 19). 25 An AMCOW Country Status Overview 10. Subsector: Urban Sanitation and Hygiene Priority actions for urban sanitation and hygiene • Implement the wastewater management strategy action plan, and notably: o Request funding from the state and development partners to finance the development of sanitation master plan and priority investments; o Put a sustainable finance mechanism in place for the urban sanitation subsector by introducing a sewerage surcharge to the water bill; o Develop pit emptying and sludge disposal services in the large towns and secondary centers; and o Improve consultation and coordination between all stakeholders. There are numerous stakeholders involved in the urban which is still a long way off the 2015 target of 74 percent45 sanitation subsector: DG Water, SONEB, DHAB, the (estimate based on a national sanitation access rate of communes, as well as the ministries responsible for 69 percent). urban development, housing, and the environment. The subsector appears paralyzed by institutional uncertainty As in rural areas, there is a discrepancy between DHAB and, consequently, no urban sanitation activities have been figures and those of the JMP. The access rate estimated by undertaken by any of the public authorities. Although the the JMP for the end of 2008 is, once again, far lower at access rate has increased since 1990 (see Figure 20), this is 24 percent. One-third of the urban population has access only because households themselves have built traditional, to shared latrines used by several households and the ventilated or flush latrines equipped with either a sealed remaining two-thirds practice open defecation. pit or septic tank. However, these individual actions are not enough to offset the health and environmental issues According to the CSO2 estimate, to achieve the MDG being experienced in towns as a result of rapid and poorly targets for urban sanitation, investment of US$88 million planned urban development. According to DHAB, the per year will be required for latrine construction. Even access rate stood at 61 percent at the end of 2008,44 assuming that households contribute to the financing Figure 20 Figure 21 Urban sanitation coverage Urban sanitation investment requirements 100% 80% Required CAPEX Required OPEX Coverage 60% 40% 20% 0% 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 0 50 100 150 US$ million/year Government estimates Government target Public CAPEX (anticipated) CAPEX deficit JMP, improved JMP, improved + Household CAPEX (assumed) shared Source: JMP and national data. Source: CSO2 estimates. 26 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond and maintenance of these facilities, US$85 million per Figure 22 year will still need to be obtained from the state and its Average USH scorecard scores for enabling, development partners between 2009 and 2015 (see Figure developing, and sustaining service delivery, and 21). In addition to this, training and community outreach peer-group comparison activities have not been included in this calculation. A Enabling huge effort is therefore required. At the moment, the 2015 target remains unattainable given the total lack of financing. Awareness of the severity of the situation has come about only recently. The first step taken to improve the subsector involved clarifying the institutional set-up and defining the strategic direction of the subsector. This led to the Sustaining Developing development in 2007 of a wastewater management strategy for urban areas for the 2008–15 period, which Benin average scores also included the management of excreta, domestic, Averages, LICs, GNI p.p. >$500 and industrial wastewater and stormwater. The strategic Sources: CSO2 scorecard. directions were very general, as these were mainly aimed at laying the foundations of a subsector which had previously been neglected. This strategy advocated that surcharge is proposed which would be added to the water the institutional base for sanitation be established within bill. As far as on-site sanitation is concerned, a subsidy is SONEB, which, as a result, created a sanitation service the planned to assist those households which do not have the following year (this became a department in 2010). means to pay for an improved facility in full. There is currently no sewerage service in place in Benin. The development of on-site sanitation will require the The strategy calls upon the communes and SONEB to simultaneous development of the pit emptying service develop sanitation master plans for the large urban (there are around 40 companies in existence but they centers (Cotonou, Abomey, Calavi, Porto-Novo, Parakou, only operate in the large towns) and for sludge disposal and Bohicon). It adopts a resolutely realistic approach: it is (the only treatment plant, located at Ekpè between aimed at promoting on-site sanitation as it accepts there is Cotonou and Porto-Novo, is overloaded). In addition, it a high risk that a sewer system will be unaffordable for both will be necessary to publicize and implement the relatively the population (connection fee) and the local authority (in comprehensive and relevant regulatory framework for terms of investment and O&M). The only planned sewer hygiene and sanitation. system is for the town center of Cotonou where there is high population density and where the groundwater At the moment, the urban sanitation subsector remains table has a tendency to rise to the surface—however, underdeveloped, whether in terms of enabling conditions this is on the condition that DPs contribute financially to (policy, planning, and budgeting) or in the development the investment phase. To cover O&M costs, a sanitation and sustainability of the service (see Figures 22 and 23). Figure 23 Urban sanitation and hygiene scorecard Enabling Developing Sustaining Policy Planning Budget Expenditure Equity Output Markets Uptake Use 2 1 0 1 0.5 1 1.5 0.5 2 Source: CSO2 scorecard. 