Location
Madagascar
250 rural municipalities across 7 regions
Beneficiaries
675,000
people
Period
2017-2024
84 months
Context:
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 77.4% of its population living below the international poverty line of USD 2.15 per day (World Bank, 2020). Rural areas, where 80% of the population lives, are particularly hard hit by limited access to essential services. In terms of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), only 30% of rural dwellers have access to basic drinking water services, and 45% of the rural population remains without adequate sanitation services (UNICEF, 2018). This situation exacerbates the risk of waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea, which remains one of the main causes of infant mortality.
Geopolitically, Madagascar is an island exposed to major climatic risks, such as cyclones and recurrent periods of drought. These factors exacerbate water shortages and damage existing infrastructures. Historically, the country has suffered from political and economic instability, with fragile governance limiting the ability to deliver effective public services, particularly in the WASH sector.
Challenges include weak governance and oversight, an underdeveloped private sector for drinking water supply, and limited demand for WASH services, often due to a lack of awareness of health and economic issues. What's more, Madagascar is a long way from achieving MDG 6, which aims to guarantee universal access to water and sanitation.
A large-scale project in this region is crucial and urgent to address these shortcomings. Improving WASH services will not only reduce diseases linked to unsafe water, but also improve living conditions, economic productivity and resilience in the face of climate challenges. The mobilization of all stakeholders, including communities, institutions and the private sector, is essential to achieve sustainable results.
Project description:
The specific objective of RANO WASH is to ensure that improvements in access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services are sustainable. The project adopts a systemic approach, addressing all dimensions of the sector, including policy, financing, institutions and other key elements at national and local levels. This approach is based on collective action involving all stakeholders in the system.
Thanks to these initiatives, RANO WASH is sustainably strengthening access to essential services, while mobilizing a wide range of players to support community empowerment.
Specific objectives:
• Strengthening governance and monitoring of the WASH sector: improving monitoring, analysis and learning systems to influence sector policies, as well as strengthening decentralized systems;
• Empowering local populations thanks to increased community control of WASH services;
• Engaging the private sector in the provision of WASH services;
• Accelerating the adoption of healthy behaviors and the use of WASH services;
• Informing on behavior change solutions at all levels (government, private sector, civil society and communities).
Key Themes:
Access to water
Sanitation services
Information
CARE Belgium supports the project in collaboration with other members of the CARE network, in particular through communication and fundraising activities.