Implications of The Bottled Water Boom In Zambia

A pressing issue has surfaced in Zambia, necessitating stringent regulation from both Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) and Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS): groundwater mining. In 2021, global bottled water sales reached 350 billion liters and were valued at an estimated $270 billion, a figure expected to soar to $500 billion by 2030. These profits have caused a boom in the industry posing a significant environmental and social challenges.

Commercial water extractors assert their operations represent a small portion of groundwater use. They emphasize employing hydrogeological studies to ensure aquifer sustainability, highlighting ongoing efforts toward resource conservation and innovation in water usage, packaging, and recycling. Nonetheless, the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health contends that the industry's global success exacts a massive toll on the environment, climate, and society.

Bottled water companies, though immensely successful, entail a devil's bargain:

Groundwater Depletion

Bottled water companies often extract water from underground sources like aquifers. Over-extraction can deplete these sources, leading to long-term water scarcity for local communities, farmers, and ecosystems relying on the same water sources. Many are unaware, but rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwater are interconnected. The water present in rivers often originates from groundwater, which frequently migrates horizontally into the riverbed. This phenomenon sustains river flow even beyond the rainy season. Even if water mining may be small in absolute terms globally or compared to larger water consumers like irrigated agriculture, local impacts on water resources may be significant. Extracting water from aquifers can disrupt the natural flow and balance of groundwater, affecting local ecosystems and habitats that depend on these water sources. Changes in groundwater levels can also impact vegetation and wildlife.

Environmental Footprint

The production, transportation, and disposal of plastic bottles contribute to environmental degradation, exacerbating plastic pollution in water bodies, harming marine life, and escalating carbon emissions. Most if not all bottled water is packaged in plastics. And the widespread use of single-use plastic — the stuff we use once and then throw away — is only made worse by its disposal. Plastics do not break down once they’re thrown into nature. And, alarmingly, we only have very little plastics that go through the 3Rs - recycle, reuse or reduce (only the big water bottles used on water dispensers). Only 7% of plastics are recycled in Zambia such that much of our drainage systems are blocked by them and as the rainy season begins, this is a cause for the majority of flooding. What you might not realize is this isn’t just a pollution problem. It’s a climate problem. And by the time we start talking about recycling, the damage is already done. It takes 3x the amount of water to produce a plastic bottle than it does to fill that same bottle. So for a 1 liter bottle of your favourite water, 4 liters. When I read this fact I just think the world has gone crazy. This makes no sense.

Social Implications

Bottled water extraction can spark conflicts with local communities over access to this vital resource, exacerbating social inequalities, particularly in regions like Zambia, where safe tap water remains scarce. The rise in bottled water usage amplifies inequalities in clean water access, further burdening vulnerable groups, including the impoverished.

To begin, it's important to establish what "basic access" entails. Basic access refers to having a water source within a 30-minute roundtrip, capable of reliably providing a minimum of 20 liters per day per family member. Basic access is the bare minimum that all Zambians should have access to. Urban areas, however, are expected to have access to safely managed drinking water. This denotes water sources which, by nature of their design and construction, have the potential to deliver safe water accessible on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination.

In Zambia, where basic drinking water is not always available even from piped water systems, the boom in bottled water business is mainly an indictment on both the government and the commercial utilities (CU), an indicator of their failure to provide water – a human right – to the populations. Bottled water is replacing tap water in affluent homes and buttressing the inequalities' in term of access to clean and safe water. But what about poor homes? 60% of Zambians are poor and thus can't afford to spend K40 - K65 on 18 liters of water. Those that can, buying bottled water increases their financial risk and presents barriers of clean and safe water access especially for the urban poor who are the most vulnerable groups and at the bottom of the socioeconomic pyramid.

In 2022 at a meeting for Groundwater Protection and Management, the headpersons and a Councillor from Chalimbana in Chongwe emphatically attached the human costs developments which includes groundwater mining in Lusaka have posed to livelihoods, food security, climate-driven agriculture and sustainable poverty reduction in Chongwe which depends on the both the Chongwe River and Chalimbana stream. The two water bodies that have drastically lost water in the past few decades.

Health Implications

Rampant sales of low-priced packaged water brands like 'Drip' at K1 for a 500ml quantity raise concerns about water quality and health risks. The absence of ZABS approval on many brands indicates potential risks from contaminants or harmful substances in these products. Now, who in their right mind can sell purified water at k1? Overexploitation of packaged water is already resulting in water quality deterioration, exposing consumers to health risks like contamination with pollutants, chemicals, or naturally occurring substances harmful to human health.

In conclusion, despite Zambia's comparative advantage in water resources, the reality remains paradoxical, with a substantial portion of the population, particularly in rural areas (46%), lacking access to safe water. Even in urban with 87% access to basic water supply, water accessibility often comes with compromised safety and cleanliness, hindering consumption. Addressing these challenges in the age of climate change necessitates a holistic approach that encompasses regulatory measures, community involvement, and equitable resource allocation for sustainable water access and management. Solutions involve regulatory adherence, sustainable water practices, eco-friendly packaging, community engagement, infrastructure improvement, and collaborative efforts among stakeholders to manage water sustainably and reduce reliance on bottled water.