27 An AMCOW Country Status Overview Notes and References 1 Source: Global Economic Monitor, the World Bank. properly tracked. The gradual integration of the BPOs into 2 The first round of CSOs was carried out in 2006 covering 16 the software used for the management of public finances countries and is summarized in the report, Getting Africa (SIGFIP) is also a positive development, despite the fact On-Track to Meet the MDGs on Water and Sanitation. that there are still a few technical issues that need to be 3 See: Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2009. resolved. Aide-mémoire de la revue sectorielle. See: World Bank/Water and Sanitation Program (WSP). 17 4 See: Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2005. Plan 2009. Benin PRSCs Assessment of Budget Support d’action 2005-2015 de la stratégie d’AEP rurale. See also: Effectiveness in Rural Water Supply and Sanitation. 2007. Stratégie nationale 2006-2015 d’AEP en milieu US$33.4 million was committed to RWS in 2009, then 18 urbain. US$28 million in 2010. For sanitation: US$5 million 5 It must also be noted that the urban/rural boundaries used was committed in 2009, compared to US$6.8 million in by the JMP are based on the administrative definitions 2008. See: Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2010. utilized by INSAE and not on the SONEB perimeter; this Aide-mémoire de la revue annuelle du secteur 2010. It impacts on the results of the access rate calculation. is possible that this trend is linked to the global financial 6 All the JMP figures used in this report are taken from crisis of 2008. the following document: UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring See: World Bank/Water and Sanitation Program (WSP. 19 Programme. 2010. Progress on Sanitation and Drinking 2009. Benin PRSCs Assessment of Budget Support Water: 2010 Update. Effectiveness in Rural Water Supply and Sanitation. 7 See: the Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2009. The relevant indicators are as follows. All subsectors: 20 Aide-mémoire de la revue sectorielle. programmatic Sector-Wide Approach; investment program 8 See: Directorate of Hygiene and Basic Sanitation. 2010. based on MDG needs assessment; sufficient finance to Rapport d’exécution du BPO 2009 de l’assainissement. meet the MDG; percent of official donor commitments utilized; percent of domestic commitments utilized. 9 See: World Population Prospects 2008, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population See: Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2008, 2009, 21 Division. and 2010. Aide-mémoire des revues annuelles du secteur 10 It is to be noted that several such estimates of the cost of de 2008, 2009 et 2010. See also: World Bank/Water and achieving MDG targets have already been carried out by Sanitation Program (WSP). 2009. Benin PRSCs Assessment Benin or its development partners. However, it is difficult of Budget Support Effectiveness in Rural Water Supply and to compare the results as the estimates were each made Sanitation. See also: CSO2 data provided by DG Water, at different times, were based on different assumptions, DHAB, and SONEB in 2009–10. It is to be noted that the and used different calculation methods. (2009) Rapport d’exécution du BPO 2009 de l’hydraulique rurale et semi-urbaine drawn up by DG Water in 2010 gives 11 Due to rounding, subsector figures may not sum to totals. different figures: 47.5 percent of domestic commitments 12 The CSO2 scorecard methodology and its structure are utilized over the 2006–09 period, and 50.5 percent of detailed in the regional synthesis report. donor commitments. 13 Within this report, Benin is classified as an African low- The relevant indicators are as follows. All subsectors: 22 income country with a GNI below US$500 per capita annual review setting new undertakings; subsector (World Bank Atlas Method). spend identifiable in budget (UWS: including recurrent 14 The relevant indicators are as follows. All subsectors: targets subsidies); budget comprehensively covers domestic/donor in the national development plan or the PRSP; subsector finance; standards and definitions used for household policies agreed and approved. RWS/UWS: institutional surveys consistent with JMP. RWS/RSH: domestic/donor roles defined. RSH/USH: institutional lead appointed. expenditure reported. UWS: audited accounts and balance 15 For the urban water supply subsector, SONEB does not sheets from utilities. RWS/RSH: periodic analysis of equity have a BPO, but rather a provisional business development criteria by CSOs and government. UWS: pro-poor plans plan (PPDE: Plan prévisionnel de développement de developed and implemented by utilities. RWS/UWS: l’entreprise) and a multiyear investment budget. nationally consolidated reporting of output. RSH/USH: 16 The structure of the national budget and the headings monitoring of quantity and quality of uptake relative to used now enable funding allocated to the sector to be promotion and subsidy efforts. 