Game Called The Bottom Line – Understanding the Business of Sanitation

Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) has developed a interesting game, called The Bottom Line – Understanding the Business of Sanitation. The game, available at www.wsup.com/the-bottom-line/, was produced by WSUP as an exploration of some of the challenges around involving the private sector in sanitation service delivery in cities.

The introduction goes like this:

“In the fictional African city of Bafini, 80% of residents have no access to a sewer connection, relying instead on toilets with pits or septic tanks. This creates a need for better faecal waste collection services, and a market opportunity for a smart entrepreneur. You run a waste management business in Bafini, and have just decided to expand into faecal sludge management. You have a positive cash flow, which you will need to maintain. Your business must impact positively on low levels of public health in Bafini, and work to get a sceptical city government onside. You cannot operate without their support! It's a difficult balance. Can you make a success of it?

How the game works:

Answer each question and try and keep your business going through the four levels. If any of your three scores reach zero, you lose!

Watch out for the random events - they can bring bad news, as well as good news.

What do the forum users think of games in sanitation? Do they stimulate interest?

F H Mughal