WASH Commercial Utilities in Zambia: Struggles, Shortcomings, and Solutions

Zambia aims to achieve universal access to safe and affordable water and sanitation services by 2030. However, with less than six years remaining, doubts persist about meeting the more ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The key to achieving this universal service access lies in Commercial Utilities (CUs) modeled after market-led systems for water supply and sanitation. Over the years, there was widespread optimism that the private sector's involvement would address most of the performance issues in CUs securing scarce financing for growth and expansion. While private sector engagement has increased, it has fallen significantly short of expectations in transforming the sector.

Despite receiving a substantial share of funding, CUs lack clear policy directives and robust governance structures. CUs grapple with Non-Revenue Water rates exceeding 50%, well above the acceptable NWASCO threshold of 25%. This challenge compounds several others, including deficient financial management, poor creditworthiness, inadequate service provision - particularly in sanitation, and substandard asset management.

According to the World Bank Diagnostic Report spanning from 2001 to 2017, Zambian CUs suffered estimated losses of US$858 million due to high non-revenue water levels and low bill collection efficiency. These inefficiencies, notably poor billing and revenue collection result in hidden expenses or implicit subsidies. Consequently, CUs reduced investments in asset maintenance and essential repairs, leading to deteriorating service quality and increased unit costs per service provided. The chronically inefficient CUs in Zambia, as noted by the World Bank, pose a fiscal burden, complicating government financing in the sector.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is politically sensitive, and most politicians have not been able to effectively balance the trade-offs between affordability and expansion of coverage to poorer communities with the CUs’ need for financial viability. Policy makers pursue multiple unaligned objectives, often leaning toward the attainment of short-term political interests. Failure to discipline CUs to perform may appease the short-term interest of the political constituency but will ultimately deprive the same of better and more efficient services.

Nonetheless, there is still hope. The government should pivot its focus from exclusively financing large-scale infrastructure projects to investing in improving the efficiency and governance of CUs. This shift aims to enhance CU cash flows, enabling them to contribute to expanding water and sanitation access. Introducing a deliberate strategy to incentivize efficiency and implementing result-based financing could significantly enhance financial performance. This strategy could enable CUs to contribute to capital investments through improved cash flows, increased creditworthiness, and the potential to attract private capital.

World Toilet Day 2023: Accelerating Change

As Zambia joins the world in observing World Toilet Day on 19^th November, the focus this year resonates deeply within our nation's landscape - Accelerating Change. Amidst the bustling strides towards progress and development, this day serves as a stark reminder of the critical necessity for improved sanitation practices and facilities across our communities.

In 2015, Zambia joined the rest of the world in committing to Sustainable Development Goal 6 that seeks to achieve access to adequate and equitable toilets and hygiene for all and to end open defecation by 2030. 3 years later, Zambia affirmed this commitment by launching the Open Defecation Free Strategy 2030, the Rural Sanitation Framework for Provision and Regulation and the Urban Onsite Sanitation and Faecal Sludge Management Framework for Provision and Regulation to actualize the country’s sanitation and hygiene development aspirations. The strategies forms part of the government’s National Development Plan and the Vision 2030.

While the Zambian government and its partners acknowledge the profound benefits of sanitation as a prime investment for reducing child morbidity and mortality, enhancing children's cognitive abilities, curbing undernutrition and stunting, and addressing several neglected tropical diseases, along with mitigating risks, anxiety, and psychosocial stress, as well as fostering economic gains, a significant proportion of the population remains deprived of adequate sanitation services. This substantial gap results in a notable segment of the populace lacking safely managed sanitation, thereby amplifying health risks and contributing to environmental degradation. Hence, sanitation stands not only as a fundamental necessity for human health and dignity but also as a critical element for the country's overall development.

With less than seven years to 2030, the scale of the challenge is still enormous, and the pace of change needs to be accelerated because millions of Zambians still don’t have access to toilets and a bigger number don’t have access to basic sanitation service. It is said that we need to work, on average, five times faster and harder to meet the sanitation target of SDG 6 by 2030.

Rapid urbanization and climate change have exacerbated Zambia's sanitation crisis, thus calls for accelerated change.

To accelerate change, individuals’ actions, small yet impactful steps like waste management, support for sanitation initiatives, and advocating for sustainable choices in daily life collectively contribute to the larger goal of improved sanitation access for all Zambians. The UN Water is using an ancient tale of the hummingbird who does what she can to fight a great fire by carrying droplets of water in her beak. The story conveys the idea that each of us can take actions – however small – to help solve a big problem.

To accelerate change, the sanitation crisis in Zambia requires tailored approaches that consider the needs of different groups, including women, girls, vulnerable, marginalized, and rural communities. Innovative, cheap, and quality sanitation solutions, such as community-led total sanitation and investment in sustainable sanitation technologies, can play a pivotal role.

Whilst it has Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) has been successful in increasing demand and access to sanitation in rural areas, there’s need to employ strategies to maintain sanitation gains and instill lasting hygiene habits. To accelerate change, research is crucial to pinpoint the most impactful messages capable of generating interest in sanitation and guaranteeing sustainability of new hygiene practices. Effective monitoring that breaks down data is essential to create evidence that guides planning and resource allocation, ensuring inclusivity and leaving no one behind when implementing interventions.