28 Water Supply and Sanitation in Benin: Turning Finance into Services for 2015 and Beyond As of 2007, the ratio used by the DG Water is that of 23 calculate the access rate and a different definition of one water point to 250 inhabitants, regardless of the area ‘improved’ access. under consideration (between 1990 and 2006 the standard 34 See: Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2007. Stratégie was defined as 300 inhabitants per water point). nationale 2006-2015 d’AEP en milieu urbain. A relatively common phenomenon in Francophone West 24 35 SONEB’s 2009–12 investment program concurs with Africa: exchange of technical or financial support between the CSO2 estimate. It calculates the total investment institutions of the global North and South, other than requirements for the period to stand at US$200 million, central governments (for instance, twin cities). or US$50 million per year, of which US$25 million per The BPO Eau has become relatively sophisticated, as 25 year has already been committed (see PPDE (2009) illustrated by the BPO implementation report prepared Rapport d’exécution). The CSO2 calculation estimates by DG-Eau for the 2009 sector review. The final version, SONEB’s annual investment requirements to be US$35 produced in June 2009, includes an estimate of the funding million, including the costs of supplying drinking water, committed but not included in the national budget, but excluding studies, upfront investment (mobilizing the for instance: mainly that from NGOs and decentralized resource), and IWRM. cooperations. 36 See: SONEB. 2010. Bilan d’exécution du plan prévisionnel See: Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2008, 2009, 26 de développement de l’entreprise (PPDE) exercice 2009. and 2010. Aide-mémoire des revues annuelles du secteur 37 See: Directorate of Hygiene and Basic Sanitation. 2010. de 2008, 2009 et 2010. See also: World Bank/Water and Rapport d’exécution du BPO 2009 de l’assainissement. Sanitation Program (WSP). 2009. Benin PRSCs Assessment 38 See: Global Sanitation Fund. 2010. Country Sector Review of Budget Support Effectiveness in Rural Water Supply and and Gap Analysis Report, Benin. Sanitation. 39 See UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Programme. 2010. See: Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2010. 27 Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2010 Update. Aide-mémoire de la revue annuelle 2010 du secteur. The JMP does not consider shared latrines to be improved See also: World Bank/Water and Sanitation Program for a number of reasons: it is difficult to differentiate (WSP). 2009. Benin PRSCs Assessment of Budget Support between shared latrines and public latrines; latrines Effectiveness in Rural Water Supply and Sanitation. shared between several households are usually less well See: Direction Générale de l’Eau. 2005. Plan d’action 28 maintained than household/individual latrines; they tend 2005-2015 de la Stratégie d’alimentation en eau potable to be less frequented by women as they are usually en milieu rural. mixed. The scorecard uses a simple color code to indicate: 29 40 The 2009 and 2010 sector reviews highlighted the low building blocks that are largely in place, acting as a driver levels of funding allocated to the RHS subsector in spite on service delivery (score >2, green); building blocks that of the commitment made by Benin at the AfricaSan are a drag on service delivery and require attention (score conference in 2008. 1–2, yellow); and building blocks that are inadequate, 41 See: Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2009. constituting a barrier to service delivery and a priority for Aide-mémoire de la revue sectorielle. reform (score <1, red). 42 See: Directorate of Hygiene and Basic Sanitation. 2010. See: Direction Générale de l’Eau. 2010. Rapport d’exécution 30 Rapport d’exécution du BPO 2009 de l’assainissement. du BPO 2009 de l’hydraulique rurale et semi-urbaine. 43 See: World Bank/Water and Sanitation Program (WSP). See: Direction Générale de l’Eau. 2010. Rapport d’exécution 31 2009. Benin PRSCs Assessment of Budget Support du BPO 2009 de l’hydraulique rurale et semi-urbaine. Effectiveness in Rural Water Supply and Sanitation that cites See: Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2007. Stratégie 32 the (2003) Hygiene and Basic Sanitation Program Report. nationale 2006-2015 d’alimentation en eau potable en 44 See: Directorate of Hygiene and Basic Sanitation. 2010. milieu urbain. Rapport d’exécution du BPO 2009 de l’assainissement. See: Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water. 2009. Aide- 33 45 See: Global Sanitation Fund. 2010. Country Sector Review mémoire de la revue sectorielle. The discrepancy in the and Gap Analysis Report, Benin. figures is due to the use of both a different method to 29 Notes Notes Notes For enquiries, contact: Water and Sanitation Program–Africa Region The World Bank, Upper Hill Road P.O. Box 30577, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +(254) 20 322 6300 E-mail: wspaf@worldbank.org Web site: www.wsp.org