In Zambia, we’re beginning to see how inclusive Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) models can make sanitation systems more equitable and sustainable. These approaches go beyond technology they ensure that low-income communities, sanitation workers, and local enterprises are all part of the solution.A good example is the FSM Action Research Project in Lusaka, implemented by Catalyst Development (CaDev) with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The project tests and compares emptying and transport technologies to identify affordable, safe, and scalable solutions for underserved areas. It also works closely with local authorities to formalize service providers, improve worker safety, and integrate FSM into city systems.Key points include:• Affordability and inclusion: Tiered pricing models ensure even low-income households can access safe emptying services.• Worker dignity: Mechanized tools and licensing frameworks reduce health risks and increase professionalism.• Evidence for scale: The research-action model provides data to guide policy and future investment.• Local ownership: Implementing through a Zambian social enterprise (CaDev) grounds innovation in real community contexts.Ultimately, Zambia’s experience shows that innovation in sanitation isn’t just about technology it’s about designing services that work for everyone, especially the most vulnerable.

Hi Kapalu,

Great reflections there, I really like how you’ve emphasized innovation over investment.
From your perspective, what kinds of locally driven innovations (whether technical, business, or social) could make Zambia’s sanitation progress more inclusive, especially for informal or low-income communities that are often left out of large-scale interventions?

Would appreciate your thoughts on this.

Regards,

 Benny

Rethinking Sanitation: Why Innovation, Not Just Investment, Matters

While the world met the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for water access ahead of schedule, sanitation continues to lag behind, leaving nearly 2.5 billion people without basic sanitation and over 1 billion still practicing open defecation. The burden of poor sanitation remains one of the greatest public health and economic challenges of our time.

Despite the well-known health and economic benefits from preventing 1.5 million diarrheal deaths annually to generating ninefold returns on every dollar invested, sanitation systems in many developing countries remain broken, particularly in urban informal settlements. The issue isn’t just infrastructure it’s the lack of affordable, scalable, and context-appropriate solutions.

The sanitation service chain often collapses at the emptying and disposal stage, with faecal sludge frequently dumped in unsafe areas. To change this, we need innovation that fits local realities not just bigger budgets. Promising approaches like Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS++), Sanitation as a Business, and the Reinvented Toilet movement show that it’s possible to close the sanitation gap through behaviour change, smart service models, and technological creativity.

Here in Zambia, for instance, emerging models of faecal sludge management in Lusaka, including business-driven pit emptying services and biochar valorisation, are offering glimpses of how innovation can transform what was once “waste” into valuable resources, while restoring dignity and improving urban health.

If anything, this global challenge reminds us that sanitation success will depend less on the scale of our spending and more on the depth of our innovation, partnerships, and understanding of community realities.

Discussion prompt:
How can we make sanitation innovation more inclusive, ensuring that low-income urban and rural communities not only access facilities but also experience real, lasting health benefits?