To accelerate change, the commercial utility companies must be supported by government through funding to enhance infrastructure development, bolster financial practices with transparent systems, improve governance structures, improve sanitation service delivery, implement efficient asset management, provide staff training, foster collaborations, and embrace innovative technology. This will empower the CUs to transform challenges into catalysts for enhancing service delivery and ensuring sustainable water and sanitation provisions for the served communities.

To accelerate change and ensure progress, collaboration between governments and the private sector is crucial to improve investment in infrastructure and technologies that improve access to clean sanitation facilities and promote efficient sanitation practices.

To accelerate change, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Zambia supports the Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistant (SUN TA) to increase access to basic sanitation and reducing exposure to environmental pathogens that cause increased risk of diarrheal diseases and intestinal infections. Collaborating closely with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Ministry of Health (MoH), and Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation (MWDS), SUN TA has significantly enhanced sanitation and hygiene accessibility within households and communities in 13 districts: Mumbwa, Chibombo, Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi, Ndola, Kitwe, Samfya, Mansa, Nchelenge, Kaputa, Luwingu, Kasama and Mbala. This concerted effort has led to the certification of five chiefdoms as Open Defecation Free (ODF): Kaputa and Mukupa Katandula in Kaputa, Tungati and Shimumbi in Luwingu, and Nkole Mfumu in Kasama. Additionally, at the time of writing, the certification process for Moono Chiefdom in Mumbwa was underway, marking a substantial progress towards achieving ODF status in the sixth chiefdom.

TODAY IN ZAMBIAN HISTORY: THE 1980 COUP ATTEMPT

On October 27, 1980, both Zambians and the world were jolted when President Kenneth Kaunda made a startling announcement during a press briefing at State House. He revealed that on October 16, security forces had successfully thwarted an attempted coup d'état. According to his claims, this coup was allegedly sponsored by the South African Apartheid government and was originally planned for October 17. However, the intelligence services of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France dismissed the notion of South African government involvement, though individual operatives were not ruled out. This raised questions of plausible deniability.

In this covert operation, a small group of Zambian professionals and Congolese dissidents had conspired to overthrow the increasingly unpopular President Kaunda. Miles Larmer identified the key figures within this diverse group of conspirators. Among them were Valentine Musakanya, a former governor of the Bank of Zambia and a prominent businessman who clandestinely financed the United Progressive Party (UPP), an offshoot of UNIP that posed a significant threat to the ruling party until its ban in 1972. Another leader was Pierce Annfield, a white lawyer who had previously defended several opponents of UNIP, including Alice Lenshina and Simon Kapwepwe. Deogratias Symba, a Katangese militia leader, and Edward Shamwana, a lawyer and associate of Musakanya, were also part of this group. Additionally, Lt. Gen. Christopher Kabwe, head of the Zambian Air Force and Kaunda's pilot, and Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda, who was providing military training to a private Congolese militia, were involved. Interestingly, Yoram claimed that Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, who had passed away on January 20 of the same year, was aware of the plot and gave his blessings, even though he wasn't involved in its planning.

According to Mumba's account, other individuals directly involved included Elias Kaenga who was recruiting Zambian dissidents and Zaireans from Katanga, Col. Mkandawire, Major Macpherson Mbulo, Anderson Mporokoso, Albert Chilambe Chimbalile, Col. Albert Kaniki, Col. Modesto Kankunku, and Thomas Mulewa and Laurent Kabwita. Deogratias Symba's militia had been in Mwinilung'a after being ousted from Katanga by Mobutu Sese Seko and his Western backers. Symba's involvement was aimed at receiving reciprocal support to launch an attack against Mobutu.

Following the leak of details about the impending coup to the authorities, Annfield managed to escape the country. In contrast, his co-conspirators were less fortunate, lacking the necessary connections and ending up in detention. Andrew Sardanis, in his book "Zambia: The First 50 Years," later claimed that Mundia Sikatana, one of the conspirators and Annfield's law partner, acted as a government mole, reporting the plans to his cousin, who held a senior position at State House. Yoram Mumba interestingly attempted to exonerate Sikatana and instead pointed a finger at Andrew, alleging his involvement in the 1980 coup plot, subtly suggesting that he even sold the plan to Kaunda, the man who had provided him with support and room to conduct business.

It was believed that Edward Shamwana, who was on the verge of being appointed Chief Justice of Zambia before the coup was foiled, would have led the subsequent interim government together with Musakanya.

Musakanya and two other alleged conspirators suffered severe torture, an ordeal from which Musakanya never fully recovered. Four of the plotters, including Musakanya, were acquitted in August 1982, partly because evidence extracted during their interrogation was ruled inadmissible due to torture. Seven of the accused, including Shamwana and Symba, were found guilty in January 1983 and sentenced to death. They were subsequently pardoned by Kaunda in 1990.

Charles Mwewa claims that despite their unsettling implications, coups provide an opportunity to understand the motivations of the plotters and give those in power a chance to honestly evaluate the state of the nation. Furthermore, coups offer lessons on pitfalls to avoid and issues that may lead to successful coups since politics often revolves more around perception than reality.

Kaunda would experience two more coup attempts, one in 1989 led by General Christon Tembo and the 'controversial' one in 1990 by Mwamba Luchembe. Kaunda responded with determination to these coup attempts but seemed reluctant to invest time in understanding their underlying causes. These coup attempts foreshadowed the defeat he would face in 1991.

For most of the 1980 coup plotters, this event overshadowed all their prior accomplishments, as they are now primarily remembered for their involvement in the coup. For example, Musakanya had served as Minister of State, Governor of the Bank of Zambia, and Managing Director at IBM. While still the Governor of the Bank of Zambia, he famously criticized the one-party state and the tribal balancing system, claiming that the latter promoted tribal and ethnic-based politics at the expense of good governance. His proposal for a limited term limit for the presidency ultimately led to his dismissal from the Bank of Zambia. Similarly, Shamwana was known as an exceptional litigator and one of the finest legal minds in the country.

 

My Thoughts!

1.    1.   Zambians have historically demonstrated their commitment to peaceful and democratic processes, notably by the ballot. It is essential to dispel any misconception that they may resort to violence or coup attempts when faced with grievances. Resorting to coups not only undermines the populace's ability to determine their own fate but also establishes a concerning precedent that subsequent generations might find difficult to resist replicating. President Kenneth Kaunda's tenure, while marked by various achievements, constrained citizens' capacity to exercise their democratic rights through the electoral process. The importance of safeguarding democratic principles and respecting the will of the people cannot be overstated in a nation now known for its history of peaceful transitions and commitment to the democratic ideal.

2.    2.   Interestingly, 3 out of 4 coup attempts in Zambia have been in October: 1980, 1988 and 1997. An intriguing pattern associated with the timing of such political upheavals.

3.  3.     Considering this year's Independence Day theme, which emphasizes the acceleration of national development through the equitable distribution of resources, I firmly believe that General Godfrey Miyanda carries a distinct and vital responsibility to thoroughly document his life experiences and insights, creating a comprehensive literary legacy that would prove invaluable for future generations. Such contributions would not only provide profound insights into the events, challenges, and decisions that have shaped his lifetime but also align with the core principles of equitable resource distribution, including knowledge, history, and experiences. In this context, General Miyanda's potential literary works would be a testament to his dedication to our nation and offer clarity on the seemingly contradictions that previous authors have offered on the 1980 attempted coup.

 

Bibliography  

1.      

1.    Gewald, J. B., Hinfelaar, M. and Macola, G. (2008) One Zambia, Many Histories: Towards a History of Post-colonial Zambia. Netherlands: Brill

2.    Larmer, M. (2010) Chronicles of a Coup Foretold: Valentine Musakanya and the 1980 Coup Attempt in Zambia. The Journal of African History, 51, pp. 391-409

3.    Lermer, M. (ed) (2010) The Musakanya Papers. Lembani Trust: Lusaka

4.    Magande, N.P (2018) The Depth of My Footprints. Atlanta: Maleendo & Co.

5.    Mumba, G.Y. 2012. The 1980 Coup: Tribulations of The One-Party State In Zambia. Lusaka: UNZA Press.

6.    Mwanakatwe, J. (2003) Teacher Politician Lawyer: My Autobiography. Lusaka: Bookworld Publishers

7.    Mwewa, C. (2011) Zambia: Struggles of My People. Lusaka: Maiden Publishing House

8.    Sardanis, A. (2014) Zambia: The First 50 Years. London: Bloomsbury Academic

9.    Scott, G. (2019) Adventure in Zambian Politics: A Story In Black And White. Lynne Rienner: London

10. Zukas, S. (2002) Into Exile and Back. Lusaka: Gadsden Publishers.

Celebrating Toilets.

This article was published in the Zambia Daily Mail in 2021 to commemorate the World Toilet Day.

On 9^th November students from the University of Zambia protested to bring to the attention of government the various challenges the school is facing one of which is the lack of proper sanitation as shown in a video where their Students Union President Gabriel Banda claimed that East Park Mall toilets have been their salvation. 2 days later, on 11^th November 2021, students from the Lusaka Business Technical College (LBTC) staged a protest alleging poor sanitation at the institution.

If situations can be this dire at higher learning institutions, how about the rural areas?

The Toilet Crisis

According to JMP (2021), only 3.2 in 10 Zambians have access to improved sanitation facilities which are not shared with other households. 1.1 in 10 Zambian disposes human faeces in open spaces as they lack any form of toilet. The true picture is that 1.94 million of rural Zambians have no toilet facility, as compared with 128,694 of urban. While toilet access is generally higher in urban areas as compared to rural, sanitary conditions in urban areas are aggravated by high-density living, inadequate septage and solid waste management, and poor drainage.

Poor sanitation undermines human dignity. Access to safe, hygienic, and private sanitation facilities is one of the strongest indicators of dignity. For many women across the country however, inadequate access is a source of shame, physical discomfort, and insecurity. Cultural norms strictly control behaviour in this area, in many cases requiring that women are not seen defecating – a requirement that forces them to leave home before dawn or after nightfall to maintain privacy. Delaying bodily functions is a major cause of liver infection and acute constipation. The loss of dignity associated with a lack of privacy in toilets helps to explain why women attach more importance than men to sanitary provision (UNDP 2006).

Poor sanitation hurt girls’ education. Young girls, particularly after puberty, are also less likely to attend classes if the school does not have proper toilets. UNICEF estimate that about half the girls in Sub – Saharan Africa who drop out of primary school do so because of poor water and sanitation facilities. That helps explain why improving school sanitation can increase the demand for education among girls. Conversely, inadequate provision can retard progress. Toilets at home, school and at work help women fulfil their potential and play their full role in society, especially during menstruation and pregnancy.

Poor sanitation causes child mortality. Of the 123,355 annual deaths in Zambia, 31,500 (26%) are children under the age of five (GBDx). Of these fatalities, 3,754 children won't survive to their 5^th birthday because of diarrhea. These sickness episodes represent the second largest cause of childhood death after acute respiratory tract infection. Globally, diarrhoea kills more people than tuberculosis or malaria – five times as many children die of diarrhoea as of HIV/AIDS. Most deaths from diarrhoea are caused by shigella, or bloody diarrhoea. Unlike other forms of diarrhoea, shigella cannot be treated effectively with simple oral rehydration therapies – it requires more costly antibiotics. Even for households that can afford treatment, shigella is a growing threat because it has rapidly developed resistance to antibiotics. The economic impact of poor WASH is also staggering as health is wealth. Despite all this background, less than 1.4% of 2022 Zambia's national budget will go towards Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

Poor sanitation and undernutrition reinforce each other. When children are undernourished, their resistance to infection is lowered and they are more susceptible to diarrhetic disease and other infections. Where children regularly suffer from diarrhoea, they are also very likely to be malnourished as a result. For infants, particularly those under six months of age, diarrhoea can cause permanent damage to intestinal development, reducing a child's ability to absorb nutrients leading to stunting, both physical and cognitive. And children who are affected by stunting in their early years have lower test scores on cognitive assessments and activity level (Alderman, Hoddinott and Kinsey, 2006). Ultimately, adults who were stunted as children on average earn 22% less than those who weren’t (Anthony Lake, 2012).

Working with line ministries to contribute to stunting reduction in the Zambia, Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA) is a project supported by USAID being implemented in 13 selected districts of Central, Copperbelt, Luapula, and Northern Provinces. To achieve this goal, SUN TA targets women of reproductive age with at least one child under 2 years of age, and/or a pregnant woman. The project’s sanitation demand creation and sustainable social behaviours change is promoted through Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) efforts. Given that recent evidence suggesting that poor sanitation is particularly threatening to early life health, efforts to improve sanitary conditions is therefore of urgent relevance.

2021 World Toilet Day

World Toilet Day - a day set worldwide to raise the awareness and inspire action to intensify the construction and use of toilets – falls on 19^th November every year. This year’s theme ‘Valuing Toilets” draws attention to the fact that toilets - and the sanitation systems that fund them – are often underfunded, poorly managed, or neglected. This has devastating consequences for health, economics, and the environment, particularly in our poorest and most marginalized communities. The use of toilets is a topic that is usually ignored and shrouded in taboos evidenced by the outrage UNICEF faced in 2018 for supporting the erecting of billboards proclaiming the eradication of open defecation in selected districts. It will take us to rightly focus such disgust and outrage at the man in the mirror for allowing our fellow Zambians to have the indignity of not having a toilet.

This World Toilet Day show us support that you care about toilets by joining the #WorldToiletDay conversation on all social media platforms.

Hand hygiene: our future is at hand

This article was initially published in the Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper on 15th October 2021 to commemorate the World Handwashing Day but its relevance hasn't diminished a single bit. 

The COVID-19 era, many public and private institutions had put up handwashing facilities at the entrance of their premises. Standing there to observe the number of people washing their hands as they enter or exit and that gave you a real picture of the battle around social and behaviour change relating to hand hygiene.   

If you took the trouble to check, you may find some of those buckets have not had water in a very long time. Neither is there soap. But for the sake of being seen to be compliant, the buckets still stand.

Handwashing is a simple yet powerful act of hygiene behaviour crucial for the prevention of diseases. Handwashing was important before COVID-19 arrived but has now taken on added importance in view of the pandemic.

According to the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP, 2021), a UN mechanism that provides regular global reports on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) coverage, around 51 percent or over nine million Zambians lack access to any form of handwashing facilities at home.  

Another 82 per cent or over 15 million lack availability of a handwashing facility with soap and water at home. If this sounds farfetched, it may be because you are part of the 18 per cent that have access to a handwashing facility with clean water and soap.

The choice to have a handwashing facility is an investment decision by a household bordering on finance. Hence the reason majority making up the 82 per cent are found in rural areas and poor communities of urban areas.

For the first time in many years, Zambia did not record cholera cases this year. Though an inquiry is needed to establish this, we can argue that there has been a considerable improvement in hand hygiene necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has broken the fecal–oral route that causes cholera. However, cholera remains a risk unless the underlying WASH vulnerabilities - lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation - are addressed.

Whilst water and sanitation infrastructure provide the physical conditions for hygiene, it is the sustained good hygiene behaviours that help prevent the transmission of diseases. Handwashing with soap and clean water, together with other public health interventions, has proved key in reducing the transmission of COVID-19.

Caused by poor hygiene, including poor handwashing behaviours, diarrheal diseases are a leading cause of stunting among children under the age of five in Zambia. That is why it is important for all members of the household to ensure they have a clean environment and wash their hands at critical times such as after using the toilet, after changing baby nappies, before breastfeeding, after cleaning a toilet, before preparation and consumption of food, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose.

Improved hygiene behaviours reduce chances of transmitting diseases, thereby contributing to a disease-free community and the healthy growth of children.

Global Handwashing Day is a day commemorated annually on 15 October to raise public awareness on making handwashing with soap and clean water available globally, especially in public places. It also calls for institutions and individuals to improve hand hygiene efforts in the COVID-19 response that can outlast the pandemic and ensure continued access to clean water and soap.

In 2021, the theme was “Our Future is at Hand – Let’s Move Forward Together”

Since the creation of Global Handwashing Day in 2008, the Government of Zambia began implementing policies and programs that promote handwashing with soap. Handwashing stations have been integrated into the national Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) program, an innovative methodology for mobilizing communities to take leadership in raising sanitation standards in their localities.

One of the organisations supporting the government’s WASH efforts is the Scaling Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA) Project funded by the United States government. By working with District WASH committees in 13 districts (Mumbwa, Chibombo, Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi, Ndola, Kitwe, Samfya, Nchelenge, Kaputa, Luwingu, Mbala and Kasama), the project has trained government staff and community volunteers to deliver key messages on improved sanitation and hygiene even before COVID-19 arrived.

In addition to providing handwashing facilities to the 390 health centres where it is working in, the project is also rehabilitating 700 and constructing 300 boreholes and 26 water schemes to increase access to clean and safe water, key to the attainment of improve sanitation and hygiene. Also, 390 Area Pump Menders have also been trained and given tools to support their continuous operation and maintenance of these water points.

That year’s commemoration of the Global Handwashing Day offered each one of us an opportunity to spread the word about handwashing and contribute to behaviour change on hand hygiene.

The private sector and donors should invest in national roadmaps, hygiene strategies, and research, as well as programs that are hygiene sensitive, promote sustainable behaviour change and drive hand hygiene habits. Businesses should contribute towards resilient hand hygiene systems through partnerships, financing, and innovative products and facilities and again promote hand hygiene within their workforce.

If there is anything COVID-19 taught us, it is the need for collective actions to address the historic neglect of hand hygiene investments, policies, and programs. Our future is at hand, let us move forward together.

Remember to wash your hands today and every day.  

Climate-Resilient Sanitation Systems

The successful realisation of Zambia's 2030 Open Defecation Free (ODF) Strategy and the broader Sustainable Development Goal 6 which is about “clean water and sanitation for all” hinges on the unwavering commitment of all stakeholders in the sanitation value chain.

Amidst this important mission, a formidable challenge looms: the escalating impact of climate change, manifesting through relentless floods, droughts, and extreme temperatures. These environmental upheavals cast a looming shadow over the very fabric of sanitation systems, ranging from basic pit latrines to waterborne toilets, septic tanks and treatment plants.

Neighbouring countries like Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique experienced the devastating effects of Cyclone Freddy early this year, which triggered a cholera outbreak leading to thousands of fatalities. Unrestricted by national boundaries, the outbreak reached Zambia, initially affecting the border town of Vubwi before spreading to other parts of the country.

In Zambia itself, impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident through flooding resulting in damage to infrastructure such as roads, bridges and drainage systems, disrupting lives and placing a huge strain on the national treasury. For instance, in the 2022/23 rain season, despite the relatively new Bombay Drainage System, several areas of Lusaka experienced flooding, threatening water sources and sanitation infrastructure.

In view of the adversities of climate change, it is important to design sanitation systems that are resilient. This means it is no longer business as usual for the construction sector; their designs and materials used must factor in the realities of climate change. Solid sanitation systems are key to the preservation of public health and should be underpinned by well-constructed and robust sanitation infrastructure.

Sanitation infrastructure serves as a safeguard for public health, while concurrently providing avenues for the judicious reuse of waste to boost agricultural productivity and elevate energy practices towards a greener horizon.

Regrettably, a stark reality persists. According to the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP, 2023), at least 12.8 million Zambians of lower socioeconomic status remain without access to basic sanitation facilities, i.e. they are using improved facilities which are shared with other households.

Improved sanitation facilities are those designed to hygienically separate excreta from human contact and include flush/pour flush toilets; pit latrines with slabs (including ventilated pit latrines), and composting toilets. There is urgent need for targeted interventions to dismantle the entrenched inequalities and vulnerabilities that plague poor communities.

While climate change is often associated with negative consequences, it is important for us to adopt a proactive approach and explore potential opportunities. Emphasizing the development and accessibility of affordable climate-resilient sanitation technologies such as EcoSan systems and decentralised wastewater treatment can be a useful step towards enhancing sanitation coverage and sustainability across the country.

To achieve these ambitious objectives, various stakeholders, including the government, non-governmental organizations, private sector and communities must join hands. Collaboration among these actors can foster innovative solutions, create funding mechanisms, and capacity-building initiatives to drive progress in the sanitation sector.

Promoting public awareness and behavior change campaigns around proper sanitation practices and climate resilience can significantly contribute to long-term success and sustainability of sanitation initiatives.

Promoting awareness and educating communities about climate-resilient sanitation practices can foster ownership and proper usage of sanitation facilities, increasing overall resilience.

Engaging in knowledge-sharing and learning from successful models implemented in other regions can provide valuable insights and support the replication of effective strategies in Zambia.

Implementers of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) programs should from the onset integrate climate resilience in their programming and share available sanitation options so that durable facilities are built.

Public funding such as the expanded Constituency Development Fund (CDF) should help communities build climate-resilient sanitation infrastructure to reduce the incidences and prevalence of sanitation slippage which is common in rural areas after every rainy season.  Procurement teams and those supervising public works also need to be aware of this.  

Attaining goals in the 2030 ODF Strategy and SDG 6 requires collective determination and coordinated action by stakeholders.

Sanitation has huge potential to support other sectors like agriculture and energy which provide enormous economic development opportunities at household and national levels.

By acknowledging the critical linkages between climate change and sanitation, we can pave way for a healthier, more sustainable, and resilient Zambia, ensuring that no one is left behind in this transformative journey. 

Improving Sanitation By Placing Value On Toilets

The article below was published in November 2021 in the Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper to commemorate the World Toilet Day. It was relevant then and it is relevant now. 

On 9^th November students from the University of Zambia protested to bring to the attention of government the various challenges the school is facing one of which is the lack of proper sanitation as shown in a video where their Students Union President Gabriel Banda claimed that East Park Mall toilets have been their salvation. 2 days later, on 11^th November 2021, students from the Lusaka Business Technical College (LBTC) staged a protest alleging poor sanitation at the institution.

If situations can be this dire at higher learning institutions, how about the rural areas?

The Toilet Crisis

According to JMP (2021), only 3.2 in 10 Zambians have access to improved sanitation facilities which are not shared with other households. 1.1 in 10 Zambian disposes human faeces in open spaces as they lack any form of toilet. The true picture is that 1.94 million of rural Zambians have no toilet facility, as compared with 128,694 of urban. While toilet access is generally higher in urban areas as compared to rural, sanitary conditions in urban areas are aggravated by high-density living, inadequate septage and solid waste management, and poor drainage.

Poor sanitation undermines human dignity. Access to safe, hygienic, and private sanitation facilities is one of the strongest indicators of dignity. For many women across the country however, inadequate access is a source of shame, physical discomfort, and insecurity. Cultural norms strictly control behaviour in this area, in many cases requiring that women are not seen defecating – a requirement that forces them to leave home before dawn or after nightfall to maintain privacy. Delaying bodily functions is a major cause of liver infection and acute constipation. The loss of dignity associated with a lack of privacy in toilets helps to explain why women attach more importance than men to sanitary provision (UNDP 2006).

Poor sanitation hurt girls’ education. Young girls, particularly after puberty, are also less likely to attend classes if the school does not have proper toilets. UNICEF estimate that about half the girls in Sub – Saharan Africa who drop out of primary school do so because of poor water and sanitation facilities. That helps explain why improving school sanitation can increase the demand for education among girls. Conversely, inadequate provision can retard progress. Toilets at home, school and at work help women fulfil their potential and play their full role in society, especially during menstruation and pregnancy.

Poor sanitation causes child mortality. Of the 123,355 annual deaths in Zambia, 31,500 (26%) are children under the age of five (GBDx). Of these fatalities, 3,754 children won't survive to their 5^th birthday because of diarrhea. These sickness episodes represent the second largest cause of childhood death after acute respiratory tract infection. Globally, diarrhoea kills more people than tuberculosis or malaria – five times as many children die of diarrhoea as of HIV/AIDS. Most deaths from diarrhoea are caused by shigella, or bloody diarrhoea. Unlike other forms of diarrhoea, shigella cannot be treated effectively with simple oral rehydration therapies – it requires more costly antibiotics. Even for households that can afford treatment, shigella is a growing threat because it has rapidly developed resistance to antibiotics. The economic impact of poor WASH is also staggering as health is wealth. Despite all this background, less than 1.4% of 2022 Zambia's national budget will go towards Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

Poor sanitation and undernutrition reinforce each other. When children are undernourished, their resistance to infection is lowered and they are more susceptible to diarrhetic disease and other infections. Where children regularly suffer from diarrhoea, they are also very likely to be malnourished as a result. For infants, particularly those under six months of age, diarrhoea can cause permanent damage to intestinal development, reducing a child's ability to absorb nutrients leading to stunting, both physical and cognitive. And children who are affected by stunting in their early years have lower test scores on cognitive assessments and activity level (Alderman, Hoddinott and Kinsey, 2006). Ultimately, adults who were stunted as children on average earn 22% less than those who weren’t (Anthony Lake, 2012).

Working with line ministries to contribute to stunting reduction in the Zambia, Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA) is a project supported by USAID being implemented in 13 selected districts of Central, Copperbelt, Luapula, and Northern Provinces. To achieve this goal, SUN TA targets women of reproductive age with at least one child under 2 years of age, and/or a pregnant woman. The project’s sanitation demand creation and sustainable social behaviours change is promoted through Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) efforts. Given that recent evidence suggesting that poor sanitation is particularly threatening to early life health, efforts to improve sanitary conditions is therefore of urgent relevance.

2021 World Toilet Day

World Toilet Day - a day set worldwide to raise the awareness and inspire action to intensify the construction and use of toilets – falls on 19^th November every year. This year’s theme ‘Valuing Toilets” draws attention to the fact that toilets - and the sanitation systems that fund them – are often underfunded, poorly managed, or neglected. This has devastating consequences for health, economics, and the environment, particularly in our poorest and most marginalized communities. The use of toilets is a topic that is usually ignored and shrouded in taboos evidenced by the outrage UNICEF faced in 2018 for supporting the erecting of billboards proclaiming the eradication of open defecation in selected districts. It will take us to rightly focus such disgust and outrage at the man in the mirror for allowing our fellow Zambians to have the indignity of not having a toilet.

This World Toilet Day show us support that you care about toilets by joining the #WorldToiletDay conversation on all social media platforms.

Manual Pit Emptiers: Woes and Opportunities

If wealth was a result of hard work and enterprise, every manual emptiers would have been a millionaire. 

Three months ago, our septic tank was full, so we hired a private emptier with a vacuum tanker to empty it. Last week, to our surprise, there was an indication that the septic tank was full again despite it being built based on the standard guideline. The easiest suspicion was that the emptier had pulled a fast one on us and never really emptied the tank. In response, we engaged another emptier four days ago, who, to everyone's surprise, removed as much sludge as the first emptier. In our confusion about how the septic tank could have filled up so quickly, a freelance plumber on a street corner offered a different possibility.

He claimed that over time, sludge tends to block the honeycomb structures used in soakaway, which ultimately affects soil porosity and creates a cement-like structure that hampers water percolation. This revelation blew our minds; we had never seen it that way before. Now, let me expand on this phenomenon.

Fecal sludge is the solid and semi-solid waste generated from onsite sanitation systems like pit latrines and septic tanks. When fecal sludge is improperly managed or disposed of, it can be applied to the soil as a form of fertilizer or contaminant. The composition of fecal sludge includes organic matter, pathogens, and various substances that can affect soil properties. If excessive amounts of fecal sludge are applied, it can lead to soil compaction and reduced porosity. Compacted soil has fewer pore spaces, limiting the movement of air, water, and nutrients essential for plant growth.

Moreover, the organic matter present in fecal sludge can undergo decomposition, consuming oxygen in the soil. This reduction in oxygen levels can further impact soil health and porosity while inhibiting the growth of beneficial soil organisms. Managing fecal sludge properly is crucial to minimize its negative impact on soil quality and promote sustainable agricultural practices. This entails implementing proper treatment, containment, and safe disposal practices. 

The soakaway, also known as a drainfield or leach field, which is an area of soil or gravel specifically designed to receive and disperse the effluent from a septic tank through a pipe buried in the ground had been blocked by soils. Thus, the effluent was not getting distributed to percolate into the surrounding soil, where it was supposed to undergo further biological treatment and filtration. instead of the soil acting as a natural filter, removing pathogens and contaminants before the water eventually reaches groundwater, it compacted limiting percolation. Soak pits are best suited for soil with excellent absorption, rendering clay, hard packed or rocky soil as not appropriate.

Wastewater collected after the soil compacted in the soak away

In non-sewered areas, septic tanks must be emptied whenever they fill up them because of the lack of space to dig new pits. But whenever space permits especially in rural areas with very low population density and more land available, burying the pits and building another one somewhere is an acceptable feacal sludge management practice. Thus, emptiers play a critical role in fecal sludge management (FSM), which encompasses tasks such as emptying pits of fecal matter, transporting the sludge, and facilitating its treatment and safe disposal.

Though they have been providing non-sewered sanitation solutions in every corner of the country, manual emptiers face numerous occupational health issues, ranging from the stigma associated with their work to the challenging environments they operate in. Regrettably, they have been left to self-regulate despite septage being a very infectious material that can cause disease if ingested or if it encounters broken skin. Thus, relying on operators to be responsible for their personal safety and safety on disposal is a significant mistake with serious public health ramifications.

In 2018, the National Water and Sanitation Council (NWASCO), the regulatory body overseeing water and sanitation in Zambia, introduced the Urban On-site Sanitation and Faecal Sludge Management Framework for Provision and Regulation. According to this framework, NWASCO is responsible for regulating onsite sanitation through existing licenses with water and sanitation commercial utilities (CUs) covering their respective service areas. Any private operator, like the two gentlemen who serviced our septic tank within a CU's service area, should have a management contract with the CU that stipulates adherence to the requirements. However, having a regulatory framework in place is one thing, and its actual implementation is another. Zambia generally struggled with enforcement.

Private sanitation workers should be formalized. Promoting the professionalization of masons and emptiers through official licensing and certification processes authorized by the government not only elevates the standing of sanitation personnel but also enhances the overall strength of the sanitation service chain. Alongside improving the competence and expertise of workers, it is crucial to establish mechanisms that ensure their responsibility for the quality of their services. This can be achieved by facilitating consumer accessibility through the establishment of a local authority or CU managed registry of masons and emptiers and prioritizing their safety and protection during work by formulating standardized protocols for occupational health and safety.

Promoting private emptiers is not a zero-sum game but a win–win situation, protecting groundwater against faecal contamination whilst making a livelihood out of it. This is because emptiers can also be trained in hoy to hygienically collect and transform sludge into other products. Thus, all WASH and human and human rights practitioners - including the governments - must be advocating dignified and safe working conditions for private emptiers.